Corpse Bride 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		0.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Corpse Bride 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Life (and love) after death.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III September 25, 2025

Released in celebration of its 20th anniversary, Warner Bros. proudly debuts Mike Johnson and Tim Burton's Corpse Bride in 4K UHD, replacing an early-format Blu-ray edition that coincidentally turns 19 tomorrow. It's a solid all-around upgrade for this somewhat underappreciated feature, one that certainly exhibits a healthy visual upgrade, offers a full-bodied Dolby Atmos remix instead of the Blu-ray's lossy Dolby Digital 5.1 EX audio, and even throws in a pair of short retrospective crew interviews just for fun. A pretty nifty 4K Steelbook variant is also available.

For a synopsis and critique of Corpse Bride, please read Martin Liebman's Blu-ray review linked above. As implied by my much higher rating, I quite enjoy Corpse Bride and still find it to be one of the most artistically beautiful films ever made via stop-motion animation. Visually there's a lot going on here and its lyrical tone, beautiful story, unforgettable ending, and entirely Burton-esque atmosphere -- from character designs, based on his original sketches, to its featured voice actors -- contribute to a modern near-masterpiece in my book. I'm admittedly not a huge fan of Danny Elfman's featured songs, few and far-between as they are, and the villainous Barkis Bittern (Richard E. Grant) still feels woefully underwritten. Yet Corpse Bride's many strengths far outweigh it weaknesses, making it a true four-star effort whether you're a devoted fan of Burton or just like a good movie about life and love after death.

Corpse Bride 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

NOTE: This review's screenshots are sourced from the 2006 Blu-ray edition.

For my thoughts on WB's new 2160p/HDR10 transfer, please see my recent review of the 4K edition.

Corpse Bride 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Likewise, my thoughts on the new Dolby Atmos remix can be found in the review linked above.

Corpse Bride 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

As much as I love the standard 4K edition's simple character-themed artwork, this stunning Steelbook (seen above) is the better design of the two. Kinda-sorta bringing the film's unforgettable ending scene back to life, it depicts its title character in two different forms: when the clear slipcover is removed, her closed eyes open and a flutter of butterflies moves skyward. (That's not exactly what happens in the movie, but it's still cool.) Meanwhile, the wraparound back cover shows Victor and his beloved dog Scraps looking on, while the interior is a suitably more vivid character spread from the world of the dead. It's a very nice design overall and suits the film's tone perfectly.

The bonus features are led by two short new retrospective pieces and include just about everything from the 2006 Blu-ray edition, only leaving off the isolated Danny Elfman score track and theatrical trailer. Both are sorely missed, so hang onto those older discs if you're a completionist.

• NEW! Digging Up the Past: The Minds Behind Corpse Bride (8:26) - This short but enjoyable interview features producer Allison Abbate, screenwriter John August, and co-director Mike Johnson, who offer nostalgic group comments about Corpse Bride's development, execution, and legacy, which are flanked by supportive clips from the film and candid behind-the-scenes footage of stop-motion sculptors and animators in action.

• NEW! 'Til Death Do Us Art: A Corpse Bride Reflection (6:18) - Abbate, August, and Johnson return for a like-minded retrospective piece that focuses a bit more intently on Corpse Bride's visual merits, which if nothing else should help younger viewers appreciate the huge amounts of planning that go into the process.

• 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

Corpse Bride 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Mike Johnson and Tim Burton's Corpse Bride was a modest hit back in 2005, yet the film is rarely mentioned among Burton's more enduring works. It's a wonderfully haunting, romantic, and ultimately comforting experience with strong visual merits, breaking then-new ground in the nuance and spectacle that can be achieved by stop-motion animation. Warner Bros.' long-overdue UHD edition serves up nicely improved A/V merits and a solid collection of bonus features, while this nicely-designed Steelbook variant is aimed squarely at collectors. Firmly Recommended.