Entertaining but overly ambitious

Rating: Null/10 (4 June 2000)

When I see a Tim Burton film, I usually come away with a sense of awe and bewilderment. I am in awe of his visual imagery (though I don't particularly like his penchant for dark exposures and washed out colors) and I am perplexed at his use of this genius to create such bizarre and twisted films.
What is most disturbing about this film is that it tries to pass itself off as being based on Washington Irving's classic short story. This is not even loosely based on that masterpiece. It bears no more resemblance to the Legend of Sleepy Hollow' than Johnny Depp bears to Ichabod Crane. To put Irving's name and title on this goes beyond artistic license to shameless artistic forgery for its commercial value.
This is not to say that this isn't a good story. It is an excellent story. I just object to the artistic deception. What is sad is that we have a whole generation who will never read the story and believe they know it because they saw this film. That being said, I thought this was a very good film that was a bit too ambitious in trying to cross genres. Burton attempts to create a comedy horror action adventure mystery romance. It has too many competing elements that distracted us from the main plot. The comedy element is the least effective. Burton's wry attempts at humor are sophomoric and puerile and detract from the better elements of the film, namely the horror/mystery aspect.
From the standpoint of the sets, props, costumes and visual effects, this film is masterful. The woods were spooky, the tree of death was fantastic and the windmill was a marvel. The creation of the headless effect was brilliant use of digital technology. The decapitations were also superbly grisly and realistic.
Johnny Depp did a fine job as the bumbling constable. He played it a bit too tongue in cheeky, but I'm certain that was more Burton's direction than Depp's interpretation. Christina Ricci was well cast as the coquettish Katrina. Somehow I don't think she has to stretch much to play the sassy and flirtatious type, but she played it to perfection.
I rated this film a 7/10. It is very entertaining and has moments of brilliance, but overall the whole is less than the sum of the parts. And Washington Irving it ain't.