For this list, I'm specifically looking at movies that were either written or directed by Burton himself, meaning that movies like James and the Giant Peach, 9, and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, which Burton served only as a producer on, sadly won't count. But don't worry. I've still got plenty of Burton gems to make a proper list.
Something worth noting is that I originally intended for this list to be published back in March to coincide with the release of Burton's latest movie, Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children, based off of the novel of the same name, but that was before the movie was pushed back to December of this year and then pushed forward to September. Not wanting to have to wait that long and since I've already planned another Top 12 list for around that time, I've decided to put this list out right now in May to coincide with the release of the Burton produced Alice: Through The Looking Glass, sequel to Burton's own Alice In Wonderland from 2010, which you will NOT be seeing on this list just to be clear. So without any further interruption, sit back and enjoy my Top 12 Tim Burton Movies.
XII. Sleepy Hollow
I remembered reading The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving at a very young age and enjoying it pretty well, but, while most kids had The Adventures Of Ichabod And Mr. Toad as their first movie introduction to the infamous Headless Horseman, this movie was my first small screen intro to said character. While this movie isn't as faithful to the original book, I honestly don't think that it was meant to be.
Many people have already pointed this out, but this movie was created as an homage to the classic Hammer Horror films. For those of you unfamiliar with them, Hammer Horror movies were popular in the late 50s to late 70s that took classic horror monsters and made movies about them that were much gorier and more violent when compared to their Universal Studios counterparts from the 30s.
A lot of elements of Hammer Horror can be found in this movie from the plot having little to nothing to do with the original source material to the muted grey coloring of the sets to the casting of mostly British actors to the almost neon red color of the blood it's all there. This movie might not be for everyone and I myself had a particularly hard time when I watched a poor bat's head get sawed off in one scene as bats are among my favorite animals, but I still find it worth at least one watch.
XI. Corpse Bride
Burton's first time directing a stop-motion animated movie (more on that later), Corpse Bride was a movie based off of an old 19th century Russian folktale about a man who unwittingly gets hitched with a dead woman. Burton was first introduced to this story by late Disney and Pixar legend, Joe Ranft, who the movie was also dedicated to.
One of the things that I really liked about this movie was the way that it seems to parody the Victorian era culture by keeping it in very dull colors compared to the land of the dead which is more colorful and vibrant, implying that you don't truly live until you've lost everything. This was also one of 2 movies by Burton in 2005 (more on the other movie later) that saw a return to form for Danny Elfman as lyricist for the songs featured. "Remains Of The Day" is a personal favorite of mine.
The villain that was eventually revealed in the movie I found to be kind of weak and predictable, but it was still enjoyable nonetheless. Something worth noting is that, when the Oscars came around, Corpse Bride was nominated for Best Animated Feature along with Howl's Moving Castle and the eventual winner, Wallace And Gromit: The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit. This is worth noting because 2005 is currently the only year to not have a CGI movie nominated for the category. You may as well see Halley's Comet before that happens again.
X. Ed Wood
A movie that was critically acclaimed when it came out but bombed at the box-office, Ed Wood is an interesting look at the career of the most famous bad director of all-time. Johnny Depp perfectly portrays Ed Wood as does Martin Landau portray famous horror icon Bela Lugosi and the friendship between the two of them is very believable.
Something to point out is the way that this movie shows the life of this man who had soo much passion for creating movies, but was, at the same time, misguided by his own ambition. This movie I've heard described as the type of movie that anyone who wants to pursue a career in film should definitely check out and it's pretty easy to see why.
IX. Pee-Wee's Big Adventure
The movie that started the careers of both Burton and actor, Paul Reubens, Pee-Wee's Big Adventure was the first in a long line of movies to introduce us to the over-the-top wackiness of Burton. This was also one of the first Burton movies I ever saw when I was a teenager. Centering around an eccentric man-child's journey across the country to get back his bike, there are soo many memorable moments that I can think of in this movie.
