Last weekend I saw The Corpse Bride. Yesterday I saw MirrorMask. Two new films from past masters of fantasy. How do they compare?
Actually there’s no comparison. MirrorMask is streets ahead.
Whilst I’m a big fan of a lot of Tim Burton’s work, I find that some of his gothic fantasy stuff is a bit twee for my tastes. I don’t even like Edward Scissorhands that much. The Corpse Bride reminded me a lot of The Nightmare Before Christmas. If you like that then you’ll probably enjoy The Corpse Bride. I didn’t. There are a few good ideas in The Corpse Bride but it ultimately comes across as a bit childish. I can’t imagine adults being that interested in it.
MirrorMask, on the other hand, is a fantastic film (in more than one meaning of the word). Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean have done a great job. The plot is far more interesting than Burton’s and the visuals have raised the bar completely. Of course it helps that I was at a special showing and the director and cast were there to answer questions afterwards.
MirrorMask shows us the future of fantasy cinema. Beside it, The Corpse Bride just looks dated.