Overview: In a 19th-century village, Victor (Johnny Depp) is whisked to the underworld and wed to a mysterious Corpse Bride, while his true love, Victoria, waits above.

In this stop-motion fantasy, Victor discovers the Land of the Dead is more vibrant than his strict life but learns that nothing — not even death — can keep him from his one true love.

Celebrating the 20th anniversary of the stop-motion-animated fantasy musical film Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride, the 2005 film will be available for purchase on 4K Ultra HD Disc and Digital for the first time on September 23rd, 2025.

Returning to the painstaking stop-motion animation he employed with amazing success in The Nightmare Before Christmas, Tim Burton presents Corpse Bride, a hair-raising legend based on a 19th-century Russian folktale.

4K UHD Blu-ray Verdict: Warner Bros. Entertainment is expanding their 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray catalog offerings this month with the release of the beloved animated cult classic Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride (4K Ultra HD + Digital) in the expansive 4K Ultra HD video format this September 23rd, 2025.

For my money, this Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride (4K Ultra HD + Digital) sharpness takes a fairly large step forward from others in their 4K Ultra HD catalog and even comes with HDR (High Dynamic Range) for the complete 4K Ultra HD experience, of course.

So, what we have is Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride: 20th Anniversary presented to us as a one-disc with a sheet for a Digital HD Copy. Other stand out points you should know are: Codec: HEVC / H.265, Resolution: 4K (2160p) HDR: HDR10, Aspect ratio: 1.85:1 and Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1.

Featuring Dolby Vision and HDR10 for brighter, deeper, and way more lifelike colors, as with most all 4K UHDs, everything that we watch features these qualities - but somehow, this film gloriously shines within them all.

Noticeably crisp with the overall clarity receiving an obvious boost here on this release, what is more is that it is enjoyably noticeable. For as well as some new nuances to the somewhat drab palette courtesy of Dolby Vision, we also get to witness sudden bright pops of color, which makes the eyes draw in, for sure.

One of those moments - and not to give too much away here - but funnily enough it is the last scene with Emily when she is finally free, unburdened by her past and she disappears with butterflies in the night. It gives me chill just thinking about how powerful, honest and magical this moment is. She’s finally at peace and the way it is cinematically portrayed means that feeling is just perfectly captured.

Another, for me, is Victor & Emily’s Wedding in the Land of the Dead. A highlight for many fans, the scene depicts a unique and vibrant wedding ceremony officiated by the skeletal Elder Gutknecht. The song Remains of the Day is also performed during this scene, showcasing the lively atmosphere within the land, but it’s also the way the characters mesh that bring it to life (excuse the pun!).

As for the audio, well we get the plentiful choice of: English: Dolby Atmos, Japanese: Dolby Digital 5.1 EX (640 kbps), French: Dolby Digital 5.1 EX (640 kbps), French: Dolby Digital 5.1 EX (640 kbps), German: Dolby Digital 5.1 EX (640 kbps), Italian: Dolby Digital 5.1 EX, Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 EX (640 kbps) and Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 EX (640 kbps).

Overall, this is a very strong 4K HDR Blu-ray presentation, and, for the most part, the audio track remains fairly similar to its DTS-HD counterpart; with much of the action occupying the surrounds with outstanding directionality and placement where effects flawlessly pan between the sides and rears.

As for the film itself, well, being Tim Burton’s second animated film, it’s definitely flooded with his unique art style paired with the stop motion animation that isn’t seen all the time. Something that sets it apart from his iconic Nightmare Before Christmas is the coloring. Corpse Bride utilizes a bit more fluorescent colors compared to the darker color scale from his previous animated movie.

However, a small negative about this movie is its attempt to be a musical. The songs were not really all that memorable and it’s hard to beat the quality from Nightmare Before Christmas. But the highlight of the film for me hands down is actually the musical score itself. That, I would say, is the one thing better than its predecessor. Victor’s piano song, which plays as the main theme throughout the movie, is one of my favorite pieces of music of all time. Indeed, the entire score is haunting and beautiful, and definitely a standout for me in Danny Elfman’s repertoire.

That all said, the Corpse Bride is one of those films that as it continues on, it only gets better. The ending - at least for me - was a bit surprising and I really didn’t see it coming. Burton’s style and vision for this film really makes the movie worthwhile. No other director pays as close attention to detail as Burton does which is why I say he’s my favorite director. His imagination runs wild in all his films, and this movie is no different.

In closing, I think the reason don’t talk about Corpse Bride as much as they should is because they are way too busy comparing this story to Jack Skellington’s tale. While the Christmas-Halloween crossover is practically unbeatable, the story of the corpse bride is actually really interesting. It feels more of a fairy tale or old folk tale that’s good to tell over a campfire.

It’s also another opportunity for Burton to explore what the afterlife might be like. The character design of the bride is beautiful and the film has an excellent cast. For any Tim Burton fan, please add this to your Burton or Halloween marathons. It’s not the most iconic or exciting, but it’s still a beautiful experience nonetheless.

“Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride” Digital, 4K UHD and Blu-ray Special Features:
Digging up the Past: The Minds Behind “The Corpse Bride” – NEW
‘Til Death Do Us Art” A “Corpse Bride” Reflection - NEW
Danny Elfman Interprets the Two Worlds
Inside the Two Worlds of the Corpse Bride
Making Puppets Tick
The Animators: The Breath of Life
The Corpse Bride Pre-Production Galleries
Tim Burton: Dark vs. Light
Voices from the Underworld
The Voices Behind the Voice