From psychic, Madam Ruby's, claim that his bike is in the basement of the Alamo to his ride with Large Marge to him dancing to "Tequila" at a motorcycle bar the list just goes on and on. This would also be Burton's first time collaborating with Danny Elfman who provided the music for every Burton movie except for 2 (one being Ed Wood on account of a falling out the 2 had at the time and the other will be mentioned later). The track, Breakfast Machine, I believe is the perfect music to match the tone of the movie and I know I'm not the only one who thinks that.
VIII. Big Fish
This was a movie that I originally didn't know much about at first, but eventually got around to seeing about several years ago. Centering around an elderly man famous for his tall tales that entertain many people, his son finds himself alienated by his father's stories until his father is close to death and he comes to have a better understanding of him through said stories.
This is certainly one of the more whimsical movies to come out of Burton as there aren't as many dark elements in this movie (though there are still some) and the fact that it seems to lean much more towards fantasy. With all that said, this movie is a delight to watch as we get to see the crazy stories that this man tells about the equally crazy people he came across over the course of his life, all of which were based on actual people he knew.
I was also kind of shocked to discover that this was the first movie to star Miley Cyrus in it. Yeah. The same Miley Cyrus who would go on to star in Hannah Montana first starred in a Tim Burton movie. With all of this news about how Tim Burton is supposed to be directing the live-action adaptation of Dumbo, while I am kind of hesitant about that, if it's anything like this or even Big Eyes (which I haven't seen much of it aside from trailers and clips), I could really see him pulling it off rather well.
VII. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street
This was the second movie that Danny Elfman didn't provide the music for as it was based off of a musical by Stephen Sondheim therefore already having music provided for it. Sweeney Todd surprised many people as its advertising portrayed a very different movie than what they were expecting, showing a movie that looked more like a slasher flick but ended up being a musical at the same time.
Burton, I feel, did a very good job of transitioning this musical into a movie. When I first saw this movie, I had borrowed it from the library and started watching it, getting sucked in as the opening credits played out while blood flowed freely from the rain down into the sewers and the theme played in the background. However, 3 minutes into the movie, it froze up and I had to return it while waiting almost a week for another copy. That had me pretty pissed.
I've already brought up the song "A Little Priest" from my Top 12 Villain Songs list and all the other songs are pretty entertaining too. I was particularly amazed at how well Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter were able to perform these numbers. If you're not too queasy at the sight of blood, this is definitely a musical worth checking out.
VI. The Nightmare Before Christmas
Talk about a movie that has just exploded with cult merchandise over the past several years. While many consider this to be a Tim Burton directed movie, Burton actually only wrote and produced this movie as he was busy at the time with directing movies like Ed Wood and another to make this list later on. This movie was actually directed by Henry Selick, who gave us such movies as James and the Giant Peach and Coraline.
Something worth noting is that this movie was intended to be released by Disney, but was later moved to Disney's Touchstone Pictures branch, where more adult movies like Who Framed Roger Rabbit? were placed, but then, after it became a big hit, Disney moved it back. The Nightmare Before Christmas may have a relatively simple plot, but I personally believe that's where the charm comes from that it's soo easily accessible. This was the first movie that Danny Elfman got to write original lyrics for and even provided the singing voice for Jack Skellington, who was voiced by none other than Prince Humperdink himself from The Princess Bride.
Just about everyone knows these songs. From This Is Halloween to What's This to Kidnap The Sandy Claws to Making Christmas all of these songs are very memorable. I actually include all of these songs on a special creative writing playlist that I have on Spotify that really helps with the creative process. I also include the movie as a staple of both Halloween and Christmas. Where else can you find a movie that can easily encompass 2 holidays like this? I'd say to go watch it, but, honestly, who hasn't watched it by this point? Just go watch it again.
V. Charlie And The Chocolate Factory
Yeah yeah. Anyone who saw my Top 12 Movies I Like, But Everyone Else Hates list knew that this one would show up sooner or later. This was the other Burton movie to come out in the year 2005 and one of the first Burton movies I ever saw. Amazingly though I was interested in this movie long before I even knew that Burton directed it.
Charlie And The Chocolate Factory is what I currently believe to be the most faithful adaptation from the original source material while at the same time having enough differentiations to make it its own entity, unlike Willy Wonka which I felt strayed too far from the book. The visuals of this movie are also a ton of fun to watch.
