A must-see family film! Great movie for Halloween or Christmas

Rating: 9/10 (19 December 2019)

This film is among the best, must-see family entertainment movies of all time. It captures the essence of Christmas and Halloween all in one. The plot of this movie is about the king of horror, Jack Skellington, who leads another successful Halloween celebration for Halloween Town. Jack, who is voiced by Chris Sarandon and Danny Elfman, is having a hard time being content with his life. After leaving the celebration, Jack happens upon a mystical circle of trees in the woods. He enters the tree that has the most appealing design on the outside and discovers the beautiful Christmas Town. With his newfound interest, Jack implores the mayor, who is voiced by Glenn Shadix, to help him bring Christmas to Halloween Town. Sally, voiced by Cathrine O'Hara, also wants to see Jack's dream come true but doubts that it will give Jack the happiness he seeks. Jack decides that capturing the Santa will be precisely what he needs to perfect his plans to bring Christmas to Halloween Town. Amid all Jack's plans, Lock, Shock, and Barrel, voiced by Paul Reubens, Catherine O'Hara, and Danny Elfman, help Oogie Boogie, voiced by Ken Page, thwart Jack's plans by kidnapping Santa right before Christmas! Jack takes over Christmas in Christmas Town by giving the children gifts made by the citizens of Halloween Town. His plans do not go as planned, and as a result, he must make it right by freeing Santa, the only one who can bring back the true Christmas spirit to Christmas Town. This film captures what it truly feels like to be lost and in search of meaning in life.
The actor's voices bring each character to life. Sally and Jack's kindred spirits are brought together as they each spend moments of solitude singing of their desire for something more. When they finally come together, their voices dance and create this beautiful feeling of harmony. These two characters were struggling with sadness and loneliness. It was not until Sally found Jack singing in the graveyard that she realized he was so similar to her. From the dialog to the sad music, this movie bared out the curiosity and the journey that can unfold from wanting more in life. Similar to Tim Burton's Corpse Bride, the main character, Victor Van Dort, is in search of what he wants in life. His shy behavior is nothing like Jack's outgoing personality, but he too wants more in life and goes on a journey in a different world.
The music in this film does an excellent job of drawing out each character's emotions. When Sally attempts to escape the tower with her creator inside, she sings a song that makes you feel her sadness. She wants to leave the Evil Scientist, voiced by William Hickey, because he does not let her see the world. An excellent camera technique used in this film, in a couple of scenes, is the use of silhouettes. When Jack and Sally stand at the top of the curvy hill, singing their duet, their silhouettes are highlighted by the moonlight. This scene shows their two souls have finally found what they were missing, each other. The significance comes from the fact that they are the only two "living" beings in the pumpkin patch; the vibrant light is shining on them, and they are no longer alone. One last technique that brought life to the theme of the film is the lighting. The gloomy darkness that covers Halloween Town captures its bleakness and horror. However, when entering Christmas Town, we can see that there is this sense of happiness and hope. Jack's journey to Christmas Town and back, ultimately brings him to the conclusion that leaving home is not always the answer to finding happiness. Many people feel lost and alone in the world; sometimes, the best thing to do is remember what you have and how lucky you are to have the people you have in your life.