Rating: 
Summary: Here's One to Skip
Review: How could a movie crew this talented mess up this badly? Christina Ricci (Mermaids, Adams Family), Johnny Depp (What's Eating Gilbert Grape?), director Tim Burton (Beetlejuice, Batman), a well casted array of character actors, it should have been great. However, even these fine actors have trouble spitting out the unintentionally funny, wooden dialogue. The cinema-photography is wonderful, atmosphere very imaginatively done. Sadly, the pluses and minuses barely add up to the two star level.
Rating: 
Summary: Tim Burton is amazing...
Review: The bizarre and intoxicatingly beautiful vision of director Tim Burton never ceases to amaze me. With Sleepy Hollow, Burton has created a darkly mysterious village plagued with terror: the headless horseman has returned to avenge his death. The dream-like quality of Burton's camera work is mesmerizing, made all the more effective (and scary!) by the musical score from Danny Elfman. As well, the actors are superb. Johnny Depp plays Ichabod Crane with far more intelligence than the original written character, and Christina Ricci is striking as Katrina. With beautiful and eerie make-up, effects, and scenery, Sleepy Hollow rounds up as a fantastic movie. The DVD version is essential, as wide screen is the only way to appreciate this masterpiece.
Rating:
Summary: Tim Burton's Tribute to Classic Hammer Horror Films
Review: This movie is not a literal reading of Washington Irving's story, and only the most naive moviegoers would expect it to be. What it actually is, is a very clever update of the classic Hammer horror film formula. Hammer Film Productions produced excellently creepy British horror films in the late 50s, 60s and 70s, most of them involving Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing (or occasionally Vincent Price) and truckloads of actresses stuffed into "buxom wench" costumes. The Hammer formula was to take a well known story - usually something by Edgar Allen Poe - load it up with sex, gore, bosoms, and weird plotlines - and let it loose. The presence of the venerable Mr. Lee himself at the beginning of this movie is a dead giveaway; this is Tim Burton's tribute to the classic Hammer Horror films. As such you're not meant to take it too seriously. Like the original Hammer horror movies it emulates, "Sleepy Hollow" is strictly for entertainment. Slightly gruesome entertainment, yes, but since when have horror movies been tasteful? And bear in mind the Hammer films were also criticized for the heapin' helpin' of gore they provided as well. However, Burton goes Hammer one better by giving us a complex storyline that would be well-suited to a detective movie, with suspicion swirling around everyone. Johnny Depp's portrayal of Ichabod Crane is delightful. His Ichabod Crane is always balancing between wanting to fall over in a faint at the horrors he sees and wanting to investigate the weird happenings he comes across in Sleepy Hollow. I never thought to use the words "sexy" and "Miranda Richardson" in the same sentence, but it happens here. Christina Ricci has been criticized in other reviews for giving a subdued performance, but her primary purpose in this movie is to look sweet (which she does) and fill out a corset and some low-cut gowns (which she also does to perfection). In short, she plays the same type of role as Hazel Court used to in the Hammer Horror films this movie recalls. That doesn't require acting skills so much as it does a soulful gaze and major cleavage, both of which Ricci has in abundance. To sum up, this movie is a lot of fun, and should not be taken terribly seriously. Burton does manage to throw a few barbs at fundamentalist Christianity, and at times he seems to have a definite sympathy for what appears to be a version of Wicca that some of the characters practice. However, this is really nothing to get riled about; once again, refer to the Hammer Horror precedents for this movie (The Curse of Frankenstein, The Horror of Dracula, etc.) or The Wicker Man (another Christopher Lee film) for a similar sideways look at Christianity, twenty to thirty years earlier. This movie works as both a suspense flick and a respectful but tongue-in-cheek tip of the hat to Hammer Film Productions. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. If you want a good evening of horror film fun, rent this, Vincent Price's "The Fall Of The House Of Usher," and "Horror of Dracula," and have yourself an evening of 19th century horrorifics. You'll be glad you did.
Rating: 
Summary: Visually Breathtaking....But Not Too Much More
Review: Sleepy Hollow is truely a visual masterpiece! But other than that, it's not all that great. However, I must give credit where credit is due. The acting is good, and so is the dialogue. It also has some very good comical moments. Sadly though, this tale of an officer inspecting mysterious murders in the small town of Sleepy Hollow by a ghostly, head-less horseman---just doesn't click. Although Johnny Depp's character is developed well, along with Christina Ricci's, the movie seems to not know what it wants to be: a gruesome, slash-em-up film, or a subtle, comedy-thriller. Also, the effects aren't so great; they appear OK because of the unique atmosphere and beautiful settings, but in all reality they're not realistic at all. I'm not saying this is a bad movie, because it's not...I'm just saying, don't expect too much of it.
Rating: 
Summary: RK
Review: Don't waist your time thinking about getting it, just buy, this is the ultimate a** kicking movie of the century!
Rating:
Summary: This is a keeper
Review: This is one of the better movies I have seen in the past 6 months. From the story line to the effects it is well done. There is a good blend of humor with terror. It did the classic tale justice indeed.
Rating:
Summary: The most amazing film ever...
Review: Only Tim Burton could make a film that rivaled the original classic Washington Irving short story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow". The special effects are the best I have seen in a long time. The Headless Horseman is quite possibly the most terrifying character ever created. This is not a movie for the weak-stomached. With 18 graphic decapitations, an impalement, hundreds of gallons of blood, and more than it's share of twisted themes to its name, it will make even the bravest man cringe. But it is a masterpiece of film making. No one but Christopher Walken could play the hessian horseman, he is truly terrifying. I highly reccomend this to all who dare to question their beliefs.
Rating:
Summary: Hevens to Betsy it's scary
Review: Good gracious I just watched this DVD last night and my goodness was it ever scary. I almost wet my pants when I watched it. Johnny Depp was wonderful. And what a cutie he is also. Christopher Watkins was great too. He also was very cute.
Rating: 
Summary: Excruciating
Review: The violence in this film is so excessively sadistic that parents should be forewarned before bringing it into their living rooms under the guise of some kind of updated legendary entertainment for the family. 'Sleepy Hollow' could be subtitled 'Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Beheadings (during and after).' Two examples: a whole happy family is beheaded, one by one, with each member seeing a loved one's severed head before being killed; and a man is impaled with a fence post before his daughter's eyes and dragged outside to get beheaded. Outside of that, 'Sleepy Hollow' is all atmosphere with a daffy storyline. As a friend's teenage daughter commented afterward, "It wasn't even scary." If this wasn't a mainstream film, one would think the deliberate, choreographed sadism is the product of sick minds. It's probably just a sign of the times.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointing movie
Review: I saw the trailer for this movie and it went straight to the top of my must-see list. But in the theatre I was very disappointed. This movie has A+ actors, direction, atmosphere, setting, effects... everything... except a C- plot. There were so many breathtaking scenes that I couldn't even list them. Depp is great as the somewhat naive constable and the Horseman is awesome. It's definitely an entertaining movie and it has a lot of strengths... but the overall plot and the ending are very weak. A few side notes, the movie borrows very little from the Washington Irving short story. They underuse Christina Ricci (okay, I'm biased, being a 20-something guy) and her character is really not explored at all, which is a shame because she is really one of the best 2 or 3 actresses under 30. And the headless horseman is played by the same guy who played Darth Maul, Ray Park. I would recommend this movie for its good points. But I can't give a movie with such a horrible absence of plot as many as 4 stars (no matter how amazing every other aspect of the movie is).
|