This is how I always thought the chocolate factory should look like. The chocolate river in Charlie looks like you could actually drink it compared to the one in Willy Wonka which, to quote the Nostalgia Critic, looked more like "liquid feces" (I later discovered that the river in Willy Wonka was made from chocolate, water, and cream which smelt absolutely rank when it went bad). The songs in this movie were also a ton of fun to listen to, each one with its own unique style as mentioned previously. I often find myself singing songs like Augustus Gloop and Veruca Salt at random times. Definitely my more selfish selection, but I find it to be worth it in the end.
IV. Beetlejuice
This was a movie that came out during a period that Doug Walker referred to as the period with "the wacky supernatural entity who's a fast talker". Some examples of this being Maurice from Little Monsters and the Genie from Aladdin. This movie would also go on to inspire an animated show on ABC that Burton produced, lasting from September 9th 1989 to December 6th 1991, 6 days before I was born.
This movie's version of the afterlife is very creative as a waiting room centered around the bureaucracy of clients and case workers and the cast members give pretty good performances too from Michael Keaton as the title character to the recently deceased couple of Adam and Barbara Maitland played by Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis to the lovely Winona Ryder (who will show up again later) as goth teenager, Lydia Deetz, who is the only human who can see the Maitlands.
There are also plenty of memorable moments from this movie like Beetlejuice's "Nice fuckin' model" comment before honking his crotch (quite possibly the only PG rated movie that got away with dropping the "F bomb") and the infamous dinner scene. I was LOLing throughout these scenes particularly with the Banana Boat Song by Harry Belafonte. Definitely well worth a watch.
III. Batman
Something to point out is that I only first saw this movie after having already seen Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins and The Dark Knight which I now feel kind of ruined Jack Nicholson's performance as the Joker for me. Not to say that it was bad by any means. I think he did a very solid job for the time and I don't really think there's such a thing as a bad Joker performance (although I'll have to wait until Suicide Squad comes out before I can be positive), but Heath Ledger I feel elevated the Joker to an entirely new level. Still, this is a movie definitely not to be ignored.
Many people were surprised at how Michael Keaton managed to pull off the role of the Caped Crusader as he had originally only been associated with comedy. In fact, there was a huge controversy surrounding this movie as a whole bunch of people were going to boycott it if Keaton was going to play Batman. But, with all that said, Michael Keaton, IMO, is the best Bruce Wayne/Batman I've ever seen brought to film (though Kevin Conroy is a close second).
Gotham City is also a visual delight with its unique architecture bearing a striking resemblance to that of the 1920s silent film, Metropolis. Danny Elfman's theme for the movie has also become very iconic since the movie's introduction to the general public. As the Dark Knight's first theatrical release, this is a very solid entry. But this would prove to only be the first installment of a franchise leading us to...
II. Batman Returns
This was the other movie that Burton was busy directing around the time of production on The Nightmare Before Christmas. Many people rank this as the lesser of Burton's Batman movies, but I personally feel like this one surpassed its predecessor. Instead of just one villain from Batman's Rouges Gallery, we have 2 in the form of Danny Devito's Penguin and Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman.
This was definitely one of the darker Batman movies to come out before The Dark Knight as it portrayed Penguin as a deformed freak, had Penguin's parents dumping him into a river when he was a baby, and portrayed Catwoman as a mentally tortured individual. The moment when Selina Kyle goes from meek and quiet secretary to eventually becoming Catwoman after her psychotic breakdown is a really intense scene, brought to life beautifully through the haunting music that accompanies it, and you really feel sorry for her. I still think that Michelle Pfeiffer is the best Catwoman to be portrayed in film or TV.
There's also something to be said for the fact that Batman sees her as a tortured individual who he can save, but then comes to realize that maybe he and her are far too similar for their own good. Plus, we get Christopher Walken as corrupt businessman, Max Shreck, which is always a good time. It's definitely a shame that this movie wasn't as popular as the first one because I feel it's well worth seeing.
Before I reveal what might be an obvious #1 pick, I'd like to present my Honorable Mention.
Honorable Mention:
Mars Attacks!
