Good, creepy fun

Rating: Null/10 (10 September 2001)

This charming fable is one of the finest Tim Burton creations, and among the best animated features out there--and certainly a far cry from those hokey stop-motion holiday specials the networks trot out every December. Burton's beatifully macabre style infuses this creation with a twisted yet accessible vision and sense of humor, and the result is a delight to watch.
The story, based on a poem Burton wrote quite early in his career, concerns the misadventures which ensue when the folk of Halloweentown take a crack at "making Christmas." The results are predictable, but nonetheless fun. At the center of the film is Jack Skellington, ellegantly brought to life by the animators and well-voiced by Chris Sarandon (speaking) and Danny Elfman (singing). Elfman also scored the film with his trademark dark, dramatic sound, and to very good effect.
The entire cast of Halloween freaks, Christmas elves and the kids who get caught in the middle is engaging, with my personal favorites being Jack's love interest Sally (a rag doll who occasionally goes to pieces but rarely loses her head), and the literally two-faced Mayor of Halloweentown (typecasting, no?), who provides one of the best lines in the film: "Jack, please! I'm only an elected official; I can't make decisions by myself!"