A Scientist at the Movies Reviews by Greg Paris

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Title: Sleepy Hollow

Date Viewed: 11/26/99

Details:

Johnny Depp

Christina Ricci

Miranda Richardson

Michael Gambon

Director: Tim Burton

Score: 0

The Review: The title belies the story, a transmogrified sort-of Washington Irving folk-tale with only a touching resemblance to the original "Headless Horseman". In this version, Ichabod Crane (Depp) is a New York detective exiled upstate to a small town where some rather disturbing murders have occurred. Almost immediately upon his arrival, Crane meets and kisses the daughter (Ricci) of the town elder. Things wander downhill from there. Some of the special effects are rather stunning (the Tree roots), but others are simply out of place (the windmill). There's a bit of witchcraft (white and black), a bit of greed, and a lot of people running around getting their heads chopped off.

If you are waiting for even a semi-scientific resolution to the situation, then you will come away disappointed; it is clearly a fantasy, even though the plot contradictorily telegraphs the protagonist's colonial rationalism. If you only want sheer entertainment, then you may also consider looking elsewhere, unless you like your people (and ground, and trees, and horses, and houses, and bridges) splattered with gore. I normally like Tim Burton's work, even (perhaps especially) the darker stuff..., so this admission is troublesome.

The movie is enlightened somewhat by what look like brief cameos by Ben Kingsley (as a NY judge) and Martin Landau (as one of the first victims of the Horseman).

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