Has many moments of succeeding, but like most Burton films, a mixed-bag overall.

Rating: 6/10 (10 February 2011)

(Credit IMDb) The cruse of the headless horseman is the legacy of the small town of Sleepy Hollow. Spearheaded by the eager Constable Ichabod Crane and his new world ways into the quagmire of secrets and murder, secrets once laid to rest, best forgotten and now reawakened, and he too, holding a dark secret of a past once gone.
Tim Burton is an artistic Director, no doubt about that, but he often does it to the point of overkill in his movies. I remember watching this as a teenager, and being wowed by it, unfortunately that wasn't the case this time around. The creepy atmosphere is clearly apparent, and Johnny Depp's out there sort of style benefits the film immensely, but the film as a whole is very inconsistent. The whole Headless Horsemen ordeal should have been much more powerful than it was, and Christopher Walken's screen-time is precious, and not as much as I'd have liked. It tries to balance a romance (Unconvincing one I might add) a creepy horror story and a heavy Gothic atmosphere all in one, and it just isn't able to do it.
Performances. Johnny Depp is better then the movie itself. His weird facial ticks, his presence, and his unique style are a treat to watch. This guy is capable of anything, and it shows here. Slight criticism, his chemistry with Christina Ricci fell flat. Christina Ricci is OK, but nothing noteworthy. She looks elegant, but her part felt vastly underwhelming. Miranda Richardson has a creepy presence, and did eerily well in her part. Michael Gambon is good, while people like Michael Gough, Richard Griffiths, add some English class. Casper Van Dien is wooden in his part. Christopher Lee is sadly wasted as a Judge, while Christopher Walken could peel potatoes and look creepy doing it.
Bottom line. I enjoyed bits and pieces, but the over-kill hampered the overall enjoyment for me. It's certainly worth a viewing experience, but it's not as good as the 7.5 rating indicates in my opinion. Too many inconsistencies.
6 ½ /10