'Sleepy Hollow' is the perfect Halloween film. It may lack as a film in many areas, as with most Tim Burton films but the time spent watching it is worth it. Johnny Depp is at his best as always no matter the role. This time, he plays the squeamish and nervous Inspector Ichabod Crane who has come to the village of Sleepy Hollow in order to solve a series of gruesome murders using his modern techniques. He soon comes to find that nothing is at all like it seems. The film is both a deep dark mystery and bloody spectacle, though the effects don't always have the upper hand here, something all too common throughout the 1990's.
The cast is vast and amazing here. Johnny Depp I already mentioned, but its his interactions with the various cast members that make his performance work so well. Christina Ricci's Katrina is a character of mystery. She is a damsel, but she can also handle herself in certain situations, giving her a more complex character than in Washington Irving's novel. On the opposite end you have Brahm played by Casper Van Dien who is almost non-existent in the film. In fact his character is brutally bumped off half-way through, giving the film another check against the norm. You also have some of the best veteran actors of all time here. Michael Gambon, Michael Gough, Richard Griffiths, and Ian McDermind playing the various townsfolk who each harbor dark secrets of their own and may be the Horseman.
The film's story changes are what gives the film its multiple flaws. Side plots such as Ichabod's flashbacks involving his mother don't really seem to add up to anything other than some pretty visual sequences. You also have the 'Who-Dunnit' scenario going on throughout that doesn't really make sense, seeing as how most people know the truth about the Headless Horseman even before watching the film, rendering the multiple accusations pretty pointless. Tim Burton really knows how to make a pretty film, but these flaws are ever present and I know he's a better director than that and hope to see it come through some day.
'Sleepy Hollow' is one of Burton's better films, flaws and all and its a great way to set up the mood during the Halloween season and the Fall season in general. Enjoy it late at night while giving out your annual candy treats.
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