Movie Title: Sleepy Hollow

Movie Title: Sleepy Hollow
Rating: 7
Reviewed By: Michael Stevens

Review:

You know, I never have read Washington Irving’s classic tale The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, which tells the tale of Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman. One day I must do that, but till then there is the Tim Burton (also directed Ed Wood) film, Sleepy Hollow, to talk about which may or may not follow the book, since as I already stated, I have not read, and therefore am unable to compare the two. Is that enough pointless blabber? I thought so.

Anyway, this version of events has young Ichabod Crane (Johnny Depp, The Ninth Gate) as a New York City constable that is in love with science, logic, and reason. The year is 1799 and science is slowly overtaking tradition and superstition in criminal affairs, but not nearly fast enough for Ichabod’s liking. After battling with higher authorities one too many times over unscientific criminal procedures, he is sent upstate to the hamlet of Sleepy Hollow. This tiny village of mainly Dutch settlers has had a rash of unsolved murders. Upon arriving in Sleepy Hollow Ichabod begins his investigation by first trying to determine motives for the three killings and discovers that there seems to be a general theme to these murders. He also discovers that the locals are correct in their assessment that the killer is indeed a supernatural Headless Horseman that slices people’s heads off. With the assistance of the lovely Katrina Anne Van Tassel (Christina Ricci, 200 Cigarettes) and boy Young Masbath (Marc Pickering), Ichabod sets off to find out who is controlling the horseman. Along the way we are told the story of The Hessian Horseman (Christopher Walken, Blast from the Past) and how he became the Headless Horseman. Plus we are shown the events from Ichabod’s childhood that have shaped him as an adult, and young Katrina and Ichabod fall for each other. Oh ya, and more heads get cut off. Will Ichabod stop the killing before it is too late, and will we get to see Christina Ricci naked? Ahhhhhh, the agony of it all.

Andrew Kevin Walker and Kevin Yagher are responsible for the writing of the film. A few others in the movie are Miranda Richardson (The Apostle), Casper Van Dien, Christopher Lee, Ian McDiarmid, Michael Gambon (The Insider), Jeffrey Jones, Richard Griffiths, and Lisa Marie as Ichabod’s mommy.

As always with Tim Burton’s ‘horror’ films, he manages to add plenty of humor to keep the atmosphere light in a dark picture. Depp does well as the bumbling, but well meaning constable. Problem is, the film just isn’t scary enough (hard to believe with Christopher Walken as the evil dude) nor suspenseful enough. Also, I think the artistic flashbacks were a bit much. Overall though, I do give Sleepy Hollow seven couches out of ten on the old couch scale.

Goodnight.