The Nightmare Before Christmas
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The Nightmare Before Christmas (3-D)
Rerelease in 3-D of the minor fantasy of the macabre with puppet animation telling the tale of Halloweentown's skeleton king replacing the kidnapped Santa Claus to spread Christmas fear with scary toys until stopped by a missile, then returning home to free Santa in time to make his accustomed rounds. Producer Tim Burton's story centers on the dark world of hobgoblins and monsters suddenly intruding on the bright expectations of St. Nick's annual visit, but the narrative proves tiresome in padding out the thin concept, despite all its stylish puppetry and ghoulish humor. Considerable menace and threatening atmosphere. A-II -- adults and adolescents. (PG) 2009
The Nightmare Before Christmas (3-D) (Full Review)
Leave the little ones at home if you decide to spend the money to see the rereleased -- this time in 3-D -- "The Nightmare Before Christmas" (Touchstone).
Though this exercise in the macabre uses some brilliantly facile puppet animation and its art design is stunning, the result is best described as a minor-league fantasy for holiday-burnout adults and jaded adolescents.
The story is set in Halloweentown, where Jack Skellington (voice of Chris Sarandon), its skeletal king of spooky revels, comes up with the novel idea of kidnapping Santa Claus and taking his place on Christmas Eve. The poor guy means well as he sets off in a coffin pulled by reindeer skeletons.
But his idea of Christmas cheer creates only fear in homes where he leaves bundles of scary toys made in Halloweentown. With panic spreading from town to town, the military intervene by shooting down the flying coffin. Jack returns home sadder but wiser in time to free Santa for his accustomed annual rounds.
The center of producer Tim Burton's story is the dark world of Halloweentown's hobgoblins and monsters. Most of the movie's energy seems to have gone into detailing the place's grotesque characters and gruesome doings.
Though there is some ghoulish humor, the movie's tone is more playful than nasty in attempting to satirize such seasonal icons as the red-nosed Rudolph. There are some very forgettable songs, and Jack's wistful love interest -- a spunky maiden stitched together by a mad doctor -- doesn't work at all.
In the end, however, the narrative proves more tiresome than imaginative as it tries to stretch out a thin concept that probably would have worked better as a short cartoon. But it is Halloweentown's assault on children's bright expectations of St. Nick's annual visit that makes this essentially a grown-up's fantasy.
Because of considerable menace and threatening atmosphere, the USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested.
Movies have been evaluated by the U.S. Conference of Catholic
Bishop's Office for Film and Broadcasting according to artistic
merit and moral suitability. The reviews include the USCCB rating,
the Motion Picture Association of America rating, and a brief
synopsis of the movie.
The classifications are as follows:
- A-I -- general patronage;
- A-II -- adults and adolescents;
- A-III -- adults;
- A-IV**
- L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. L replaces the previous classification, A-IV.
- O -- morally offensive.
** Discontinued classification. All archived movies that were originally in the A-IV category are now classified as L.