Sleepy Hollow Reveiw

Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow is a wonderful mix of what makes going to the movies fun. This is a visually stunning film with an outstanding lead actor and some gratuitous violence thrown in for entertainment's sake. Sleepy Hollow is the newest adaptation to Washington Irving's classic tale of terror. The story centers around one of the greatest villains ever imagined, the appalling headless horseman, and the man trying to unravel his mystery, Ichabod Crane.

The role of Ichabod is played by one of today's most talented actors, Johnny Depp. Depp's delightful talent for off-kilter characters lends his Ichabod Crane an appreciable and deliberately unbalanced blend of delicacy, skittish cowardice, determination and curiosity. Even though the movie is dark and gloomy, Depp still manages to bring some laughter to the screen. There is one particular scene where he plays on the tried and true stereotype of northern city men not being able to ride a horse that is especially funny. I also loved the small nuances of his character that Depp continually displayed throughout the movie. The neurotic tics and nervous pacing just added to the depth of his portrayal. Sleepy Hollow would still be a good movie without Depp, but his performance adds a lot to its overall appeal.

While Depp's performance is extraordinary, the real stars of the movie are the amazing sets, costumes and special effects that were used in the film. From the very beginning Tim Burton sets a dark and gloomy tone for the entire movie. As Ichabod Crane slowly creeps into town he is met with drab weathered houses, leaning together for support. The doors all creak and the roads are all curvy and made from dirt. The inhabitants of Sleepy Hollow are a perfect match for their surroundings. They are all pale-faced, because the sun never seems to shine in Sleepy Hollow, and dressed in dark colors. The townspeople are all filled with a sense of gloom and dread, put there by the rampaging headless horseman. The woods surrounding the town display the same menacing feel. There are no animals to speak of; perhaps even they are scared away by the horseman. The trees are withered with crooked bare limbs; they make you feel as if you have suddenly found yourself in a strange gothic painting. There is one great scene where one of these gothic trees opens up to reveal the passage that the horseman takes back to hell; this is of course awe-inspiring to see. These big-budget special effects

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