From the imagination of Tim Burton

Rating: 8/10 (24 June 2006)

I have seen (too) few of Tim Burton's films; Mars Attacks, Sleepy Hollow and the two first Batman films... all of them display dazzling visuals, Gothic style and an eery mood. I try to search out as many of his works as I can find, but they are hard to come by in my area. Therefore I was happy to find that a friend of mine had this to loan me. Burton created an amazing, enthralling and engaging world here. Never having been terribly into Christmas and never having celebrated Halloween(not being American), this movie had less impact on me than it would most viewers, I guess. The character of Jack Skellington (and his conflict) was an interesting one. I've never been terribly into musicals, but this one really had me intrigued and watching closely. The score by Danny Elfman is excellent. The plot moves along nicely, never losing your interest. The dark, Gothic tone of the film is incredibly absorbing. Though Tim didn't himself direct this(due to his commitment to the second Batman movie), but you can tell his involvement in the creative process. His influence is unmistakably visible in each shot. The colorful(or colorless, depending on how you look at it) characters are plentiful, diverse and fascinating. The DVD features a good commentary by Henry Selick, the director, and Pete Kozachik, the director of photography, and it has a lot of interesting information on the animation process. Lighting and production values are exceptional. So rich color palettes were used to create all of these vastly different worlds within the film. I remember watching most, if not all, of this a few years ago, at Christmas, as it was aired here... though upon watching it this time, I realized that I could remember very little of it. I doubt I 'got it' back then, and to be honest, I'm afraid I may not have, this time, either. Still an enjoyable fable, playing with the two holiday celebrations, and a creative thrill-ride from start to finish. I recommend this to all fans of Tim Burton, Gothic style and animation. 8/10