Based off of the popular card game, Mars Attacks! is a fun, star-filled spoof of 50's B Movies sure to provide plenty of laughs. What's particularly funny is the way that the aliens are eventually defeated, which I won't spoil for anyone who hasn't seen it yet. It's laughable in the same way that the aliens in Signs and Independence Day were defeated.
And now, I'd like to present y'all with my first ever "-Able Mention". What is that you might ask? Well, to answer, an "-Able Mention" is a selection that I neither view as Honorable or Dishonorable, but instead place in Limbo between the 2. Kind of like how Vampires are neither living nor dead. So with that said, here's my mention.
"-Able Mention":
Planet Of The Apes
Yes yes I know. The original is far superior when compared to this movie. Still, there are some aspects of this that I found to be well worth noting. For one thing, the makeup in this movie is absolutely phenomenal. This movie is about 15 years old and the makeup still holds up to this day, looking even more realistic than the motion-captured apes in the newer Planet Of The Apes movies. When I saw bits of the original 1968 Planet Of The Apes movie when I was a kid, I didn't believe that I was seeing real apes, just people in ape costumes, but, with this movie, I have no problem with suspending my disbelief that these are real apes.
For another thing, Tim Roth as the villain, General Thade, is a ton of fun in this movie. It does kind of suck that he passed up the role of Severus Snape from the Harry Potter movies for this role, but what can you do? Finally, I don't think that the twist ending was as bad as everyone made it out to be.
O.K. O.K. I'm not going to act like it was perfect, but I did get that it was trying to remain faithful to the book. It was just that the 1968 version did the twist much better and no one could really top it. As a side note, people were kind of disgusted by main human Leo kissing the female chimp Ari, but I'm just like, "Did you even see the 1968 original where main human George kissed female chimp Zira before leaving?" I don't condone this, but what the fuck people?
Personally, the 2001 Planet Of The Apes falls into the "meh" category for me. I neither like it nor do I hate it, but I felt like this was worth mentioning anyways.
And now we come to the top of the heap. The movie that I regard as Burton's greatest masterpiece. So, without any further adieu, the #1 Tim Burton movie is...
I. Edward Scissorhands
This is without a doubt the most beautiful movie ever to come from Tim Burton and a personal favorite of both Burton and Elfman's. Described by many as a modern day fairy tale, this movie centers around the Frankensteinian creation of a scientist (Vincent Price), a young man named Edward (Johnny Depp) who has scissors for hands as his creator died before he could give him proper appendages. When discovered by Avon saleslady, Peg (Dianne Weist), who brings him to live with her and her family, Edward struggles to adjust to a world he doesn't understand while also developing feelings for Peg's daughter, Kim (again played by the beautiful Winona Ryder).
This was the first in a long line of Burton movies to star Johnny Depp and, as good as he was in Ed Wood, Sweeney Todd, and even the Pirates Of The Caribbean movies, I believe that this is the greatest performance he's ever given. He properly managed to capture the childlike innocence and naivete of this character who doesn't have the best understanding of societal norms.
Even the chemistry between Depp and Ryder was completely believable (mostly because they were dating at the time) as she first started out being afraid of him but then grew to understand him better and even care for him. It almost brings to mind Beauty And The Beast in a sense. One of the most heartbreaking moments in the movie is when Kim asks Edward to hold her. Edward raises his scissor hands like he's about to hold her, but, fearing that he might hurt her again after accidentally slicing her hand several moments ago, he can only reply sadly "I can't". That part always gets me every time.
The way that the story ends is also very bittersweet like something out of a Gothic novel or Frankenstein. Combine that with impressive visuals, great makeup and effects, memorable characters, brilliant writing, and an absolutely beautiful score among other things and there's little reason to doubt why this is the #1 Tim Burton Movie of all time.
And that was my Top 12 Tim Burton Movies and as always I'd like to know your thoughts about it. Did you enjoy the list? Dislike it? Do you feel like I left a Tim Burton movie out? Are you pissed off that I put Charlie And The Chocolate Factory soo high up? Feel free to comment below, keep loving movies and TV Shows, and I'll see you on the next post. Take care.
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