A film review by Sam Floeter Copyright © 1999 Sam Floeter

Once again, Tim Burton has managed to capture the essence of a nightmare and project it onto the big screen. In my opinion, Sleepy Hollow is one of his better efforts to date, ranking right up there alongside the original 1989 "Batman" movie and "Beetlejuice."

Loosly based on "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Washington Irving, "Sleepy Hollow" centers around Ichabod Crane (played by Johnny Depp) and his investigation to solve the mystery behind the mythical and infamous "Headless Horseman." Depp gives a convincing, albeit sometimes lacking, performance as the eccentric New York City Police Constable who ventures to the small town in response to a series of brutal decapitations. Christina Ricci of "Addams Family" fame returns to the Burton fold to portray the role of Katrina Van Tassel, the daughter of an esteemed local figurehead, and provides a romantic element to the film. However, the real star of the movie is most certainly the magical villan "The headless horseman" (played in human form by a very menacing and believable Christopher Walken, complete with fangs and all).

"Sleepy Hollow" has enough gratuitous violence, bloodshed and swordplay to sate even the most blood-thirsty of audience viewers. It should even be said that Ray Park, (the man behind Darth Maul's makeup and light-saber choreography) doubled as the horseman, bringing his flashy blend of martial arts prowess to the screen once again. The decapitation scenes are grotesquely vivid and sometimes even slightly comedic. To put it bluntly, not much is spared.

However, for all its flair, I found that the ending was far less satisfying than I had expected, and I believe that the strength of the movie lies completely within its first two acts. The details of the investigation itself are often times lost on the audience, but the director manages to successfully compensate for this through the use of stunning effects and several periodic appearances by the evil horseman.

Nevertheless, any fan of Tim Burtons dark visual style will not be dissappointed. Also, a mention should go to script writer Andrew Kevin Walker, an excellent writer who's previous work has resulted in such awesome scripts as "Seven" and "8mm." Walker and Burton share a similar love for the macabre, and it works beautifully in "Sleepy Hollow."

While this is far from the greatest rendition of a classic horror tale, it is certainly one of the most entertaining.

	Running Time: 105 Min | Rated R | US Release: November 19th | More >>

Related Links:

• Official Site
• Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow
• Countdown to Sleepy Hollow
• Upcomingmovies.com: Sleepy Hollow

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