Ranking All Tim Burton Films (Worst to Best)
I honestly thought I'd fallen off of Tim Burton films, but here we are and I only had to watch one movie to be up to date fort his post. Like Spike Lee proved, I suppose I'm not as much of a hater as I thought I was. Here's the trailer to Tim's next movie!
Cool... I guess. Let's go through every Tim Burton movie to see how I really feel about him as a director!
Film/Rank:
#18- Dark Shadows (2012)
Why, Though:
I remember seeing this movie and thinking... yikes... why? I don't subscribe to the notion that every filmmaker has to have this world changing reason for why they're making a movie. If it's a movie they want to make and they can, I suppose that's reason enough. However, this movie seems like it's in desperate need of a core audience. I remember thinking some of the sexual stuff was a bit much in addition to some of the gore. At least Mad Men referenced the soap slightly before the release of this movie so new audiences could get some background. Still I don't think this movie connected with me or anyone else really.
Would I Rewatch:
Nah, I'm good.
Film/Rank:
#17- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)
Why, Though:
I LOVE Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory. So this remake had my movie no matter what. Plus I had just recently forgiven Johnny Depp for scarring me in a movie that will appear later so I was all in for the casting. The problem with this movie was the different approach to Wonka. I loved Gene Wilder because he always seemed like he was two steps ahead. He also treated the kids like they were less than in a really funny way. I didn't catch how many sarcastic burns he laid down the first 10 times I watched it. That was not the case in this movie. Johnny played Wonka like he was a kid too and that the kids were somehow on the same level as him. Also you can miss me with that MJ impression.
Would I Rewatch:
No thank you. But I will watch any Charlie and the Chocolate Factory related movie that comes out in the future.
Film/Rank:
#16- Alice in Wonderland (2010)
Why, Though:
I might not have seen this in the right circumstances. It was in a Vietnamese movie theatre with Brian. There were kids running everywhere and people on their phones since they could just read the subtitles. However, I don't think I would have loved this even in the best scenario. Also I felt like the movie was overly mean to the Queen. Like to the point where I understood why she was the way she was. Maybe that's from the original story. Did I mention I don't really care for that either? Also the Mad Hatter break dancing like Mr. Fantastic in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer was a bummer.
Would I Rewatch:
I think I got what I needed out of this the first time. I haven't even seen the sequel.
Film/Rank:
#15- Sleepy Hollow (1999)
Why, Though:
I don't really like scary movies, but I really like the story of Ichabod Crane. I think this movie came across as a bit too boring for me in places. I also felt there was an element of the story being convoluted. I could be wrong though.
Would I Rewatch:
I think I should rewatch this movie. I might have just been too young to truly appreciate this film. I also might be too scared this time since I won't be watching the movie at a birthday party like the first time.
Film/Rank:
#14- Corpse Bride (2005)
Why, Though:
The trailers sold me a much more fun movie. The best way to put this experience is underwhelming. I'm aware this is probably in some people's top 10 or 5 Burton films. I feel like those are the same people who loved A Nightmare Before Christmas. I don't love that movie, but I wanted to love this movie. If you're paying attention to the timeline, this year I was definitely in Johnny Depp go-mode. Unfortunately, not much about this movie has stayed with me.
Would I Rewatch:
I should definitely rewatch this film. I liked Coraline so I feel like I could get on board for these darker animated films. Just have to find time to give this probably great movie a second shot.
Film/Rank:
#13- Frankenweenie (2012)
Why, Though:
This is the beginning of the movies I actually liked to some degree. Frankenweenie was an interesting watch. I appreciated the care that went into the film. I suppose the downside would be that I saw it before I met Movies vs. Matrimony's mascot, O.D. so the love of one's dog wasn't really in me. Thus, I didn't feel moved by this move the way I imagine most others were.
Would I Rewatch:
I can't imagine I will rewatch this movie, but, I'll feel bad about not giving it another chance.
Film/Rank:
#12- Planet of the Apes (2001)
Why, Though:
I remember when the papers were all down to give this movie good reviews. I also remember when they went back on their word and said the movie was bad. Honestly, if you don't think about the "twist" then this movie is still a fun ride. I like most Mark Whalberg performances because they're reliable. But the performances I remember about this movie are from Helena Bonham Carter, Paul Giamati, and definitely the possibly underrated Tim Roth! I like the Apes world, even if I don't love all the movies. I can't help that I saw this at the right age and enjoyed the care put into the Ape's makeup and the performances from the actors playing the apes.
