Rating: 
Summary: An Autumn Treat
Review: With quite a different story and much darker tone, Tim Burton's new twist on this spooky tale still brings to life the eerie autumn atmosphere of Washington Irving's classic.Set in 1799, "Sleepy Hollow" follows the adventures of Ichabod Crane (Johnny Depp), a New York constable who is sent two days journey north to the tiny village of Sleepy Hollow to investigate who has committed a recent spate of gruesome beheadings. A man of science and logic, Ichabod is most skeptical when the townspeople claim "The Headless Horseman" is responsible. That is, until he witnesses a sample of the Horseman's handiwork himself! What follows is a delightful blend of elements, with the film alternately a horror, fantasy, whodunit, romance and suspense. The one problem with the film is that it delivers the goods too soon; there is little time spent building the mystery around the macabre spectacle of the Headless Horseman. However, that does nothing to undermine an almost sufeit of visual and auditory treats - Tim Burton's intensely stylish (as always) direction takes off with Danny Elfman's brilliant (as always) score, uncanny visual effects, superb period detail, and scrumptious art direction, evoking the haunting and surreal atmosphere of Sleepy Hollow and the surrounding forest. The scenes in which the Headless Horseman applies his trade are really fun, and while graphic, hardly gory, and done with a sense of wit and dark humor. Johnny Depp and Christina Ricci stand out in a cast that could not be better. Depp's idosyncratic portrayal of Ichabod Crane is perfectly complemented by the child-like beauty of Christina Ricci, and her delicate performance as Katrina Van Tassel. On a misty October night with a crisp breeze blowing, I could suggest no better film to watch. Just be certain not to loose your head.
Rating:
Summary: Tim Burton does Hammer horror, with stunning results
Review: Loosely based on both the original Washington Irving story as well as the Disney version, Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow takes a revisionist approach and ends up with a genuine horror classic. Johnny Depp stars as "Constable" Ichabod Crane, an 18th century detective keen on using scientific methods (unheard of in this period) to solve crimes. Annoyed by his unconventional methods, Magistrate Christopher Lee sends Depp upstate to Sleepy Hollow to investigate a string of grisly murders-by-beheading. Depp/Crane becomes involved in a supernatural situation that tests his lack of faith (a sub-plot resulting from a childhood trauma involving his mother [Lisa Marie] and sinister father) and makes him a full witness to the goulish decapitations. Christopher Walken is absolutely frightening as the horseman, and Christina Ricci and a cast of classic British actors flesh (pardon the pun) out the story with hints of shady business among the town's statesmen. The commentary by Burton is fairly optional, but the "making of" and other features enhance the movie superbly. Burton uses a foggy, bleached style to enhance the appearance and tone of the movie, creating a genuinely unique vision. Be warned, though - there's lots of loppings in this flick, so it's definitely not for the squeamish. With homage to Hammer horror films but otherwise unique in the genre, Sleepy Hollow should easily take its place among other groundbreaking horror movies like The Shining or An American Werewolf in London. Need a movie to shake you out of your Friday-the-13th complacency? Get this DVD!
Rating: 
Summary: Where's the story??
Review: I rented this movie a few days ago, not expecting wonders, only a good job from Depp who never fails to deliver, and perhaps some interesting environments created by Burton. What I got was absolute confusion. All of the characters that looked and acted similar where always in a scene together, and then later the viewer was supposed to be clear on every intricate plot detail. And what was with all of the side plots that were basically insignificant to the overall story? Crane's mother... how does that fit in? The twist at the end shocked me. Not because it was so brilliant or well thought out, but because the character was not developed AT ALL. I barely knew who they were, then all of a sudden they are the star of the show. Whaaa? Did I fall asleep for an hour? No, but I did wake up to a beautifully haunting but very confusing story.
