A Return To Classic Tim Burton

Rating: Null/10 (19 November 1999)

Finally we are treated to a wonderful black and white fairy tale by master fairy teller, Tim Burton. Burton seems to focus his energies on two film visions: colourful, fun stories (Pee Wee's Big Adventure, Mars Attacks!), and then he has his monochromatic fairy tales (Edward Scissorhands) or otherwise art films (Ed Wood). It's been 9 years since one of his fairy tales (Batman Returns), and it's good to see it again.
All the classic Burton motifs prevail in this movie. We have the old rickety houses, the constant cloud cover, the lack of colour. We even get to see Christina Ricci wearing a black-and-white striped dress that is an obvious harkening to Beetlejuice. There are many fake sets, but unlike other directors, they add to the film, rather than detract. It's like watching a stage play, or a fairy tale, as this movie is. If the scenery was real, it would ruin the atmosphere of the movie.
Sleepy Hollow has a lot of the quirky humour that marks Burton movies, but this movie also seems to be a lot more violent than his other movies. Very bloody, very graphic, very powerful.
An eccentric director deserves an eccentric cast, and we have that most notably in Johnny Depp and Christopher Walken. Johnny Depp has always proved himself to be incredibly versatile, and he easily becomes the type of character that Tim Burton requires: odd. And Christopher Walken...well...They should market Christopher Walken masks for Halloween.
I won't say anymore, except go see this movie! You will not regret it! It's adventurous, hilarious, and frightening! See it now!