a dark and imaginative musical

Rating: 7/10 (12 November 2008)

Tired with Halloween Pumpkin King Jack Skellington finds a land called Christmas Town and plans to make the festivities very frightening.
Tim Burton's vivid imagination has made him a modern day great and this is a sparkling gem with an acute perception of the holidays.
Opening with a catchy song "This is Halloween", Henry Selick's picture sets the tone for an entertaining and interesting adventure starring a spiderlike central character Jack Skellington is a wonderful creation, filled with many human emotions including hope and challenge and is easy to watch. Danny Elfman has pitched the songs to match Skellington perfectly, especially when he first sees Christmas Town "What's this?" The animation may feel slightly dated with CGI taking over the genre but the features on the DVD including the making of will leave you feeling heart warmed and inspired by the work and effort the team went to in order to achieve the visually stunning Oscar nominated effects.
The plot is very enjoyable. However there are slight shortcomings when an important decision becomes an instant realisation. For example the 'what to do about Christmas' dilemma. Nevertheless the dialogue is likable and is told with that charm of fantasy verses reality that Burton does exceptionally well.
The songs are always upbeat and all the characters get a chance to sing and shine, giving the picture a creative diversity. Jack's explanation of Christmas to the town of Halloween is a particularly annoying part with other characters disrupting the flow of the song.
But this is a minor flaw when you have the classic well recognized "What's this" discovery song, not to mention a wonderfully colourful moment from Oogie Boogie. These two songs bring the light out of the darkness and are the finest moments of the film.
The humour doesn't live up to recent Burton animation The Corpse Bride but the characters in this animation are far better. The imagination and darkness of the picture should not be discouraged and should be applied to more animations.
The direction gives a charm that isn't horrific but pleasantly spooky and is therefore suitable for the whole family. The likability and humanity of the characters also help give this picture a relaxing and enjoyable realisation that isn't to be missed.
The Nightmare before Christmas has been recognized as a 90's classic with its catchy songs and a good plot that is memorable if not the sharpest and funniest you will ever see.