Rating:
Summary: a masterpiece
Review: tim burton and my fav director francis ford copola teamed up to do thier version of the legend of sleepy hollow and its stunning from the tim burton settings to coppolas mastery of slowlymoving credits and building of suspense through music this films a great movie to watch on an october night and johny depp and christini ricci both do wonderful acting jobs look for christopher lee as the judge in the beggining this is the first johny depp film i truly liked
Rating:
Summary: HAUNTINGLY HEADY
Review: The night before I watched this movie I watched the classic Disney animated feature, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, and I read the original story by Washington Irving. Needless to say Tim Burton's marvelous Sleepy Hollow bears almost no resemblance whatsoever to Washington Irving's original story of a nerdy pedagogue and his propensity to out-of-control superstition and fear. But then who's counting. Why not take classic characters and catapult them into a story that is much, much more intriguing, compelling and, oh yes, frightening than the original? I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Burton's remastering of Ichabod Crane (Johnny Depp) as an obsessive police inspector whose childhood was marred by some pretty spooky goings on at home. Crane is assigned to travel to Sleepy Hollow and investigate why the locals are having troubles hanging on to their heads. Christina Ricci is wonderful as a retooled Katrina Van Tassel, a devoted daughter who wants nothing more than peace in Sleepy Hollow and is ready to take some enchanting steps to try to make it happen. And if you thought that Cinderella's stepmother was wicked wait until you get a load of Miranda Richardson in her analogous Sleepy Hollow role. The gray-toned cinematography is absolutely striking, the Elfman soundtrack brilliant and the special effects are nothing short of spectacular. Forget about this one just at Halloween. This bewitching offering will have you coming back all year round. Douglas McAllister
Rating:
Summary: Definetly a must see movie!
Review: A classic children's tale masterfully turned into an edge of your seat thriller - Tim Burton has done it again! I loved every moment of this movie, from the queer and melancholy town of Sleepy Hollow, to the background music that seems to just jump at you at all the right moments, to the never-lifting fog that blankets the woods where the horseman (Christopher Walken) rides. Though those of you with a weak stomach may want to fast forward some parts because Burton doesn't leave anything out, please note that! And the cast? Well, I won't ruin the movie for you but will tell you that Depp and Ricci light up the screen. Johnny Depp plays an irresistible, though dismal, and convincing detective named Ichabod Crane who travels from New York City to Sleepy Hollow to use "his methods" to solve some grisly be-headings. Christina Ricci - who seems to be a perfect person for these sorts of movies - plays Katrina Van Tassel, a quiet character and seems to take more notice in Crane than others. There are other cute little cast members, and oddly frightening ones, but to sum it up, I could not think of a better cast for Sleepy Hollow. Aside from the fact that Burton twists Washington Irving's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (though in the end I'm very glad he did) and nobody can resist fainting in this movie, if you have nothing to do on a Saturday night, this is a must rent movie! You should be very pleased!
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful acting ... Thank you.
Review: This film rocked my socks.
Johnny is a terrific actor. Christina Ricci was bloody terrible though and she looks about 6 in the film and I was astonished to see how a woman with black hair can dye both her hair and eyebrows to be blonde successfully.
However, returning back to the Johnny-themed side of this review, he totally rocked.
the end.
Rating:
Summary: Sleepy Hollow
Review: G. MIKE When I was a bit younger, I loved and cherished the story of Sleepy Hollow. The mysterious story of the awkward Ichabod Crane against the supernatural Headless Horseman. The story has been told from generation to generation. I was very pleased to here that the story of Sleepy Hollow was going to become a film. I was very happy to here this, but I thought to myself. What if they screw this up? They couldn't bring this amazing story to life. They did just that with the right cast, crew, and atmosphere to make this movie outstanding. When I heard Tim Burton was going to direct, I felt very good. Tim has always quirky, atmospheric, energetic movies such as "Edward Scissorhands", "Batman", and "Mars Attacks". I knew that Burton could be the only man to bring the tale to life. Then the thought crossed of who would play the famous Ichabod Crane. Johnny Depp was, of course, one of Burton's choices. He filled the role perfectly. Depp was backed up by Christina Ricci, Casper Van Dien, Michael Gambon, Marc Pickering, Miranda Richardson, Richard Griffiths, and Jeffrey Jones. The direction and pacing of the movie was also very well done indeed. It is also a very different story than the book. So don't expect a perfect copy of the book. I liked the movie for its originality and the back round that was given. Ichabod Crane (Depp), a constable, has just been reassigned to a job in the little town of Sleepy Hollow. There has