Directed by: Henry Selick
Starring: (voices of) Chris Sarandon, Danny Elfman, Catherine O'Hara, Paul Reubens, Glenn Shadix
Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas is not directed by Burton, but as producer he has his imagination and ability to create unique worlds all over it. The creatures and even humans look like nothing or no one we've seen before, and their worlds look dark, gloomy, and begging for a remodeling. As The Nightmare Before Christmas opens, Halloweentown has just finished another successful Halloween celebration. Jack Skellington (Sarandon), the town's de facto leader even though he isn't officially the mayor, craves something more. Bored with Halloween, Jack finds a wormhole into Christmastown and is delighted by what he finds there. A town preparing for Christmas? Presents? Joyful songs? Santa Claus?
Jack then reveals his plans to Halloweentown: He wants to kidnap Santa and deliver presents himself. It would sure be a lot easier to travel up and down the chimneys since he is a skeleton. Halloweentown is stunned, but soon they go along. Since Jack doesn't understand the true meaning of being Santa Claus, he gives gifts to the children of the world which are surely not what anyone would want. Soon, everyone is looking for Santa's (Jack's) sleigh to shoot it down.
The first half of The Nightmare Before Christmas consists of forgettable musical numbers, while the second half focuses more on the heart of the story. The stop-motion animation is seamless nearly thirty years after the film's initial release and Halloweentown and Christmastown take on lives of their own. Jack Skellington isn't a villain. He is someone trying to broaden his, and his town's horizons, but has no real idea how to do so. He thinks by stealing the sleigh, he could bring joy like Santa does, which is truly his only goal. Jack finds he is out of his depth and then needs the help of the man he had kidnapped to bail him out of trouble.
The Nightmare Before Christmas runs a lean 75 minutes, which today would only be a mere first act. The movie's plot and characters aren't as intriguing as the world they're set in, which is almost precisely the point.
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