since I am dead, I can take off my head

Rating: 10/10 (9 July 2015)

This movie holds a special place in my heart as the best animated movie I've ever seen. Originally director Tim Burton was set to direct this movie, but due to his work with Batman Returns, stop motion director Henry Selick took over as director while Burton remained producer. I'll be honest, this movie gets more pumped for Halloween than Christmas, it has great atmosphere for both seasons but it may have something to do with the sets for Halloween town and Danny Elfman's Oscar worthy score that have that dark and Gothic feel to it. What I like about this movie is how the plot pays some homage to classic Christmas tales, I mean Jack Skellington being Santa was definitely inspired by the Grinch. The story is about the king of Halloween, Jack Skellington who has grown weary of doing the same thing every year until he comes across a strange place in the woods with trees that represent every other holiday and thus he discovers Christmas. Intrigued, he wants to bring this holiday to his town, however he doesn't quite understand the meaning of Christmas and his ambition and ignorance causes it to backfire. Jack might be the scariest hero ever,why? He's a skeleton, sure he's a nice guy but if he can make you scream like a banshee and jump out of your skin, I'd run. As I said he's ambitious a little ignorant and nice guy, but he's also intimidating for a hero, but hey Halloween, right? Jack's voice is provided by composer Danny Elfman (singing) and Chris "Humperdinck" Sarandon (speaking). Elfman gets a little more credit because I'm pretty sure he has more singing lines as opposed to speaking, both actors are perfect for the part in my opinion. Originally they asked Sarandon if he'd sing but he didn't believe he could and thus Elfman got the singing role. Jack also has the love interest, Sally voiced by Catherine O'Hara. Sally is the smartest character in the movie, from drugging her master, making a potion, jumping out a window and stitching herself up, and seeing a vision of Jack's Christmas. She feels empty because she really has nothing but being trapped and part of the emptiness relates her to Jack because he's depressed and weary. Jack decides to take Christmas and has Oogie Boogie's henchmen kidnap Santa and unknown to Jack they take him to Boogie. Eventually Jack goes out into the night to deliver Halloween made toys to kids for Christmas and it goes wrong and the military takes action and shoots him down and he accepts that he is the pumpkin king and goes to rescue Santa and Sally from Boogie and give Christmas back to Santa as he goes to fix Jack's mistakes. Jack returns to Halloween Town as Santa fly's by and wishes them a happy Halloween, Jack realizes how much Sally cared to fix everything and thus they fall in love at the end. I still think the movie holds up really well, the stop motion is phenomenal, the voice acting is great, the songs are amazing, the score is Oscar worthy, the characters are good and a lot are famous Halloween monsters. The romance felt a little shallow I admit, at first I felt Sally fell for Jack because he's just awesome, but it does establish a little connection. I still see this as a Halloween movie and it's atmosphere and score get pumped to dress up and scare people. I also see this as the best stop motion animated feature ever made, I love this movie and whether it gets you excited for Halloween or Christmas I think you'll find enjoyment in this move. I'm gonna grade this movie an A+!