Burton's Back

Rating: Null/10 (17 November 1999)

Tim Burton's SLEEPY HOLLOW is the kind of gothic horror film that feeds the soul with it's wicked charms. Providing Burton with a plot and cast that's far more appealing than MARS ATTACKS!, HOLLOW is a grand return to form for Burton. Galloping back into the dark reaches of the night, Burton giddily weaves this harrowing tale of Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman with the passion and inspiration that spawned such classics as his EDWARD SCISSORHANDS and BEETLEJUICE.
In collaboration with director of photography Emmanuel Lubezki, Burton gives the film an almost black and white color scheme. The only color that is allowed to shine through is blood red, and oh my, does the blood flow. This is a gorgeous looking film packed with the imagery and originality that Burton excels at. HOLLOW is visual genius. Production Designer Rick Heinrichs alone should be a shoo-in come next year's Oscar nominations.
Now if only the script was up to shape HOLLOW suffers greatly from a story with too many characters and not enough time to properly introduce them all. I found it hard to tell who's name belonged to whom. Halfway through the film do the seeds of plot finally begin to be planted. It's rather humorous to watch in the climax of the picture when one of the characters has to explain in great detail how the film's plot figures out. HOLLOW isn't that hard to follow, but the film uses it's downtime in between Headless Horseman scenes to spew out these large chunks of exposition that it damages the overall dramatic angle of the story.
Burton's muse Johnny Depp (EDWARD SCISSORHANDS, ED WOOD) marks his third collaboration with the director with another distinguished performance. By making his Ichabod Crane a master forensics expert with the heart of a Â‘fraidy cat, Depp ingratiates himself wonderfully in the role. Christina Ricci also makes a strong impression.
HOLLOW is a flawed nightmare, yet this will most likely be the most technically impressive film of the year. I would recommend this film simply for that feeling of being transported to a far away land where magic ruled the country and a mythical horseman stalked the woods in search of fresh blood. -------------7