a work of genius

Rating: 10/10 (31 August 2002)

This has to be the first and one of the best Tim Burton films I have watched when I was a kid. Surprisingly, the movie has a very simple basic story. In a little warped town, known as Halloween town, lives Jack Skelington. Jack, aka the Pumpkin King, grows tired and bored of his role in the world, organizing Halloween each year. So, he goes in search of something new and different to do to end his slump. He discovers Christmas town, and decides he wants to do that instead. From the start, its pretty obvious that the citizens or Halloween town can't do Christmas and begin warping and dementing it totally out of recognition. there is also a sub plot about a patchwork girl who is also trying to escape her role in the world. She is falls in love with Jack from a far. Anymore and I would spoil it.
The plot, simple fairy tale, a bit of human quality ie trying to escape the boring blue collar life. but, really the plot has very little to do with what makes this movie special.It's the breath-taking 3D stop-motion animation! This is the very first movie to consist completely of stop motion. Probably the most grueling film technique ever, stop motion requires small figures that are positioned then photographed then repositioned and rephotograped over and over. This process is takes hours to create even a minute of footage. So, that explains alot about why each shot is so well crafted, since they spent weeks puting them together. This technique makes it very original, and very unique In a time when most movies were trying new computer animation and looking for a more realistic look. the filmmakers choice to go back to the herky jerky look of stop motion, was a bold and very different idea.A work of genius!
Some of the things you will notice is there aren't really that many charactors. halloween town really has only about 10 or 15 residents, probably because the cost of creating hundreds of little firgures for every expression and movement they have. Jack alone probably had over 600 heads, for all the movements of his face. but, even with limitations like these, the movie succeeds in just about everything I think it set out to do. Its creepy and weird, scary and warped, yet has a kind of strange nice feeling. You have empathy for the charactors, even though they are dark and crazy. And if for no other reason, watch this movie for the cinematography. The sets are wonderful, the characters are cool looking, the music is great, and every shot is masterful. I find it easy just to forget the story and watch the pretty pictures.
Is it a halloween spooky movie, or a warm christmas classic? who cares, its cool to watch! Tim Burton is truly a cinematic genius for coming up with such a fantastic idea and make a fantastic film out of it! He should, in 10 years times, receive an honourary Academy Award for his brilliant film career. With a film like this he should be very proud of what he has achieved in this film alone!