Trite plot, but great visual experience

Rating: 6/10 (25 August 2006)

This film is a good example of how a movie can work even when its plot is sub par or lacking substance (Terrence Malick's The New World also comes to mind). The score, cinematography, and art direction are all superb, but the main plot is rather unoriginal and uninspired. The film piques your interest from the start but eventually devolves into a standard murder mystery. Yet in the end, the film remains a thoroughly enjoyable experience, if only for its sensory value.
Tim Burton successfully creates a hauntingly beautiful Gothic setting in post-independence America, with many memorable dark scenes that will be sure to tickle your macabre fancies. Ichabod Crane's back-story is particularly disturbing yet simultaneously fascinating. The contrast between light and dark is intentionally stark, and it helps create the supernatural setting. The town of Sleepy Hollow has an uneasy feel about it, as expected, but interestingly enough, Burton's portrayal of New York is even more harrowing. The city is shown as a sort of puritanical version of Gotham, which is of course Burton's bread and butter.
The film has a remarkable cast, and most of the actors turn in excellent performances. Johnny Depp is brilliant as usual, and he truly becomes the methodical Ichabod Crane who is haunted by a dark past. Christina Ricci is quite believable in her role as the down to earth and sensible Katrina Van Tassel. Miranda Richardson is the only real weak link in the cast, as her performance seems over the top and contrived. Also be ready for a let down if you are a Christopher Walken fan, as I am; though he is magnificently terrifying as the Horseman, he does not get much screen time at all. (The Horseman is headless after all--I just wish the writers could have found a way around this small detail.) This movie is a must for all Tim Burton fans. If you don't particularly care for his work however, and if you absolutely need a strong plot to interest you in a movie, you may want to pass on this film. But if you're looking for a visually stunning and creative piece of fantasy, Sleepy Hollow will not disappoint.