80 % Wonderful ...

Rating: 8/10 (4 February 2006)

Released well before Johnny Depp's star exploded in the form of Captain Jack Sparrow, this is nonetheless a well-crafted, superbly entertaining piece of film. Set in a spooky, beautiful Gothic fairy-land, the plot follows 18th Century New York detective Ichabod Crane (a man whose beliefs are rooted firmly in science) attempting to solve a very supernatural mystery in the small village of Sleepy Hollow. Surrounded by local conspirators and aided by a fearless local girl, Katrina Van Tassel, and a plucky servant boy (known to all as young Masbeth) Ichabod sets himself against the town, its elders, and an utterly terrifying foe in the form of a headless (and very dead) horseman.
Depp's rising star is much in evidence as he portrays the bright, well-meaning, eccentric, scared witless but ultimately heroic Crane, with only slightly more restraint than he's brought to the likes of Willy Wonka or Edward Scissorhands. A variety of good actors and actress flesh out neatly sketched supporting characters, and there's a truly ace mystery to be solved within the film. The set pieces are stunning, the action fantastic (though very very gory) - so why the 80% rating? Plot and dialogue, sadly. The 18th century speech is often cardboard in its stiffness, and only Depp manages to liven it up. And as aforementioned, despite the excellently plotted mystery, the storyline is cluttered up with a complex (but totally unnecessary) back-story for Crane that rather detracts rather than adds to the essence of the film's major goings-on.
These criticisms aside however, this is a great film and a fine way to distract yourself on a dark evening ... leaving the light on, of course.