“Corpse Bride” is a well-done stop-motion animated film. It is full of special effects that demonstrate how Hollywood has improved since Burton’s first stop-motion animation, “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” Though his latest has brilliant effects, the story is not one of Burton’s best. Despite the cross between the living and the dead, it is your average romance film. It doesn’t have a body other than the love story. It was expected that Burton would have come up with a more exciting plot (like “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” which has an original, fun story). Burton is an inspirational director and the characters and sets are exceptionally well done but the story needs help.

The lives of the living seem to be a drag. Very dull, done in black and white, the living are dying to get into the colorful underworld. Down below, where the corpse bride Emily (Helena Bonham Carter) lives, it is one big party.

Victor (Johnny Depp) and Victoria (Emily Watson) live dull lives until their parents arrange their marriage. Having never met Victoria, Victor is nervous and runs into the woods to practice his wedding vows. In his anxiety, Victor puts the ring on Emily’s finger which is mistaken for a twig. The beautiful corpse bride then rises to take her companion to the land of the dead. In the end, Victor must choose between the dreary life of the living with the beautiful Victoria and the party-crazy life of the dead with the striking Emily. It’s worth watching to find out his choice.

Burton’s characters, though well-crafted, seem gothic. Burton depicts the life of the living as dreary using little color except the rare strike of a match or beautiful butterfly while the land of the dead is colorful and full of lively dead folk who make wisecracks like “People are dying to get down here.” Despite these little jokes, much more is expected of Burton, whose recent remake of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” is full of humor and that special originality typical of most of his films. “Corpse Bride,” however, lacks his sense of creativity.

Its dreadful normalcy is the movie’s biggest downfall. It isn’t a bad movie, it’s just not on a par with the rest of the Burton collection. Maybe finishing “Corpse Bride” while making “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” wasn’t one of Burton’s best ideas.