Directed by:
Henry SelickCinematography:
Pete KozachikComposer:
Danny ElfmanCast:
Chris Sarandon, Catherine O'Hara, William Hickey, Glenn Shadix, Paul Reubens, Ken Page, Danny Elfman, Sherwood Ball, Edward Ivory, Greg Proops, Billie HayesVOD (5)
Plots(1)
The Nightmare Before Christmas tells the heartfelt tale of Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town, and all things that go bump in the night. Bored with the same old tricks and treats, he yearns for something more, and soon stumbles upon the glorious magic of Christmas Town! Jack decides to bring this joyful holiday back to Halloween Town. But as his dream to fill Santa's shoes unravels, it's up to Sally, the rag doll who loves him, to stitch things back together (iTunes)
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Reviews (9)
If Corpse Bride is a cute necrophiliac kiss that will delight the masses, Jack Skellington's story is a rotting goulash for the taste buds of Burton's gastronomes. Danny Elfman is in first place this time, whose great soundtrack and excellent vocal performance in the lead role turns the film into a real experience. The macabre animation, which clearly overcomes the Corpse Bride through cascades of colors, sharp color rasters and large units, is also very pleasing. In terms of playfulness, it's between the land of the dead and Helloween's kingdom. The visual ingenuity of the creators knows no bounds, and with small gags, the film is as worm-eaten as a dead body (my personal champions are the vampire hockey players). The story is, as usual, typical Burton: the main character straddling two worlds, belonging to one and trying to understand the other... it always works, and it does so here as well. Perhaps I'm missing the greater warmth Burton has achieved in the love story of Viktor and the dead bride. The Nightmare Before Christmas keeps its grave distance and I was truly warmed up by the snowy scene at the very end. However, it is impossible to compromise on the absolute score - not if one is a shy lover of the film and literary poetics of Tim Burton...
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I've seen this movie twice and I have to say I liked it a lot the first time, but I don't really remember why. I didn't like it as much the second time around. Animation-wise, it's great, musically it's well done, but in terms of the plot, it just didn't grab me. I probably should have developed a connection to it when I was younger. It has its charm, but after many films from Burton and one exhibition, it's just too much.
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The beautiful eccentricity that Tim Burton contained within himself long before he fully succeeded in Hollywood. It is an unparalleled experience to witness his morbid imagination running at full speed. This work is half his and half Danny Elfman's, who created possibly his most captivating musical composition and also sang perfectly as Jack. A pre-Christmas nightmare that is starting to charmingly claim its place among domestic holiday programming.
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The plot, building on endless contrasts, is a bit hackneyed nowadays, but the visuals, plasticity, and almost self-flagellating perfectionism (I really want to try turning stop-motion animation into wild camera movements) still make this a great fairy tale. Compared to today's trends, moreover, it's quite exceptional in terms of meaning, because the hero here comes to an epiphany on his own, and that epiphany takes the conservative form of the view that everyone simply has their place in the world and there's no point in trying to change it. And that itself takes place through the process of "Well, I tried it, now I know it was stupid, so shut up."
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This movie is powerful, has a strong sense of humor, plus a great soundtrack which is always guaranteed with Tim Burton. You are going to love Jack Skellington and his crazy ideas, the abduction of Santa Claus, and the residents of Halloween Town – and you will be excitedly watching even while the end credits roll.
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Gallery (98)
Photo © 1993 Touchstone Pictures
![The Nightmare Before Christmas - Photos](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w663/files/images/film/photos/160/245/160245049_700cef.jpg)
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