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Overall Rating
  Awesome: 47.62%
Worth A Look: 36.63%
Average: 10.26%
Pretty Bad: 3.3%
Total Crap: 2.2%
17 reviews, 171 user ratings
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Sleepy Hollow |
by Filmnet
"Beautiful images and a quick, solid pace."

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Tim Burton is a old fashioned film maker whose style is deeply influenced by the B-grade films of the 30's and 50's, and right up front, I should inform you that I have been a fan of his since "Beetlejuice". SLEEPY HOLLOW is unlikely to scare anyone, so don't bother if you are after seat wetting horror, but as a visually stunning cinematic fairy tale with a bit of a gothic detective story thrown in, it is close to perfect. I was certainly mesmerised and had the biggest smile on my face from beginning to end.The story is a slight one which you are probably vaguely familiar with. In December 1799 Ichabod Crane (Depp), a skeptical, highly strung detective, is sent to investigate three murders by decapitation in the small New York farming community of Sleepy Hollow. On arrival he is told these murders are attributed to a headless ghost riding a black horse and the next morning the headless body of another victim is found, that victim is far from the last. Being a man of science Crane believes that there must be a more logical explanation, but as he progresses in his investigations, the explanation proves more bizarre than he could have ever imagined. Crane also learns more about himself than he would have liked and finds love with the spirited Katrina Van Tassel (Ricci).
Like all fairy tales, it is not the story but the telling that captivates, and in this case the telling is pure magic. Emmanuel Lubezki's photography is chocolate box-beautiful, so much so there were times I could not tell what was real and what was computer imaged. No matter how beautiful the images, Burton keeps the action moving at a cracking pace, scenes are tight.
There is a heightened, dreamlike quality to the central performances (supporting cast includes the highly underrated Miranda Richardson), but the actors never fall into scene chewing melodrama, which is a credit to them and Burton. Just like the script and performances, the art direction and set and costume designs are dreamlike impressions of the late 18th century, only giving a passing nod to naturalism. I did feel some of the computer effects were a little superfluous, it may have been better to let the audience's imagination do a bit more work, but this is a small complaint.Sleepy Hollow is a film that appears to have been made with a lot of love and was a genuine pleasure to watch, I found it alternately suspenseful and funny. It is not demanding, deep, meaningful, or even all that original, just a highly enjoyable holiday romp that could stand several viewings. If you have liked Tim Burton's past films, you are bound to like Sleepy Hollow. (Cyndy Kitt Vogelsang--filmnet.org.au)
link directly to this review at http://www.efilmcritic.com/review.php?movie=2777&reviewer=169 originally posted: 12/20/99 11:41:43
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USA 19-Nov-1999 (R)
UK N/A
Australia 01-Jan-2000 (MA)
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