been a number of beheadings in the area. All the people in the town know of the story of the Headless Horseman. He meets the main people of the town, including Baltus Van Tassel (Gambon), Magistrate Philipse (Griffiths), Reverend Steenwyck (Jones) and a few others. They tell Ichabod who the headless horseman is. He is an undead Hessian soldier. He lost his head in battle. Somebody has revived him and he kills people for their heads. Ichabod is in disbelief, but more people begin to die. Soon, he shows some affection to Van Tassel's daughter, Katrina (Ricci), whose boyfriend, Brom (Casper Van Dien) is always watching the both of them. He also teams up with a young boy, Masbeth (Marc Pickering), whose father was beheaded. Together, Ichabod, Masbeth, and Katrina discover the reason for the Horseman's killings. If there theory is true, they might know a way to stop him. I will not give it away. The way everything is pieced together in the end is like a puzzle. It was very neat to see it all come together. The acting in the movie was very well done. Johnny Depp is great in numerous roles. He was great in 'Edward Scissorhands', excellent in 'Pirates of the Caribbean', and outstanding in this movie. He gives Ichabod that skittish feeling. He does well at playing a nervous, estranged man. Christina Ricci did a fine job. She was good at playing the mysterious, quiet, and beautiful Katrina. The main actor that stood out the most had to be Casper Van Dien. He was amazing in his role of Brom. It was just like I imagined in the story. He is not a very main actor in this movie, but every scene he is in is powerful. The acting overall was great. The atmosphere of the movie was one of the greatest things about this movie. The town of Sleepy Hollow is quiet, foggy, and creepy sort of town. It makes everything and 'everyone' look suspicious. It makes you feel like you are not safe from anything, which is a good feeling for a horror movie. It also makes you feel isolated. The feeling of that town makes you think that there is no way out. The atmosphere was one of the best parts of this movie. In the story on paper, nobody was really killed except for poor Ichabod. In the movie, that is totally different. The body count is fairly high. There are beheadings (which are very realistic), stabbings, shootings, and impalings. This movie is very violent. There is quite a bit of blood spilled. Don't get me wrong though. This is definitely not a slasher movie. It is more of a mystery-suspense film. Just be warned though, that it is really violent. Overall, it is a nice scary treat to watch once and awhile. I was very pleased with what I had seen. It was a great, atmospheric, scary, funny, smart, and interesting movie that is not to be missed.
Rating: 
Summary: A decidedly different Hollow
Review: Washington Irving laid the foundation for this story. Burton built on that - a wonderful structure, but not what Irving had in mind. Fine. Depp, of course, is wonderful as an overly straight-laced Crane. He's a hard-core realist, in a truly unreal situation. Ricci does an outstanding job, too. The real star, though is Tim Burton's visual sense. Just about every scene is at least tinged with his macabre sensibility, most especially the "fifth victim." Burton truly outdid himself with the bizarre array of instruments given to Crane for his scientific investigations. I know this is just entertainment, but at least one anachronism stood out. Window glass at the end of the 18th century was still a hand-made product, with ripples and pontil marks. Here, though, just about every window was glazed with flat "float glass." I can't get too worked up over that, though. The story is well paced, with a web of interlocking tensions between the main characters. The visuals create a rich, spooky ambience. This movie is easy to enjoy and well worth the time spent.
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining and Haunting
Review: I once went to a school called Washington Irving, home of the Headless Horseman. Naturally, I was intrigued to see this movie because I love Tim Burton, Christina Ricci, and of course, who could miss out on Johnny Depp? He was perfectly cast as Ichabod Crane, giving him a comically quirky persona, but those are the type of roles Johnny Depp is known for and pulls it off well. Ichabod Crane is sent to Sleepy Hollow to investigate the mysterious beheadings in the town. Armed with his scientific know-how, he marches directly and tactlessly into the investigation, raising the eyebrows of the skeptical villagers. At first he scoffs at the villager's superstitions of a headless horseman, but as more people turn up dead, he begins to doubt his rational explanations. But Crane is detemined to get to the bottom of the mystery. The closer he gets to the truth, the more his life comes close to peril. With Tim Burton's stunning yet haunting visuals and a wonderful screenplay, you'll be gripping your seat as this foreboding, more athletic version of the headless horseman comes to take the head of his next victim. Who in the town is trustworthy? Who will be next? You don't know until everything is unravelled in the end. Burton and Depp, rejoined for the first time since Edward Scissorhands are both known for their artistic eccentricity. Together they made a smashingly good film. This is the one to watch on Halloween if you want a scary good treat.
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