Artistically speaking, this is a beautiful film with incredible stop motion camera-work AND a really stylish atmosphere. The characters are really captivating and just plain "cool". Halloween Town is also a visual delight. In almost every way I consider this a wonderful film. However, for people like me who are not particularly enamored with musicals, the music is definitely the low-point. It's not that the songs are bad, but that there are so many of them. The dialog is mostly sung and I found it detracted, slightly, from my viewing experience. However, considering that almost all the high school students I teach LOVE this movie, I certainly seem to have the minority opinion. So, for those who are not into musicals, still watch it--you'll enjoy it. But, like me you may also wish they'd done a few less numbers! PS--On the DVD, you also get FRANKENWEENIE (a half hour short) and VINCENT (also a short and the seeming inspiration for NBC). They make this a MUST-HAVE DVD.

I admit it, I really like Tim Burton. I know his films are very oddball, but he has a wide imagination and his films are visually amazing. And I like a vast majority of his films, Edward Scissorhands being my personal favourite, and I love Batman and Batman Returns too. Henry Sellick is also promising, from the likes of James and the Giant Peach and Coraline. The Nightmare Before Christmas is a brilliant film. Is it an animated classic. Yes I think it is! It is wonderfully weird yet lots of fun as well. Visually and technically, the film looks absolutely amazing, with wonderful Gothic backgrounds and detailed colouring. Skellington silhouetted against the moonlight is quite possibly the film's most haunting image. The story is great, about Jack Skellington discovering ChristmasTown but doesn't understand the concept so he kidnaps Santa Claus. And the characters are endearing and weird, ranging from jazz playing zombies, Four-tenor like vampires to a wolf man. Then we have the title characters, Jack Skellington is a wonderful protagonist, really interesting to say the least. And Sally for an inventor's creation is very beautiful. The songs from Danny Elfman(the fact that he didn't get an award for his score for Edward Scissorhands is the biggest music snubs ever) are great fun, haunting, funny, clever and intelligent. The voice acting is top notch, Chris Sarandon does a great job as the speaking voice of Skellington, and Danny Elfman himself provides the singing voice superbly. Catherine O'Hara is sweet and innocent, and Ken Page(the voice of King Gator in All Dogs Go To Heaven) is a hoot as Oogie Boogie. All in all, weird, but visually stunning, funny and intelligent animated movie. A definite classic! 10/10 Bethany Cox

A bizarre, in-your-face musical which boasts splendid stop-motion animation and an energy that never lets up, THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE Christmas is a love-it or hate-it experience. I enjoyed it, but I don't think I could have endured much more beyond the final moments. The best thing about the film is its look, a darkly Gothic outing with plenty of bizarre characters (including the skeletal pumpkin king, a major with two faces, Oogie Boogie the monster, an old evil scientist and more) to love and hate along the way.

The story is very light and appears to be stretched to breaking point, as Jack decides to become Santa Claus and wreaks havoc in his wake. The work of the voice actors is excellent – kudos to SPIDERMAN composer, Danny Elfman, here – and most of the songs are engaging and clever, although some veer on becoming twee. Still, a unique experience, definitely influenced by the presence of unorthodox producer Tim Burton.