Surprise! I’m a Tim Burton fan! (I bet you didn’t see THAT one coming). So much so that this year I’ll be doing a Tim Burton themed birthday party at the end of December for my champagne birthday! So in preparation for planning some DIY’s for this party I’ll be watching some TB films this weekend and I thought I would share them with you.
This first instalment is a kid-friendly list, but the second post is definitely not kid friendly (there will be drinking involved). Also, by kid friendly I mean that rating-wise it’s okay for kids, but use your discretion if you will actually be watching these films with the little monsters, some themes can still be scary for the buggers.
Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure
“I know you are but what am I?”
This film has been on my “to watch” film list for a long time and I just never got around to it until this post, and I was pleasantly surprised. It was hilarious!
Corpse Bride
A cute and creepy romance, what’s not to love?
I can’t remember what I thought this film would be about when it first came out, but what I do rememeber is that the storyline surprised me and took enexpected but enjoyable twists and turns. Burton’s ability to balance a story about romance while keeping it both light hearted and darkly humoured is one of the reasons why I love his films so much. Just like in Frankenweenie and The Nighmare Before Christmas, there is also a post mortem dog character that is equally endearing and lovable. What kind of kid wouldn’t love that?
The Nightmare Before Christmas
This film could also be described as “Jack has a mid-death crisis.”
If I’m being honest I was equal amounts of disturbed and fascinated by this film as a kid. When I was little we didn’t believe in Santa Claus so the fact that a movie was mixing up something that for me were two “holidays” with made up characters was awesome. As a kid I would never understand why Sally was so down all the time and couldn’t just get with the program (of having fun that it). As I get older I find I identify with her more and more. Sometimes the ideas that people are super enthusiastic about are bad ones and I feel like we all need a Sally for a bit of a reality check sometimes before things get out of hand
This film was an instant cult classic to be sure and it is well deserved.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
The original is so good, how does this remake compare? Pretty well in fact.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory- When I was growing up I read Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory all the time. I loved the weirdness of Willy Wonka and his chocolate factory with all if his crazy and innovative candy inventions. More than that though, I really liked how the underdog Charlie was a good kid and that, in the end, he was rewarded for not being a little sh–, well you know. Tim Burton’s adaption is exactly what I had expected and it is wonderful to watch his cooky style bring the story to life.
James and the Giant Peach
When life gives you peaches…
This is one of my favourite kid’s films ever. As I’ve mentioned I enjoy Roald Dahl stories and this one is in my top three. I also I like how there’s a difference between James life inside and his life outside of the peach in terms of animated/live action. I love peaches and as a kid I thought to myself “what could be better than having unlimited amount of peach to eat?” Although a bit skeptical of the trade off of having all you can eat peaches and having to befriend bugs, even the bug characters that I’m typically grossed out by or scared of grew on me and found a place in my heart.
Still scared of bugs though.
Alice in Wonderland
Why is a raven like a writing desk?
Alice in Wonderland- based on the classic novel Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carol. This film had a lot of hype before hitting theatres and I didn’t feel like it lived up to it. I do like this movie and how Alice is a little older and had more of a story outside of Wonderland, but I wasn’t crazy on the graphics (I’m a practical effects girl at heart).
Do you have a favourite kid-friendly Tim Burton film? Did any of his films creepy you out as a kid?
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