Tim Burton

Approval Rate: 84%

84%Approval ratio

Reviews 28

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  • by

    irishgit

    Mon Apr 13 2009

    Probably the most over-rated director of the last quarter century, Burton has an interesting visual signature, but there is little or no substance to his work. A fundamentally trivial director who hasn't produced anything of value. He's not an artist, he's not a good director, he's a competent technician. Nothing more.

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    binnietheblood_ybooh

    Mon Apr 13 2009

    For the most part he makes slightly above average movies. His films are much more style over substance but that often works well for his chosen projects.

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    ayn9b559

    Mon Apr 13 2009

    He's an artist first and a filmaker second. However, I think that works for him. His movies are weird at times, (o.k. always) funny at times and sometimes scary. But all are beautifully done. The tone and music are always perfect, the scene does a great job of matching the mood, and in at least five movies, he and Johnny Depp play off each other perfectly. Next to Alfred Hitchcock, Burton is my favorite director.

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    marcelina

    Thu Aug 28 2008

    one of my favorite auteurs

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    acga04cc

    Fri Oct 13 2006

    As a mom of one of the number one fan of Tim Burton I could say that his movies are unique, he has a great talent and a unique sense of imagination. Now, if Tim Burton reads this comment, please answer at least one of my daughter's letters that she has send to you through the USA mail, she loves all your work, her name is Jennifer Mones. Thank you.

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    virilevagabond

    Sun Oct 08 2006

    Though Tim Burton films generally don't make my favorites, he does have a very distinctive style, and that says a lot in my opinion. It goes without saying that his style is dark and often eerie, and Burton makes effective use of animation. All of this is in full swing on movies like "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure" (1985), "Beetlejuice" (1988), and "Edward Scissorhands" (1990). Nevertheless, in my opinion he has tended to overuse these techniques in later efforts (e.g. "Batman Returns"). Many of the prior reviewers state that Burton has mostly worked with weaker scripts, but I don't think this is a legitimate defense of his work, as a director should be able to pick his projects and the greats can make bad scripts look inspired.

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    mones8df

    Sat Feb 18 2006

    Tim Burton makes great movies and i'm trying to keep him directing for as long as he wants! (and hopefuly thats very long...long live Tim Burton! the greatest director who ever lived!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)So I'm trying to bring up his ratings, so please help me in this, If you do, i'll much appreciate it (and hopefguly, Tim Burton himself does too!)

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    historyfan

    Sun Nov 13 2005

    He's good but kinda creepy.

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    sfalconer

    Sat Mar 05 2005

    Makes brooding dark films, the worst being the first three Batman movies. Every thing else he does tends to be on the weirder side of things.

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    mcgowan

    Thu Jan 13 2005

    Still as untalented as ever . Hasn't improved ,in twenty years! His films still lumber and strain to make their points ,whether humorous ,or serious. His cinematography and camera angles are almost always off the mark .And ,of course, his PC politics infuse his films ,especially every film he's made since edward scissorhands .

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    mad_hatter

    Tue Dec 21 2004

    He has very dark and demented visions in his mind that he has made into movies that I enjoy.

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    classictvfan47

    Thu Jul 22 2004

    Let's see...he made The Nightmare Before Christmas, which is easily the darkest and worst anything filmed about Christmas ever. Sleepy Hollow was way too far off from the original story. Mars Attacks! was simply inane. Batman was way too dark and an extreme turn from the 1960s TV series. Finally, Beetlejuice is plain stupid and unenjoyable.

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    freebird_0128

    Wed Jul 21 2004

    I'm a huge closet Tim Burton fan. His prowess for visual creativity is without match. The sets, the costumes, the cinematography, the casting...everything about a tim Burton film is designed to a tee. His touch is unmistakable. Creative, lighthearted, Tim Burton's films are joyful and compelling to watch. The only downside is sometimes the writing can't equal the visual, leaving the films occasionally empty.

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    stanuzbeck

    Mon Sep 15 2003

    One of my favourite directors. While I disagree with some of the casting choices in his movies, no one else has such a flair for the visual. His sets and costumes are works of art, and the way they're shot is absolutely marvelous. Fav's include: Ed Wood, Nightmare Before Christmas, Sleepy Hollow, and Edward Scissorhands. The first two Batman movies were also the only ones worth seeing (I wouldn't accept money to see the non-Burton Batman movies again). Mars Attacks and Planet of the Apes were pretty bad, but at least they were visually spectacular.

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    moosekarloff

    Wed Jun 25 2003

    Visually compelling but his scripts are ridiculous, the acting leaves much to be desired, and the premises are childish. Here's another one who can't make films for adults.

