Tim Burton has a real knack for the macabre. More accurately, he has a knack for finding innocence and wonder in what would normally be dark and dreary. Whether it's Sleepy Hollow, Edward Scissorhands or The Nightmare Before Christmas, Burton always manages to find a thematic 'light' in his otherwise dark material (he did the opposite in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory exploiting the dark edge of Willy Wonka that was only hinted at in the earlier film). His treatment of The Corpse Bride is no different. It's a darkly beautiful love story.

Of course, love wasn't a part of the deal struck between the social-climbing Van Dorts (Tracey Ullman and Paul Whitehouse) and the penniless but aristocratic Everglots (Joanna Lumley and Albert Finney) when they arranged a marriage between Victor Van Dort (Johnny Depp) and Victoria Everglot (Emily Watson). Both kids long for a marriage based on love and not economics and are pleasantly surprised when they seem to fall for each other at their first meeting. But poor Victor is so nervous that he just can't seem to get his vows out right. So he goes into the woods to practice and as he finally recites the vows correctly, he symbolically places the ring on what appears to be a twig. In all actuality, it's the bony protruding hand of the Corpse Bride (Helena Bonham Carter) who has been waiting for years for the man who will love and marry her. Immediately, the newlyweds are whisked away to the underworld. While intrigued by the Corpse Bride, Victor longs to get back to his life in the Land of the Living where Victoria's parents still intend to marry her off. An interesting love triangle evolves and is played out with sympathy for all three of the principals.

The Corpse Bride is a beautiful movie. It's filmed using a combination of stop-action (use moving puppets) and digital animation. I won't be surprised if it wins an Academy Award or two for animation. I also appreciated the visual irony of painting the world of the living in drab and boring grays while lavishing color and energy on the afterworld. Think about it, it's we, the living, who often drain the very life force out of life. But I'm not one for waxing philosophical so let's move on.

If one thing was consistently disappointing about The Corpse Bride, it's the music. From The Nightmare Before Christmas through Willy Wonka, we've come to expect original and witty songs from Burton and frequent collaborator Danny Elfman. The songs featured in The Corpse Bride were not nearly as clever as they should have been. Besides, I  had a difficult time even understanding much of the lyrics. Thankfully, the songs aren't the centerpiece of the film.

Based on a Russian fairytale, The Corpse Bride turns on Victor and Victoria's relationship and that of Victor and Emily, the Corpse Bride. What I liked is that both women were smart and sweet and capable of winning Victor's heart. Depp, Watson and Bonham-Carter voice their characters with the empathy and subtly that grounds their characters with sincerity.

I think most children will enjoy The Corpse Bride, while skeletons abound, there is nothing scary about them. This is a movie designed to enchant and not  to scare.