These days, there aren't a lot of directors working in Hollywood that have a style all their own. Tim Burton is definitely one of them. His brand of quirky, often gothic-inspired filmmaking is ideally suited for a property like "Sleepy Hollow" with its legendary headless horseman.
Based on Washington Irving's classic short story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow", this movie adaptation definitely falls into the category of 'loosely based on'. The iconic Ichabod Crane is here in the form of Johnny Depp but instead of a schoolmaster he's a police constable dispatched from the big city in order to investigate a series of decapitations. I think this was a step in the right direction in refashioning the story for a modern audience. Depp's Crane is still a less than heroic character but his futuristic (at the time) methods of detection make him a more palatable protagonist. However, I think that the script goes too far with the mystery angle by presenting us with an altogether too convoluted plot.
Luckily, a fine cast was put in place to prevent the movie from completely losing its audience. As always, Tim Burton brings out the best in Johnny Depp and here he has no problem carrying the movie. Christina Ricci, on the other hand, seems miscast and fails to leave much of an impression. Instead, it's the fine supporting cast that stands out with the likes of Michael Gambon, Richard Griffiths, Jeffrey Jones & Michael Gough all contributing greatly to the film's atmosphere.
Speaking of atmosphere, this movie is shrouded in a rich gothic atmosphere from beginning to end. The Oscar-winning art direction is exquisite, as are the Oscar-nominated costumes & cinematography. Add in a score by Danny Elfman and you've got a movie that unmistakably bears the imprint of Tim Burton. The only complaint I have is that some of the special effects are a bit cheesy, which may have been intentional.
"Sleepy Hollow" is a movie that does a lot of things right but its effectiveness is crippled by a meandering story that fails to keep you on the edge of your seat. As a horror movie it's fairly tame (despite all of the decapitations) and as a mystery it's not really that satisfying. It's definitely worth watching for fans of Tim Burton but it fails to wring all that it could have out of Washington Irving's template.