Would I Rewatch:
Yeah I'll definitely see this again down the line.
Film/Rank:
#11- Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (2016)
Why, Though:
I'll never turn down a version of the X-Men on the big screen! This was like Big Fish (we'll get to that) and X-Men kind of put together and I was surprised at how OK it was. Adding Sammy J to the cast didn't hurt at all, but I was actually all about Eva Green as Miss Peregrine and the surprise Judi Dench appearance. I was legitimately excited to see how the kids would save the day by the final act and I was not let down.
Would I Rewatch:
I feel like I would like this movie a lot less if I rewatched it. The big screen did this movie a lot of favours. So I'll just keep the fond memories of this movie intact.
Film/Rank:
#10- Big Fish (2003)
Why, Though:
Big Fish has amazing visuals. But more importantly, it had a story that stuck with me after I left the theatre. It actually prompted me to talk about all aspects of the film after the fact. Mostly how full of it Albert Finney/Ewan McGregor was. It was one of the first movies to truly make me think about all the tall tales my grandfather told me. How much of them were based in some form of truth? Were they all just for my amusement? Were they even for me? Was he just amusing himself? I guess what I'm saying is I really dug this movie because it made me think. Not in a "what am I doing to really make a difference way" but in a "isn't family great? Older generations have so much to offer storywise!" way
Would I Rewatch:
I don't think I could sit through this on my small screen, but I stand by my initial reaction to this movie. I doubt I'd regret the thumbs up I initially gave it.
Film/Rank:
#9- Beetlejuice (1988)
Why, Though:
I recently talked about the best Michael Keaton performances and was dinged for not loving this movie more. But look where it ended up! Why is it higher than Big Fish, the only movie I seemed to give actual praise to? Because I think about specific scenes from this movie way more than Big Fish. It just made it into my life first. I'm sorry!
Would I Rewatch:
Nah, the fact that I've seen it more than 3 times is already crazy to me.
Film/Rank:
#8- Big Eyes (2014)
Why, Though:
This was the movie I had to watch to complete the Tim Burton filmography. It's probably benefiting from the fact that I just watched it and didn't think that it was as bad as some reviews made it out to be. There's definitely nothing in the movie to make it seem like a Burton project except for a quick scene in a super market. Otherwise, it's a straight forward biopic. Not even sure how Tim got this cast. I didn't recognize any of his normal collaborators and maybe that was refreshing enough for me. Obviously Amy Adams is a great person to build a movie around, but it was crazy how well she drew me in and carried this movie on her own basically. If you're looking for Django/Inglorious Basterds style Christoph Waltz... be prepared for not that. As Spectre proved to me, Christoph and Quentin are a great team that create something better than the sum of its, admittedly, great parts.
Would I Rewatch:
Maybe Pauline would appreciate this movie. I don't know. I probably won't revisit otherwise.
Film/Rank:
#7- Ed Wood (1994)
Why, Though:
Again, this is a somewhat straightforward biopic filled with dope historic characters but I just don't love it like everyone else. I feel like this is where people will fall off for this list. This is probably everyone else's favourite Tim Burton film. I just didn't connect to the lead. Mostly because it was clear that people didn't think the movies Ed was making were great. I didn't even watch this when it came out. I was a full on adult when I watched this although I was trying to make Filmakers a thing. So I guess I felt some way about someone getting love for being mediocre. That's clearly not the point of this movie. The podcast, You Must Remember This, definitely helps me enjoy this movie more.
Would I Rewatch:
Yeah I have to rewatch this.
Film/Rank:
#6- Edward Scissorhands (1990)
Why, Though:
I don't so much like this movie as much as I bow down and acknowledge this movie had and still has me shook. I couldn't even look at the VHS cover after I saw this movie. I hid under the couch while watching this movie. Edward's design and overall being scares me to this day. I couldn't even look at some of the gifs for this movie. If a movie could have this kind of hold on me to this day, something must have been done right. And if you're wondering, yes this is the movie that put me off most things Johnny Depp until Pirates of the Caribbean. I just thought, what if he cuts himself... well looks like he had scars from cutting himself by accident. I thought, what if he gets electrocuted... yup, that happens too! And of course, what if he cuts someone else... and of course that happens! For its ability to stay with me for this long, I have to give it props.
