09:14 AM CST on Sunday, January 29, 2006

By Boo Allen / Film Critic

Corpse Bride

****
Rated PG, 75 minutes. Coming Tuesday to video and DVD.

We’re better off dead in our week’s top choice:

This column has obviously been written before the Tuesday, Jan. 31, 7:37 CST announcement of the Oscar nominations. But here’s hoping, and maybe even predicting, that this latest jewel from Tim Burton will garner one of the three coveted slots for Best Animated Feature.

Corpse Bride is a stop-motion animated film that features the brilliant work of the puppet-making team of Mackinnon and Saunders, who based their creations on the designs of Spanish artist Carlos Grangel.

Burton and co-director Mike Johnson team with an excellent cast of voices to bring these strange-looking creatures to life. The story comes from a trio of writers who were inspired by tales from Russian folklore.

The Victorian-era plot centers on a poor but titled couple who plan to marry off their daughter Victoria (voice of Emily Watson) to Victor (Johnny Depp), the son of a rich, social-climbing couple. Victor and Victoria meet on the eve of their wedding and instantly fall in love despite their mutual shyness. The catch comes when, later that evening, Victor strolls through a local forest and accidentally brings to life a recently deceased bride (Helena Bonham Carter), who was murdered on her wedding day. Upon awakening, however, she takes the shaken Victor as her betrothed and then drags him down to the Land of the Dead.

Of course, this dead area proves much more fun than On Top. The dreaded Underneath is surprisingly action-packed, a 24-hour party place, filled with a jazz band of skeletons, and skulls that become makeshift xylophones. The color schemes offer the greatest contrasts, with sepia tones and muted shades of gray dominating the world of hu­mans, as color reigns Un­der­neath.

Maybe it wasn’t Burton’s main intention, but Corpse Bride will surely make you think differently about the after-life.

The packed DVD contains more screen time than the brief movie. The featurette, “Inside the Two Worlds,” contains interviews, some making-of materials and copious drawings. Plus, an additional featurette on Danny Elf­man examines his contributions. “The Animators: The Breath of Life” analyzes individual contributions of the separate, distinct animators. The “Tim Burton: Dark vs. Light” feature looks at how and why the director took on the project. For who supplied which voices, and how, try the “Voices from the Underworld” segment. Kids might enjoy “Making Puppets Tick,” complete with a tour of the puppet workshop. Plus: The Corpse Bride pre-production galleries, and a music-only track. In Dolby Digital 5.1 $28.98.

 *

Bambi II (***1/2) Bambi lives, in this belated sequel to the 1942 classic. It may have been awhile since it was here, but many adults remember growing up with the heart-breaking original. Now, Disney brings back some of the original creatures, Thumper, Flower and Owl, along with Bambi’s new friends. In this version, Bambi, after the loss of his mother, reunites with his father, The Great Prince. The colorful film benefits from its two dimensional animation, like the original, but looks good enough to appear computer generated.

Rated G, 73 minutes. The DVD contains an eight-minute making-of piece, containing interviews with director Brian Pimental and Patrick Stewart, who voices Bambi’s father. Plus, a trivia track with a pop-up element that offers various tidbits about Bambi lore. In addition, three other kid-friendly games and activities are included. In Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound.

*

To coincide with Valentine’s Day, Warner Home Video debuts to DVD, on double discs, a pair of lushly romantic films:

Ryan’s Daughter (***1/2) Wrapped in a new digital transfer, this love story from David Lean offers wind-swept, ocean-side panoramas along with an ill-fated romance between Sarah Miles and her older-man husband, played by world weary Robert Mitchum. Christopher Jones plays the handsome young soldier who comes between them.

The compelling The Un­bearable Lightness of Being (****) is filled with three of the then-most beautiful people: Daniel Day Lewis, playing a Prague physician, Lena Olin as his sometime girlfriend, and the glacial and gorgeous Juliette Binoche as his true love. Based on Milan Kundera’s famous novel set during the Czech upheaval. Both sets contain loads of extras, including commentaries, new documentaries, and even some short features and featurettes.

Ryan’s Daughter: Not rated, 106 minutes. Lightness/Being: Rated R, 114 minutes. Both in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound.

 *

Love Ludlow (*) Annoying romantic comedy about a young, shrewish, working woman who fends off suitors to deal with her temperamental brother, Ludlow. When someone gets too close, it causes familial problems. But it’s doubtful anyone will care.

Rated R, 89 minutes. The DVD offers deleted scenes, original trailer, and a photo gallery.

*

Also on VHS and DVD: Barbie Diaries, Gastineau Girls, Super­cross, and Tamara.

Also on DVD: The A-Team — season three, Champ, Knight Ri­der — season three, Magnum P.I. — season three, Perception, and War Within.