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    redoedo

    Tue Jun 03 2003

    Tim Burton is a good director who has developed his own unique style over the years. He's directed some classic movies: "The Nightmare Before Christmas", "Edward Scissorhands", "Bettlejuice" and "Batman". More recently, his films have been more of a letdown, but as Wiggum stated, it was more because of the script itself than his directing. I thought that "Planet of the Apes" and "Sleepy Hollow" were fantastic directing jobs on his part. I hear that he's doing a remake of "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory". It should be interesting to see what he does with that one- he's always got a surprise in store for the viewer.

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    erik_hendriksen

    Mon May 26 2003

    I respect the man. He tries hard to please the public. It is possible to cross the line of trying to hard. Batman was good and i belive The Nightmare Before Christmas is a classic. But he needs to do something that he can put all of his talent into.

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    liquidlen

    Sat May 10 2003

    Knows his subjects. Made "Pee Wee's Big Adventure" AND "Ed Wood". Made me like Johnny Depp. Made Cristina Ricci even prettier. Gave us Winona Ryder. Should have said no to "Batman Returns" even though Michelle Pfeiffer was perfect in it. A fantastic visual artist.

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    thefreak

    Sun Mar 09 2003

    Tim Burton was the director of one of my all-time favorite movies (Edward Scissorhands - where is it on your lsit, RIA?) and if nothign else, his films are always entertaining, thought-provking, and bizarre. Even that atrocity "The Nightmare Before Christmas" was strange and original enough to have some value. I'd like to see more of him.

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    lukskywlkr

    Thu Nov 07 2002

    I love his film Nightmare Before Christmas because of the incredible animation. It was truly a groundbreaking piece of film-making. However, you put him with real actors on real sets and he tends to forget about the actors in favor of the "look" of the movie.

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    onegis88

    Thu Sep 19 2002

    His movies haven't had a lot behind them, but their quirks and oddities make them very nearly endlessly fascinating. I never miss his films, but I'm still waiting for the great one

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    lukefrogeater

    Sun Mar 31 2002

    A guy who has made an astonishing numberof films that I love. All the way back to his short movie days "Vincent" & "Frankenweenie" up to "Sleepy Hollow" and "Planet of the apes". I think they are all great in their own way. Edward Scissorhands and Beetlejuice are his best as is Batman. I hope he makes many more films. A fantastic visionary.

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    kyesbd0c

    Wed Aug 29 2001

    i think burton's early stuff is brilliant. even if only for it's unique blend of light-hearted characters and dark humor. but then i saw sleepy hollow, which i sort-of liked (if only for johnny depp's one-of-a-kind performance and christopher walken's cameo). but then i saw planet of the apes and found myself simply scratching my head, asking, "what happened to him?"

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    thorne

    Sat Jun 16 2001

    As a director Tim Burton is brilliant. His style is his own. Dark, beautiful, rich and uncomprimising. His work as a director shows a great amount of heart and a beautifully morbid and welcomly so sense of humor. Tim Burton has a big heart. Onr that is aparent in each film he does. There is also an over town of darkness, almost a shadow that stands foe Burton himself. His works show an eccentric genius, a director whose work can never be duplicated for there is no other like Tim Burton. He does not set out to create run of the mill genre films. He creates his own worls and plains of exzistence. Tim Burton is a visionary, and I feel each and every film he has made is a work of art.

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    wiggum

    Fri Apr 13 2001

    I respect the fact that Burton has incredibly creative and unique cinematic visions, but in my opinion he has yet to direct a movie that will stand the test of time. "Edward Scissorhands" was interesting but flawed, like most of his movies. I agree with "Ruby" - get this guy some scripts that have the same power and creativity as the atmospheres he creates.

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    pooroldedgarde_rby

    Tue Apr 10 2001

    Not really a big fan of Burton in fact I think he's pretty creepy. Edward Scissor hands I enjoyed but that's about it, actually I like Pee Wee's Big Adventure as well but that's as far as it goes. I thought that whole Nightmare Before Christmas animation film really sucked. I'm curious to see how he does on Planet of the Apes.

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    callmetootie

    Tue Apr 10 2001

    Edward Scissorhands and The Nightmare Before Christmas were extremly well done movies, and I really, really enjoyed them.

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    ruby9916

    Thu Apr 05 2001

    I love to look at Tim Burton films -- from Pee Wee's Big Adventure to Sleepy Hollow and everything in between. It's a shame that he often doesn't work with a script that can do justice to the atmospherics he paints on the screen.