Sunday, March 4, 2012

Quick! Name a Tim Burton Movie not starring Johnny Depp or Helena Bonham Carter.

I bet you either said Beetlejuice or came up empty. (Other answers were Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, Batman, Batman Returns, and Mars Attacks!) Let me preface the rest of this article by saying I still find Tim Burton extremely talented and creative. I have a poster of his artwork hanging in my room. That being said, once upon a time Tim Burton was one of my favorite directors. He had so much going for him. He wasn't just creative with his stories but the way he was able to visualize them. He had such an influence that you probably think he directed The Nightmare Before Christmas. Henry Selick of Coraline and James and the Giant Peach fame was also the man behind the camera for that one. The reason nobody knows this (aside from the promotional material saying "Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas") is because it feels and looks like a Burton movie. He is no longer a favorite because he became predictable. The news of a new Burton movie is immediately paired with "starring Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter, with music by Danny Elfman." All four of these artists are brilliant on their own so bringing them together should make them stronger right? Well, at first yes. It's no secret that one of Burton's best films is Edward Scissorhands. It is a little bit of a secret that another one of his best is Ed Wood. The reason these films are great is there was a creative process clearly forming between Depp and Burton. This process only worked in the short term because after a while they got too comfortable with each other and the ideas were more obvious and predictable.

It's no coincidence that my favorite Burton film is Big Fish, the only film since 2002 to not star Depp. It isn't because I dislike Depp. It's because Burton had to work with Ewan McGregor and challenge him instead of letting Depp phone it in with his normal quirkiness. It may be pointed out that Big Fish stars Bonham Carter, who I had previously mentioned, but this was only their second collaboration together and still were able to work the creative process in their favor. The free flowing creative juices turned a corny idea into a beautiful story.

Since Big Fish every movie Burton has directed starred Depp and Bonham Carter. Every movie Burton has ever made aside from Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (which already had music written) and Ed Wood has been scored by Danny Elfman. Although Elfman is less of a hindrance because of his sheer talent, I would love to see what type of work another composer could create for Burton's work. The results produced by these four haven't been all awful by any means. Corpse Bride has some merit and Sweeney Todd, although a little overrated, was nominated for three Oscars. Overall, the films have lost their oomph and excitement because of the lack of extra creativity brought to the table. Four of the most imaginative people in show business should be considered a lot of things, but predictable is one nobody saw coming in the early 90's

Alice in Wonderland is a perfect example of everything working against them. I was very excited when this movie first came out because it seemed perfect for Burton's mind. Although it is much better than the animated version, it left a bitter taste in my mouth. Depp should have never been cast as the Mad Hatter. It was too obvious and he was too over the top in his performance. There was no pushing, no pressure to turn the most memorable character of the film into an exciting one. What was most concerning about the film that a standout performance by both Mia Wasikowska and Bonham Carter were wasted by an over emphasis on Depp. The post-production 3D didn't help the cause either.

This being said, I still think Burton has immense talent and I root for him to succeed. This includes the upcoming Dark Shadows that will keep the four artists together. It also especially includes the updated version of Frankenweenie who's trailer premiered this weekend. The excitement behind Frankenweenie is for multiple reasons. It's already a story Burton did on a small scale and has wanted to extend ever since. Old Burton regulars from the late 80's and early 90's Catherine O'Hara and Winona Ryder will be back to collaborate with Burton. Oh, and it won't star Depp or Bonham Carter. Can the man who makes the most impressive title sequences ever (expect a full post on those another time) and who made
Batman Returns the best Christmas movie that has little to do with Christmas come back to full form or will he leave me disappointed again?

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