An unbiased view from a huge Tim Burton/Johnny Depp fan

Rating: 9/10 (1 December 1999)

Okay, I'm being facetious. I am very strongly biased toward both Tim Burton and Johnny Depp. Keep that in mind as you read on...
This movie is vintage Tim Burton from the stark forest to the skewed buildings in the village to the light snowfall at the end. As in most of his movies, the imagery and background are just important as the characters. If you've enjoyed Edward Scissorhands, Batman (and Batman Returns), and Ed Wood, you will almost certainly enjoy this.
As expected, I thoroughly enjoyed Johnny Depp's performance. His confident, yet cowardly Crane adds another notch to an already impressive belt. Other Burton mainstays include Jeffrey Jones (slightly under-used here) and Michael Gough, both on their third Burton film.
A couple of other bonuses: - Including Christopher Lee was a minor stroke of genius - The Headless Horseman is one of the coolest characters I've seen on film this year - Danny Elfman, an excellent film composer in his own right, creates his finest work for Tim Burton and this film is no exception.