**Corpse Bride, 2005.**

      **Directed by Mike Johnson and Tim Burton.**

      **Featuring the voice talents of Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Emily Watson, Christopher Lee, Albert Finney, Michael Gough, Tracey Ullman, Joanna Lumley, Richard E. Grant, and Paul Whitehouse.**

      **SYNOPSIS:**

      Tim Burton and Mike Johnson's charming *Corpse Bride* receives a 4K Ultra HD release in celebration of its 20th anniversary. The film looks fantastic, and Warner Bros. has added a couple of new bonus features. However, not all extras from previous editions have been included, so continue reading to discover what was left out.

      This film has a humorous backstory for me. When I first introduced it to my daughter around 15 years ago, my wife was taken aback by the title *Corpse Bride* and seemed to believe I was exposing her to something dreadful. (It's worth noting that she was a punk rocker in the 80s. I can't help but wonder if Johnny Rotten is similarly protective of his kids, if he has any.)

      Of course, we can laugh about it now, and revisiting the film in a household with everyone aged 18 or older feels appropriate. I hope that’s the case since I haven’t brought up rewatching it with my daughter just yet. In the meantime, I revisited it on my own, and it's just as charming and delightful as it was two decades ago.

      With Tim Burton at the helm and Mike Johnson as co-director, while John August, Caroline Thompson, and Pamela Pettler penned the screenplay, *Corpse Bride* features Johnny Depp as Victor Van Dort, a shy young man engaged to Victoria Everglot (Emily Watson).

      Helena Bonham Carter voices Emily, a Corpse Bride who takes Victor to the Land of the Dead. Following a failed attempt to return to the living, Victoria's family chooses to marry her off to someone else, leaving Victor to figure out how to get back, with Emily wanting him all for herself.

      At just 77 minutes, *Corpse Bride* is a lively stop-motion film reminiscent of Burton’s *The Nightmare Before Christmas*. Personally, I believe it's a great film for children, though opinions might differ.

      To mark the film’s 20-year anniversary, Warner Bros. has released it on 4K Ultra HD, which is the sole disc included in this edition. A digital copy code is also provided.

      Regarding bonus features, the studio has added two new featurettes while retaining nearly all extras from the 2006 Blu-ray. I only had this title on DVD and got rid of it previously in anticipation of the 4K release; however, I understand that the isolated Danny Elfman score and the theatrical trailer are not included in this version.

      Here are the extras available. The first two are brand new, while the remainder are standard-definition bonus features, likely from the original DVD edition. (It’s been some time since I had that in a player.)

      - *Digging Up the Past: The Minds Behind Corpse Bride* (8:26): Producer Allison Abbate, screenwriter John August, and co-director Mike Johnson reflect on the film's creation, featuring behind-the-scenes footage.

      - *’Til Death Do Us Art: A Corpse Bride Reflection* (6:18): The trio again shares insights in a retrospective that delves deeper into the film's visuals than the previous featurette. I feel we are due for another film in a similar style, as Burton's last stop-motion work was the 2012 *Frankenweenie*.

      - *Inside the Two Worlds of the Corpse Bride* (4:03): A brief look at the differences between the living world and the Land of the Dead.

      - *Making Puppets Tick* (6:33): An overview of the stop-motion puppets.

      - *The Animators: The Breath of Life* (6:38): This featurette highlights the labor-intensive process of stop-motion filmmaking, showcasing the wonderful results.

      - *The Corpse Bride Pre-Production Galleries* (13:28): An in-depth examination of the storyboards, animatics, and screen tests from production.

      - *Tim Burton: Dark vs. Light* (3:39): As indicated by the title, the cast praises Burton’s distinctive style while he explains his choice of stop-motion animation for this story.

      - *Voices from the Underworld* (5:58): Depp, Carter, and other voice cast members showcase their talents.

      - *The Voices Behind the Voice* (7:36): This segment features the voice actors in action on one side of the screen alongside the final scene on the other.

      **Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★