There are Only Three Good Tim Burton Films
One of my wildest fantasies is to punch Tim Burton in the jaw. Plain and simple. There’s a full list of people I’d love to punch in the jaw, but right now we’re focusing on Burton. Burton just leaves a nasty taste in my mouth. He uses the same five pale white people in his movies and speaking of white people, he’d rather use them in roles of color instead of giving them to actual people of color. What a shocker. Plus, living as a middle schooler in 2006 made me way too familiar The Nightmare Before Christmas and I’ve never fully recovered. Despite all of this, I am way too familiar with Tim Burton’s filmography and have a small list of movies that I actually like made by him.
Big Fish is property of Columbia Pictures
The first on that list for me is Big Fish. Alone, the colors of the movie makes me feel like I’m watching a movie by Wes Anderson’s more annoying brother, but in a good way. Despite there not being a vintage filter the use of color and costume makes me feel like there would be a bigger cult following for this movie. Also, aren’t there tons of people who have a weird thing for Ewan McGregor? In a bizarre sense, the movie is super relatable to me in a way where I know the stories of my family but I’m not completely sure where fact and fiction cross. The score is great (typical Elfman, but cool all the same), and I love the Danny Devito and Steve Buscemi cameos.
Peewee's Big Adventure is property of Warner Bros.
Next up is Peewee’s Big Adventure. Granted I have some severe nostalgia for this film but I still can’t help but say it’s severely underrated. In my heart and soul, Peewee Herman is an icon and just because he got arrested that one time doesn’t mean that this movie and his career is anything shy of a masterpiece. From Peewee glaring down saying Dottie and announcing, “I’m a loner, Dottie. A rebel,” to innocently asking if when the tour will get to the basement of the Alamo, Burton truly captured the childlike vibe of Peewee all while bringing on the necessary suspense and confusion that everybody feels when they embark on their “Big Adventure.”
Mars Attacks is property of Tim Burton Productions/Warner Bros.
Finally, we have Mars Attacks. This movie, to put it simply, has been woven into the fiber of my being. I watched this dumb-ass movie every chance I had when I was a kid. The satire of it all is really what gets me. The harsh screaming Martians are a great villain, with their large eyes and exposed brains. There are a ton of big names in this movies and overall. There are actually people of color in it, too. Plus, who doesn’t love the concept of Slim Whitman’s “Indian Love Call” being the thing that saves the world? Also, Danny Devito’s in this one too.
There are so many Tim Burton films that are actually really entertaining and an enjoyable experience to watch. I’m not saying Nightmare Before Christmas or Edward Scissorhands is bad, I’m just saying that Burton’s usual style can become very tiresome and very white after a while. These three movies specifically are different from Burton’s usual style, which makes them so damn good, at least to me. Of course, none of them are award winning, critically acclaimed heavy hitters, but hey, did you really read this post expecting that I cared about a popular Burton movie?
