Tim Burton is overrated

I can feel the hate of millions of teenage fangirls from the distance at this single moment, but it is still true. I am not saying that Tim Burton is the worst director in the world, or even detracting him, but he is not the best either. I must say I like his dark, gothic style and his stories are usually very interesting. So, what's the problem then? He is not original. He used to, but now he's living on his well-known clichés, nothing innovative. Don't you believe me? Let's analyze some of his most known films: Nightmare Before Christmas, The Corpse Bride, Sleepy Hollow, Dark Shadows and Alice in Wonderland.

1. All of them are about two different worlds as the two sides of the same coin: antagonistic but joined at the hip. In Nightmare Before Christmas, these two worlds are Halloween Town and Christmas Town. In the Corpse Bride, the living world and the world of the dead. Sleepy Hollow, the supernatural and the natural world. Dark Shadows, the same as Sleepy Hollow. Alice in Wonderland, Wonderland and the “real” world. These are only some examples, but all his movies follow this.
2. There is a lonely character, a misunderstood who doesn't fit to his/her (but mainly his) world and cries out for acceptance. Examples: Victor, Ichabod Crane, Barnabas and Alice. Jack Skellington is the only exception here, as long as he's the most popular character in Halloween Town, but he feels that he needs a change. Victor is not happy with his life, he follows his fathers decisions and lives without bravery. Ichabod is ahead of his time but underestimated in his city, and considered a weird thing in the country village of Sleepy Hollow. Barnabas doesn't fit his world because he is a vampire, and he died so many years ago, it is that easy. Alice finds her world boring and the people surrounding her dull, and she's not satisfied with the proposal.

Now it's time to talk about his other films. Frankenweenie, for example. I watched that film with my little sister and my mother, and I liked it, but I finded the story very Burton-stereotypical. A weird boy who has no friends but a dog. The dog dies- how sad-. Some old horror film style - fantastic, I must say- and nothing more. It was fun and I had a nice time watching it. But was it something new? Unfortunately, it wasn't.

Let's talk about Sweeney Todd. I could sum up saying “too many songs”. Awesome aesthetics, nevertheless.

But, hey, I said I liked Tim Burton, and that is completely true, despite of my criticism. I am just saying that he could do it better if he gave up the comfort of his golden formula. What about Ed Wood? It is a fantastic movie. Tender, electrifying, alive, but also melancholic, and still has evidences of his characteristical style- and Lisa Marie is just awesome, the same can be said of Johnny Depp.- What about Big Fish? Yes, it also has the “two incompatible worlds” topic – fantasy and reality- but that film is magical and bright, like a modern tale- and Ewan McGregor is *-* (no words can be said).

Of course, I couldn't finish this post without talking about Mars Attack. Is it a good movie? No, but at least it is original, funny and tacky enought to deserve to be watched. And, hey, the cast is good, as the acting is.

So, the moral of the post is: Tim Burton, please, be yourself again. Expose yourself, take a chance. We know you're very comfortable doing always the same, and teenage crazy-emo-gothic girls like that, but some of us would like to see your creativity working again, not just an amount of burtonian stuff and some Danny Elfman music.

Happy Halloween and think about that.