Tara Wood is certainly not shy when it comes to making documentaries on some of Hollywood’s more popular or polarizing voices as her two previous directorial outings have presented themselves (co-director of 21 Years: Richard Linklater and QT8: The First Eight), but she ventures into something different this time with her documentary on possibly one of the most prolific mainstream directors of his generation: Tim Burton. Considering the vast career Burton had (mostly in his earlier years with some sprinkles of genius from 2000 onward), the first episode of this untitled Tim Burton docuseries focuses on his collaborators, his work leading up to and including Batman (1989), and his early days.
Actor Winona Ryder in the untitled Tim Burton docuseries. Photo Credit: Wood Entertainment. Photo courtesy of Tribeca Film Festival.
While we only got to see the first episode of a four-part series, this felt nearly complete. This is a weird feeling simply because it stops practically at 1989, which some would argue that at that time, Burton hadn’t truly left his mark on Hollywood, yet. Wildly enough, the movie people associate with Tim Burton the most frequently isn’t even one he directed; it is one he co-wrote and presented. It doesn’t help that the poster calls it Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas either, but alas. While there can only be speculation on what the rest of the episodes will and can cover, it would be safe to assume an entire episode (roughly 62 minutes) will be focused on a quintessential part of his career.
Actor johnny Depp in the untitled Tim Burton docuseries. Photo Credit: Wood Entertainment. Photo courtesy of Tribeca Film Festival.
While in the first episode we hear from the likes of Christopher Walken (Batman Returns), Danny DeVito (Batman Returns), Winona Ryder (Beetlejuice), and so on, there is a lot of conversation that stems from his long-term former partner Helena Bonham Carter (Dark Shadows), his long-term collaborator Johnny Depp (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), and his long-term musical partner Danny Elfman (Batman). We also get to hear from Michael Keaton (Batman) and get some insight into the caped crusader. There are plenty of tidbits and galaxies of information that, unless you deep-dived into the world of Tim Burton, you may have not known prior and that this docuseries focuses on, and it truly opens a world of great intrigue and provides some insight into one of Hollywood’s weirdest minds.
Tim Burton in the untitled Tim Burton docuseries. Photo Credit: Wood Entertainment. Photo courtesy of Tribeca Film Festival.
Without completely and egregiously giving away every ounce of information from the first episode, some of the truly interesting moments the audience gets to discover is just how young Burton was when he had visionary ideas that we’ve seen throughout his films from Beetlejuice (1988) to Corpse Bride (2005) to Alice in Wonderland (2010) to even his take on Wednesday (2022 – ??). We got to see early drawings that he did and early animation films he made while in school, films that show he wasn’t concerned with making something “polished” and just wanted to make something that was uniquely and entirely his own. This feels like the defining motto of Burton’s entire career, outside of making (arguably) the most iconic superhero movie of all time (while possessing his flare, it lacked his flare at the same time). It was a dark gritty Batman movie that moved away from the Adam West days, casting an unconventional leading man (though executives originally wanted Bill Murray (Ghostbusters), a choice that absolutely makes more sense than Mr. Mom (1983)), and utilizing a self-proclaimed weird music man who only made silly music and songs and never a score. Tim Burton never shies away from what he believes in, always swings for the fences, and consistently gives us some of the most dark yet beautiful films to grace a silver screen. Sure, he has his bonafide classics like Beetlejuice and Batman, but underappreciated gems like the animated Frankenweenie (2012), Alice in Wonderland, and even Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007) shine in the Burton flare that tells audiences they know exactly what they’re going to get themselves into with a Burton movie.
L-R: Actor Winona Ryder and director Tara Wood in the untitled Tim Burton docuseries. Photo Credit: Wood Entertainment. Photo courtesy of Tribeca Film Festival.
Tara Wood manages to excellently craft this first episode to make audiences not only feel complete with a fourth of the docuseries, but takes a section of his career that talks about his early works of Beetlejuice, Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure (1985), Batman, and the alike to have audiences know that they’re in safe hands with an encyclopedic-level of knowledge for the man behind the hair, and the way some of his long-term collaborations have come together. Whenever the rest of the docuseries gets released, it will be more than anticipated to learn more tidbits and information about the rest of Burton’s career, more insight into his collaborations, and how the man became the legend he is known for today.
Screening during Tribeca Film Festival 2024.
For more information, head to the official Tribeca 2024 Tim Burton Docuseries webpage.
Final Score: 4 out of 5.
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Categories: In Theaters, Reviews
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