Such an enchanting movie. The stop-motion is beautiful. The imagery in particular is just delightful and full of an inventiveness for its time; there’s a few scenes in this film that describe this sentiment perfectly. The story, on the other hand, is typical and not as impressive as the visuals. It’s the film’s biggest weakness as it lacks any distinguishing feature as well as contains a typical and lackluster way of storytelling.

But while the story itself is straightforward and typical, it is wonderfully visualized through the beauty of stop-motion and the wonderful aesthetic of the macabre. The colorful world of the dead juxtaposed with the barren and empty view of the living is gorgeously portrayed. The musical sequences are playfully dark as well as being a blast to watch as the stop-motion style dances with the macabre aesthetic beautifully. Based on stylistic choices alone, Tim Burton has created a rich and stunning world that is equally as memorable as the film’s character, Emily.

Emily’s pure personality coupled with her tragic backstory make for a solid foundation for her character, and it makes her development much more impactful. It also makes the ending hit harder as the beautiful imagery through her turning into butterflies is symbolic of what the film tries to portray of the ability to find closure from misguided love.

Burton also litters the film with a dark sense of humor that’s fun and fresh even for an older audience. Speaking of which, while the film is “family-friendly”, it’s still perfectly serviceable and enjoyable for this older audience.

It’s a shame that the story suffers from its lack of novelty so much as this film already has perfect visuals and a memorable aesthetic. Regardless, it’s a fun film to experience.

Watched 6/13/2021