Up there with Burton's Best

Rating: 9/10 (28 December 2007)

I'd say that this, along with Ed Wood, is among Tim Burton's two best films. Okay, along with Batman, among his THREE best films. It can be difficult to winnow down the best of Burton.
Johnny Depp is fantastic as Ichabod Crane. He somehow manages to make Ichabod a seamless combination of solemn, mysterious, priggish, brave, fussy, humorous, and gentlemanly. I can't remember if Depp was nominated for any awards, but he definitely should've won a few.
The rest of the cast, including Michael Gambon, Miranda Richardson, and Michael Gough, among others, is also first rate, with the possible exception of Christina Ricci. She certainly had the right look for the part of Katrina, the ethereally beautiful daughter of the most prominent family in Sleepy Hollow who intrigues Ichabod from first glance, but I found her acting to be a bit wooden. Ultimately that's of little consequence, though. This film had so much more going for it. Another beautiful score by Danny Elfman, a well-paced script, fantastically cartoonish special effects, Halloweenish atmosphere to spare, and a great uncredited psycho turn by Christopher Walken.
I enjoy watching this one over and over again, especially 'round All Hallows Eve time.