Sleepy Hollow

Tim Burton has brought this timeless classic to life! "Sleepy Hollow" is a very fine film, with horrific delights, a touch of romance, and witty humor. I was very impressed with the cinematography and the elaborate costumes in this film. Also, the music and sound effects complimented this frightening and legendary story of the murderous Headless Horseman. Overall, I believe this is an excellent film and will definitely be remembered as a landmark in the thriller/horror genre of film.

I just saw Sleepy Hollow in an advanced Preview show in the UK. I went with a couple of mates, all of whom had seen some Tim Burton before but only I was a big fan. I simply love Tim Burton's surreal style of directing and of all the films I've seen of his (Pee Wee's Big Adventure, Beetlejuice, Edward Scissor Hands, Ed Wood, Mars Attacks!, etc.) I thought only Mars Attacks! Was less than superb. ESH for example has a superbly innocent atmosphere to it but it extremely dark at times. So now, with the release of a new Tim Burton film (of a story I remember fondly from the old Disney Cartoon of the 50's) I was rather excited to see it! And so, I sat in the darkened cinema at my local Multiplex and was amazed. From the dark and mysterious opening to the more humour-spiked yet no less horrific end this is one of my favourite films ever! I'm a big horror film fan and was so looking forward to seeing what take Tim Burton would have a true horror film. My god, he did well. The look of the piece is both extremely dark and evil (the Horseman kills men, women and children with equal relish) but it retains scenes of beautiful, dreamlike states once again making good use of Mr. Burton's own thoughts and visions. It's a very funny film too. Depp is great as an Englishman (only slipping into American twang in one syllable early on in the movie) who will battle the horseman and inspect headless, beetle filled corpses with gusto but then leap onto a chair, screaming when he sees a spider! Christina Ricci was also very good. Usually, her parts are beautiful yet rather evil characters that look innocent and pure until you look into her eyes…not this time though. She just looks, well, sweet! She's softly spoken, and very caring and that's it, no daggers in the pupils, no sly frowns to the camera. Christopher Walken made the small role he had in the headless horseman (he played him on the few occasions he actually had a head) his own with his usual evil visage and a load of screaming! Plus nastily shaved down teeth. The real masterstroke of this film though, or at least its main bad guy is the use of Ray Park. For those of you who saw Episode One and enjoyed the lightsabre battle at the end, Ray Park was Darth Maul! He brings a very modern look to the fighting, most scenes are fought with a sword in one hand and an axe in the other! Its like a medieval John Woo! But almost every time that he gets hold of a weapon he does some kind of stylish one-handed flip to the sound of wonderfully over-the-top swish sounds! The deaths, most of which decapitations of course, are all seen onscreen in their full, gory glory. Not a single piece of blood escapes the cameras here! The film really does have a lot of blood in it but it's a kind of comic book redder than red blood, which adds to the whole films not quite real feel. The cinematography is once again, from Burton, superb. The vile smog0filled 18th century New York and the Scarecrow at the beginning. My god, the scarecrow, its so evil! Onscreen for a second but its image lasts… But anyway, in short, this is a fantastic film. Burton has never done anything this visually eye-popping before (take a bow Industrial Light & Magic). The plot is both intriguing and whimsical, the acting excellent, it has a cameo from Hammer Horror master Christopher Lee and it boasts one of the most evil, most frightening, most superbly realized supernatural baddies I've ever seen…and I've seen plenty! Go see this film if you like horror or you just want some fast-paced fun… 9 out of 10

The movie, Sleepy Hollow, embodies Tim Burton's unique take on one of the most well-known horror tales of all time, with a few new plot twists and greater character development, including a dark past for Ichabod Crane and a "story behind the story" of what's going on in the haunted town, which is beautifully rendered, dark and foggy for an eerie atmosphere.

The dream cast puts in great performances, but obviously it's Johnny Depp who steals the show with his intuitive and sometimes over-the-top portrayal of the anti-hero, Ichabod Crane, who displays admirable bravery while at the same time often succumbing to fear.

The lavish production, masterful acting, background music, beautiful periodic sets and costumes and the careful attention to detail, most notable in the special effects used to bring the headless horseman "to life", if you will, all come together to tell the tale of Sleepy Hollow's plight and deliverance as it's never been told before. It's unlikely that this cinematic version will ever be surpassed. Superb!

These days, there aren't a lot of directors working in Hollywood that have a style all their own. Tim Burton is definitely one of them. His brand of quirky, often gothic-inspired filmmaking is ideally suited for a property like "Sleepy Hollow" with its legendary headless horseman.

Based on Washington Irving's classic short story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow", this movie adaptation definitely falls into the category of 'loosely based on'. The iconic Ichabod Crane is here in the form of Johnny Depp but instead of a schoolmaster he's a police constable dispatched from the big city in order to investigate a series of decapitations. I think this was a step in the right direction in refashioning the story for a modern audience. Depp's Crane is still a less than heroic character but his futuristic (at the time) methods of detection make him a more palatable protagonist. However, I think that the script goes too far with the mystery angle by presenting us with an altogether too convoluted plot.

Luckily, a fine cast was put in place to prevent the movie from completely losing its audience. As always, Tim Burton brings out the best in Johnny Depp and here he has no problem carrying the movie. Christina Ricci, on the other hand, seems miscast and fails to leave much of an impression. Instead, it's the fine supporting cast that stands out with the likes of Michael Gambon, Richard Griffiths, Jeffrey Jones & Michael Gough all contributing greatly to the film's atmosphere.

Speaking of atmosphere, this movie is shrouded in a rich gothic atmosphere from beginning to end. The Oscar-winning art direction is exquisite, as are the Oscar-nominated costumes & cinematography. Add in a score by Danny Elfman and you've got a movie that unmistakably bears the imprint of Tim Burton. The only complaint I have is that some of the special effects are a bit cheesy, which may have been intentional.

"Sleepy Hollow" is a movie that does a lot of things right but its effectiveness is crippled by a meandering story that fails to keep you on the edge of your seat. As a horror movie it's fairly tame (despite all of the decapitations) and as a mystery it's not really that satisfying. It's definitely worth watching for fans of Tim Burton but it fails to wring all that it could have out of Washington Irving's template.

Drawing from his Gothic roots (Edward Scissorhands, Nightmare Before Christmas) Burton has created a truly chilling horrific fantasy that keeps you guessing at every turn. The use of special effects is seemless and yet again, as in his other films, Burton excels at creating a whole look and feeling for the piece. He has managed to re-work the classic horror genre staying true to his own highly personal style and catering to post- Wes Craven cinema audiences' cynicism without taking itself too seriously a la Blair Witch. It is so refreshing to see the work of an art-house genius who hasn't let a big hollywood budget get to his head. Johnny Depp and Christina Ricci give charming performances as ever, as do rest of the assembled anglo-Brit. star-studded cast. They all look like they had a ball, as will you!