One Of My Most Enduring Favorites.

Rating: 9/10 (23 October 2003)

I felt it fitting to review this on its 10th year anniversary, especially around Halloween. This film has remained one of my all-time favorite films, with its characters, music, and story. It's a whimsical tale that retains its charm with every viewing.
The tale is a simple one: Jack Skellington, the king of Halloween, tires of his title, and wants something more in his life. Something new to inspire him. After an all-night walk through the woods, he stumbles upon a forest clearing with oddly shaped doors in the trees. Upon opening the Christmas door, Jack is whisked away to a new world. And there, the magic begins.
Actually, the magic begins within the first few seconds of the film's opening, but it is Jack's discovery of the unknown that makes the film have a fun (if macabre) feel, as the well-intentioned skeleton makes a mess of something he works so hard to offer as a gift.
Visually, this film is unlike anything seen in a long time, and certainly not in the last 10 years. The character design of Jack is still one of my personal favorites (elegant and graceful), and the other characters all have their own personality, even if regulated to a background scene. There's only one real "bad guy" in this film (Oogie Boogie), and even his method of being menacing is simply being a master showman with a penchant for odds and gambling. Stop-motion is an almost all but lost art form, especially in this modern age of CG special effects, and when you really watch how much effort was put into making this film, you can't help but appreciate it all the more.
Musically, this is one of Danny Elfman's finest. Spooky and somber, but light and at times invokes a sweetness to its nature, including the long but silent romantic intentions between Jack and Sally. The music invokes a fun feeling to the film, and the lyrics are clever and playful.
The story is very simple, but it was also inspired by one of Burton's short stories, which explains its basic premise. The story was stretched out to make a feature length film, but any minor quibbles are easy to look over as the film is just such a wonder to watch and listen to.
Overall, this has always been one of my favorite animated films, and I've been so glad that Disney has been starting to give it the attention it deserves, instead of still regulating it to the popular, but obscure cult following that a film like "TRON" has.
A beautifully stylish film that fails to diminish no matter how many times it's viewed.