I expected more

Rating: 6/10 (21 November 1999)

I saw two movies this week, "Saving Private Ryan" and "Sleepy Hollow". I find it ironic that when "Saving Private Ryan" is mentioned, people who have not seen it always mention the "gore", for it reknowned for being "too bloody" when blood is used only to enhance the realism of the action and at tha appropriate moments. I think it is films like "Sleepy Hollow" that are too gory, splattering excessive amounts of blood around simply to be shocking or when the director can't think of any other way to create a jolt. I was especially disappointed to see the tired "scary" special effects in this film, the same ones that had been repeated many times in "Beetlejuice", a film that I have watched over and over and one of my favorites.

The good parts about this movie were Johnny Depp's acting and Danny Elfman's score. The bits that drew laughs were Depp's whimpiness in the face of danger, but even his raised eyebrows and fainting spells were getting old about three-quarters of the way through. I think the problem is that the story is convoluted and difficult to follow. This movie would have been better if the story had been simplified, more tension had been built and if it had had fewer actual murders and less blood. Eccentric characters and humor should have been emphasized more. I am a Tim Burton fan, but I gave this one a 6 and would not recommend it to my friends.