The Depp/Burton duo scores again

Rating: 8/10 (18 February 2000)

Sleepy Hollow: When the New York judiciary grows tired of a Ichabod Crane, an inspector who believes in justice of all things, they dispatch him to a small New England town to solve a series of ghastly murders. What appears to be a routine investigation of a serial killer that likes to hack off heads turns sinister when it becomes evident that the murderer may not be human.
First, this is not Disney's version of Irving's classic tale- it is dark, gory, and scary. Indeed it is not really Irving's story anymore, with several of the main details having been changed. Finally, this version is extremely well executed (no pun intended).
After such fantastic debacles as "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" "The Astronaut's Wife", and "Mars Attacks" it is a pleasure to see Depp and Burton back together again. Depp is wonderful as Crane, the, pale, skittish, intelligent man of few words (you might call him Ichabod Scissorhands) trying to uncover a killer as he tries to understand his own past. Ricci, meanwhile, is enchanting, as the mysterious seductress and leaves you wondering - is she good or evil? And Walken is darker than he's ever been - a man whose dedication to evil and killing actually brings him back from the dead. But acting alone does not make a movie.
Burton masterfully translates his vision to the screen, creating an atmosphere that is spectacularly gloomy, oppressive, and enticing at the same time. In addition to fabulous sets, and great action sequences, the film is remarkably well paced with no wasted scenes or downtime - I was amazed how quickly it was over.
I will be adding this to my collection!