Would I Rewatch:
I'm lucky I even made it through looking for gifs. There's no chance I'll watch this again.
Film/Rank:
#5- Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
Why, Though:
Sweeney Todd is no Hamilton, but I like the musical a lot. I love the music of Sweeney Todd so much, I don't mind if Ben Affleck and his kid are singing it in a Kevin Smith movie or if Andy is singing in it in a cold open of The Office. The musical has bangers! That said, this movie kinda had a cheat code. All they had to do was have certain songs in the movie... those songs were there and I liked them. I did think it was weird that they tried to sell this movie like it wasn't a musical. Like maybe there was just one trippy Burton-esque dream sequence with singing. Nope!
Would I Rewatch:
I own it I'll definitely watch it again soon.
Film/Rank:
#4- Mars Attacks! (1996)
Why, Though:
I love Independence Day un-ironically. So when I saw trailers for a what seemed like a spoof (to me) of that movie by the guy who did 2 of the three batmen films to date I was all in. I don't usually think of Tim as a funny guy, but there are some genuinely funny moments in this movie. Take the moment where Paul Winfield takes a call from home right before meeting the aliens and talks about how his game plan of saying nothing and staying out of the way finally worked. Or how the aliens keep trying to smash the kids with a monument. All of that is fun and seems different for Tim. I also appreciated how many black characters there were in this movie. There's a character played by Ray J and one by Jackie Brown herself, Pam Grier! The movie also has a lot of old school stars and some up and coming stars like Natalie Portman and Jack Black so it kind of stands the test of time. And Danny Elfman gets busy on this score! But seriously, has Tim Burton ever had this many black people in a movie? This movie is fun, prove me wrong!
Would I Rewatch:
I re-watched this for research purposes just to make sure I still liked it and I would definitely watch it again!
Film/Rank:
#3- Pee-Wee's Big Adventure (1985)
Why, Though:
I LOVE PEE-WEE Herman. The character. As history has shown, you can't put too much stock into the people who play your favourite characters, sing/write your favourite songs, make your favourite movies/shows, run your favourite countries... you know... everyone sucks and all that. But as a kid, Pee-Wee presented the perfect kind of humour for me. Loud outbursts, an element of irreverence, I was here for it all. Plus he had that dance! Try as I might, I'll never not find Pee-Wee funny. Pee-Wee's Big Adventure gave me an extended period of time to hang out with a character I truly enjoyed hanging out with so it pretty much delivered on everything I could possibly ask for.
Would I Rewatch:
Yup!
Film/Rank:
#2- Batman Returns (1992)
Why, Though:
I was once scared of this movie too. I always enjoyed it though. I think Batman is the best. So if you think this movie isn't great.. meh. It featured amazing (and terrifying) villains in Michelle Pffifer's Catwoman and Danny Devito's Penguin. Max Schreck was there too! There were some funny moments, like when Batman can't break down the Batmobile enough to go through an alley and he says "now I'm worried!" Or when Penguin says "Ah, the direct approach, I love that from a man in a mask!" Bruce Wayne even gets on Alfred's case about letting Vicky Vale into the Batcave! META!!! What I'm saying is I really like this movie and genuinely think it's Tim Burton's version of Thor: Ragnarok where he got to do exactly what he wanted to do with established characters.
Would I Rewatch:
Almost annually.
Film/Rank:
#1- Batman (1989)
Why, Though:
Not only does this movie have a great Joker, something I thought was a given for every movie featuring that character until Suicide Squad. It's got the best Batman! But let's not forget that Jack Nicholson killed it as Joker. Try not to quote him after watching this movie. Batman has a great look, great performances, and Prince did the soundtrack. I don't even rock with Prince like that, but his soundtrack for this movie has stayed with me since the first time my dad came home singing the songs from the movie because I was deemed too young to see the movie in theatres. Danny Elfman once again did his thing with the score. So much so that they used it for the cartoon for a bit. I think Superman did a great job of showing that Comic Book Movies can be done well, and Tim Burton's Batman helped prove that Superman wasn't a fluke. So thanks to this movie I care about Tim Burton, and people care about Comic Book Movies a bit more. It's gotta be number one for me.
Would I Rewatch:
Obviously.
-YG