So far in this blog series, I’ve done posts on The Nightmare Before Christmas and Alice Through the Looking Glass, which Burton produced but did not direct. I did this because I thought the two films were interesting points in his career, each in their own way. Might as well go down the list of the others he produced then, and see what we can see.

Cabin Boy (1994)

Burton was going to direct this at one point. Based on the date, I’d surmise he chose to helm Ed Wood instead. Chris Elliott plays a self-described “fancy lad” who ends up on a rough n’ tumble sea ship, having adventures of mythic proportions.

There’s a real meta element to Chris Elliot’s brand of comedy. His various gags always go in one direction when the audience expects it to go the other way. He delights in making himself unlikable to the audience, to the point where the audience, not him, is the butt of the joke. Cabin Boy is no exception. There are big laughs and far-out visuals, but the fancy boy never grows or learns his lesson. That last part will crack up some viewers, but leave a bad taste in others’ mouths.

Batman Forever (1995)

Batman faces a double threat as the Riddler and Two-Face team up to threaten Gotham City with a mind control device. There’s a character named Dr. Burton, played by Star Trek‘s Rene Auberjonois, who is named after and based on Tim Burton.

I don’t think we’ll ever know the full story of how and why Burton was replaced with Joel Shumaker for this high-profile sequel, but that’s how it all came out. Shumaker’s film is halfway between the dark Batman of Burton and/or Frank Miller, and halfway to the bright and campy ‘60s Adam West version. Plus a lot of, shall we say, disco flamboyance.

It always bugged me how Tommy Lee Jones went full clown as Two-Face, as if trying to do a Jim Carrey impersonation. It would have been much more interesting to have Carrey play the funny villain and Jones be the truly evil one. We’ve seen Jones go into dark places in other films, so why couldn’t he do it here? My favorite stuff in the movie is Bruce Wayne’s story, with his romance with Chase Masterson (named Chase because she chases Batman) and his friendship with Robin.

9 (2009)

When director Shane Acker’s short film of the same name was something of a sensation in 2005, Burton and Night Watch director Timur Bekmambetov, among others, stepped up to produce a feature-length version. The story involves tiny puppet men called Stitchpunks who awaken in a dystopia. They go on a quest to find out who they are and what’s become of the world.

The big issue with the film is the dialogue. The short was silent, but in the feature, the Stitchpunks speak. Elijah Wood’s voice is immediately recognizable and modern-day sounding, breaking some immersion in this far-out world. But the animation is gorgeous, and the creature designs are truly creative, making this one worth checking out.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012)

Bekmambetov must be one of Burton’s guys, because Burton is producer as he directs this historically inaccurate horror actioner. With that title, you’d think this would be a wacky parody film. But it’s serious business, rewriting Lincoln’s story so he always had a double life fighting the vamps.

There is some amusing absurdity to seeing the full-on Lincoln with the top hat and beard going all kung fu against a vampire on the roof of a runaway train, but the movie makes us wait to the finale to get to it. In the end, the movie is nothing horror fans haven’t seen before. Bekmambetov’s Night Watch is a far more interesting and engaging film.

Next: Baby elephant walk.

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