Movie Title: The Nightmare Before Christmas
Genre: Animation, Musical, Fantasy
Writer: Caroline Thompson
Starring: Danny Elfman, Chris Sarandon, Catherine O'Hara, William Hickey, Glenn Shadix, Paul Reubens, Ken Page, Ed Ivory
Review: The film follows the misadventures of Jack Skellington (Chris Sarandon, Danny Elfman), Halloweentown's beloved pumpkin king, who has become bored with the same annual routine of frightening people in the "real world." When Jack accidentally stumbles on Christmastown, all bright colors and warm spirits, he gets a new lease on life -- he plots to bring Christmas under his control by kidnapping Santa Claus (Ed Ivory) and taking over the role. But Jack soon discovers even the best-laid plans of mice and skeleton men can go seriously awry.
The Nightmare for Christmas is a fantastic musical masterpiece that often brings contention when trying to classify it's holiday subgenre. Is it a Halloween movie? Is it a Christmas? Maybe it's both? Who cares!
This movie is just plain, fast-paced fun. Who doesn't love a musical featuring the Pumpkin King Jack Skellington going toe-to-toe with Santa Claus. Not to mention, there's a mad scientist (William Hickey) and a crazed boogie man known as Oogie Boogie (Ken Page) wreaking havoc all over Halloweentown. This movie lends itself more to a piece of art than an actual film, with a ton of imaginative, creepy stop motion characters brought to life. I commend this movie for somehow being able to be both amusing and morbid all at the same time, with a soundtrack that is witty, magical fun. Tim Burton is masterful, creating a setting that is ghoulish and macabre but somehow bursting with holiday cheer; even though that holiday cheer is oftentimes misplaced. The cherry on top is the moral that one should always strive to be the best version of their self, no matter what that may be. A strong message, fun score, beautifully intricate scenery, and eclectic cast of characters make The Nightmare Before Christmas a holiday classic!
Fun Fact: Tim Burton has said that the original poem was inspired after seeing a Halloween merchandise display in a store being taken down and replaced by a Christmas display. The juxtaposition of ghouls and goblins with Santa and his reindeer sparked his imagination.