One of the most famous directors of all time is Tim Burton. Known for his collaborations with the likes of Johnny Depp and his ex-partner Helena Bonham Carter and an incredible sense of dark, complex fantasy, he has really created a unique style.
Since his debut feature in 1985, he released many surreal films spanning many genres and levels of success, but it has always been fantasy and horror that have called him back. We’ve consulted IMDb to compare the five films considered to be Tim Burton’s best to the five considered to be his worst.
BEST: Beetlejuice (7.5)
Despite only being his second film, Beetlejuice has gone down in history as one of Burton’s most famous, iconic and style-defining pieces.
The comedy-fantasy style is incredibly distinctive, with notes of surrealism and general stage musical.
WORST: Alice In Wonderland (6.4)
In theory, there is no director who could adapt Alice In Wonderland better than Tim Burton. He is one of the few people who consistently nails surrealism, and as such, the iconic Lewis Carrol work and remarkable Disney adaptation should have been the perfect starting points for a great live-action film.
Unfortunately, Burton’s version of Alice lost all of the heart and intrigue of the original, allowing for the cryptic and imaginative story of Alice to fall into the realms of Hollywood overproduction.
BEST: Ed Wood (7.8)
One of Tim Burton’s most ‘normal’ films is the biographical drama Ed Wood, starring frequent collaborator, Johnny Depp. Shot in black and white and taking a much more realistic standpoint than what many Burton fans would be used to, the film was a box office bomb.
Despite this, it has been well-received in retrospect and even saw Martin Landau take home an Academy Award for Best Actor, showing that it was a great film despite a lack of audience interest.
WORST: Dumbo (6.3)
When Dumbo, audiences were both wary and excited. They were right to be one of those things: wary.
It was released in 2019, alongside a variety of controversial live-action remakes of classic Disney films and was the worst received of the bunch. Critics praised its visual style, but viewed the plot as cluttered and mostly uninteresting.
BEST: Edward Scissorhands (7.9)
While the IMDb averages disagree, Edward Scissorhands is the film most often considered to be Tim Burton’s masterpiece.
Another of his many collaborations with Johnny Depp, the film seems like it’s veering toward horror territory (a man with scissors for hands is the title character...) but it ends up being a rather charming fantasy romance. It was nominated for a variety of Academy Awards as a result.
WORST: Mars Attacks! (6.3)
Despite having a bizarre premise, Mars Attacks! was able to attract an incredible cast that included Jack Nicholson, Glenn Close, Pierce Brosnan and Danny DeVito. But even this magnificent line-up couldn’t turn the film into anything more than a cult classic.
Its references to B-movies were picked up on, but many critics felt that the film felt like a mockery of what it was paying homage to.
BEST: The Nightmare Before Christmas (8.0)
One of the most famous examples of The Nightmare Before Christmas. The debate on whether it is a Halloween film or a Christmas film rages on, but it remains a fan favorite.
While marking another musical collaboration between Danny Elfman and Tim Burton, Elfman this time took on a lead role, singing the vocal parts of Jack Skellington. He was part of a cast full of much less fame than most Burton productions.
WORST: Dark Shadows (6.2)
Using his favorite pairing of Helena Bonham Carter and Johnny Depp once again, Tim Burton tried to bring vampires to the mainstream once more. It didn’t work.
As usual, Burton’s visuals were praised across the board, but this time he missed the mark on characterization and comedy.
BEST: Big Fish (8.0)
It might not be his most famous film, but Big Fish sits at the top of Tim Burton’s IMDb list. The adaptation of Daniel Wallace’s novel was originally given to Steven Spielberg to direct, with Jack Nicholson considered for the central role, but he ended up dropping the project, leaving it to be ed onto Tim Burton.
It received universally positive reviews, gaining nominations for: Golden Globes, BAFTAs, Saturns, an Oscar and a Grammy.
WORST: Planet Of The Apes (5.7)
There have been too many attempts at Planet Of The Apes adaptations to count, but Tim Burton’s own effort is amongst the worst of them all.
Interestingly, it remained a financial success due to its cast, Burton’s name and the connections to a major franchise, but reviews were negative about virtually everything except Elfman’s score and the visuals. Burton’s attempt at the franchise never got a sequel, but the franchise was rebooted with immense success just a few years later.
