It's been twelve years since the release of The Nightmare Before Christmas, Tim Burton's first, and heretofore only full-length, stop-motion feature. In those twelve years, Nightmare has become a beloved classic, so much so that the Disney Corporation has re-released the film annually at their flagship movie palace on Hollywood Boulevard and decorated Disneyland's Haunted Mansion with Skellingtoniana to commemorate Halloween. Hopes and expectations are high for Burton's long overdue followup, Corpse Bride, to be a film with equal charm and wit.

The good news is that although Corpse Bride is a less ambitious work than The Nightmare Before Christmas in every way except for the quality of the animation and art direction, it succeeds on its own terms to be amusing, touching and often chilling.

Victor and Victoria are the children of two equally loathesome sets of parents, the Van Dorts and the Everglots. As their first names imply, they're members of Victorian society, and also meant for each other from the day their parents named them.

Both bookish and shy, with overbearing families, they are brought together fortuitously by the machinations of an arranged marriage. They fall in love at first sight, but when the pressure of a disasterous wedding rehearsal under the baleful stare of Pastor Galswell overwhelms Victor, he seeks calm and comfort in the woods, where a bizarre twist of fate betroths him to Emily, the dead but still sexy Corpse Bride.

Victor's descent into the underworld, his discovery of Emily's tragic fate in her past life, and his struggle to reconcile his love for Victoria with his supernatural bond to the Corpse Bride comprises the heart of the story.

Like The Nightmare Before Christmas, Corpse Bride is also laced with musical productions, though fewer in number and somewhat less inspired. The best songs are Tears to Shed, which is hauntingly melancholy and reminiscent of Sally's lament in Nightmare, and Remains of the Day, a fun song with echoes of composer Danny Elfman's former band Oingo Boingo, complete with Dia De Los Muertos visual stylings.

Fans of Tim Burton and of Nightmare in particular will love and embrace Corpse Bride, despite the fact that Victor Van Dort is is a rather wan and mousy male lead compared to the wickedly flamboyant Jack Skellington. (Emily the Corpse Bride is definitely the dominant in their relationship.)

Johnny Depp's voice is nearly unrecognizable, but perfect as Victor, and Christopher Lee is ideal as the intimidating Pastor Galswell. Emily Watson, Helena Bonham Carter, Tracey Ullman, Albert Finney, Jane Horrocks, Danny Elfman and Deep Roy are included in the fine cast of voice actors. The movie is the first full length stop-motion animated feature to use digital cameras in place of 35mm film.

Like Jack, the Corpse Bride will undoubtedly be returning at this time of year for many Halloweens to come.