SLEEPY HOLLOW ***1/2 (out of five stars) A review by Jamey Hughton
Starring-Johnny Depp, Christina Ricci, Michael Gambon and Miranda Richardson Director-Tim Burton Rated 18A
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In Tim Burton's `Sleepy Hollow', there is a mysterious Headless Horseman who decapitates residents of the small town of the same name. He rides a beautiful black steed and carries an imposing sword that cauterizes the wound of his victims with an immediate swipe. Burton's update on Washington Irving's classic tale of `The Legend of Sleepy Hollow' offers us the mystery of the Horseman, when the screenplay should have merely settled on the aspect of the horror. Writer Andrew Kevin Walker (`Seven') throws in perhaps too healthy a dosage of Sherlock Holmes, but the visual treatment of the film is absolutely entrancing, as Burton offers foggy locales and detailed costumes that are gorgeous and stirring to examine.
As `Sleepy Hollow' opens, we're greeted with a juicy cameo from Martin Landau, who won an Oscar in Burton's `Ed Wood'. Landau plays a prominent citizen of Sleepy Hollow, who, on a fateful carriage ride through the forest, is decapitated by an unseen horseback rider. After two more murders haunt the residents of the quaint little town, Constable Ichabod Crane (Johnny Depp) is sent in to investigate. Landlord Baltus Von Tassel (Michael Gambon) explains to Crane that the heads have been severed from the carcass and mysteriously taken in each separate case, and that they believe the murderer is a dead Hessian trooper (played briefly by a wonderfully jarring Christopher Walken) who has risen from the grave after being decapitated in the Western Woods. Crane is not a man of great superstition, and is determined to root out the human culprit with his assortment of gizmos and gadgets (things I was not surprised to find in a Tim Burton movie).
First and foremost, `Sleepy Hollow' is a fun horror film. As with virtually all Burton movies, we are treated to a wonderful score by composer Danny Elfman, who has once again poured excitement and imagination into an atmospheric soundtrack that accentuates the gothic mood perfectly. The Horseman F/X are stylish and impressive, particularly in perfectly blended battle sequences involving actual actors. But why did I enjoy `Sleepy Hollow' as much as I did? Although enjoyable, it was not the numerous beheadings and the plentiful gore that spurted left and right.. It was the light comic touch that Burton applied. The film has the sweetness of a candy apple, usually channeled through Depp's wonderful performance as the lovable geek Ichabod Crane, who is no longer a mild-mannered school teacher but still attains his cowardly qualities.
This is certainly not the only alteration that's been made. As the film progresses, it becomes apparent that Walker is more concerned with the mystery of the murders than the murders themselves. The momentum is slowed considerably once Crane begins piecing the mystery together, because for the audience, it's not an issue we particularly wish to be solved. It's more effective for the Headless Horseman to be an elusive demon than an elusive demon with an ulterior motive. Still, we are still captivated by the breathtaking technical detail and Burton's keen eye to capture our attention. The costuming is exceptional, and the dialogue is crisp and effective throughout (it's recognizable that the script was refined by award-winning playwright Tom Stoppard).
The supporting cast exhibits more color and playfulness than many. A blonde Christina Ricci is in fine form as Von Tassel's daughter Katrina, and an unlikely romance between she and Ichabod is surprisingly consistent. Walken, Michael Gough (who appeared in Burton's `Batman' films) and Miranda Richardson are all enjoyable in tackling their separate roles. I suppose the strengths behind `Sleepy Hollow' lie within the central trio: director Burton, Constable Depp and the Headless Horseman who hunts him down with ruthless accuracy.
All of this is not to be taken seriously, of course. `Sleepy Hollow' is a lavish, frightening and altogether amusing reworking of a classic tale that many people cherished as children. If you've got a decent head on your shoulders, you'll have the good sense to gallop off to the theater and enjoy it one last time.
(C) 1999, Jamey Hughton
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