Beautiful-looking, Brilliantly Acted, Slightly Confusing...

Rating: Null/10 (19 January 2004)

Wow. Once again, Tim Burton has managed to create another visual masterpiece. Somehow, compared to his other movies (Ed Wood, Edward Scissorhands, Beetlejuice, and the new one, Big Fish), we aren't surprised. Tim Burton is an amazing artist, and when he has talented actors to play the characters, everything just seems to explode into a million beautiful pieces.
Johnny Depp has amazing talent. He seems to breathe life into every character he plays. I watched Sleepy Hollow over and over again, looking for any traces of Captain Jack-ism's. But I couldn't find any. The sweet, almost meek demeanor of Edward Scissorhands does not exsist in this movie, and the rough exterior of Gilbert Grape seems to fall away. Ichabod is new and totally different. Thank you, Johnny.
If you are reading the story by Washington Irving in hopes that you will know what the movie is about before you watch it, listen very closely: put. down. your. book. Just walk away from it, because Tim Burton has morphed it into something new. (And better, but that's just my opinion.)
The ending: Like you can't already guess. It results in a spy-movie like speech by the evil witch and she sings like a bird. It's traditional, and
slightly anti-climatic.
Anyway, I really enjoyed this movie. Do yourself a favor and see it. I won't tell you who the Headless Horseman is (I think you can guess. No cheating by going to read the cast up at the top!!!), but it's fitting. Johnny and Tim have pulled off another one.