The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)★ 8.0/10

I fell asleep. The plot was shallow. The early Tim Burton films were mostly about embedding over-sensitive, incompatible dark/grotesque characters into settings that were visibly artificial, and this film is just about Halloween monsters preparing all sorts of nasty presents for Christmas. Unfortunately, the monsters' demeanours do not show many flairs and their presents bear no creativity. There's only one setting for this movie, and very little effort in the designs of the details. Perhaps limited by the era, the tone of the entire film is monotonous, the sets are simple and flat, and there’s barely any visual depth.

I think I can definitively say that this is a Christmas movie. For one, everyone is dreading Christmas around Halloween so it's much more fun to reminisce on Halloween around the Holidays. Also, it is fundamentally about a bunch of spooky Halloween people finding their Christmas spirit. The music was surprisingly great! Like I've been going around my house pointing at things going "WHAT'S THIS, WHAT'S THIS!" It felt like an old-school powerful musical with classic show tunes in a weird twisted fairy tale, the combo worked incredibly well. Visually stunning, I'm really glad I watched this on a big screen. I love how hand-made it feels, it genuinely surprises me that Disney produced this. While I wish I had seen this younger, I'm glad I didn't see this really young, I'd imagine it would be frightening. Glad I gave this a go!

What could be funnier than an "abnormal" being trying its best to be "normal" and acting "normal"? The comedy in the movie comes from a sort of self-perception misplacement - a skeleton wrapping himself up as an evangelistic Santa Claus. But until you understand Jack's sadness and the way he grew up and see that it's not about any holidays but a mid-life crisis, you have not earned yourself the rights to call it "horror".

It's a whimsical story in which everyone, every building, and every object in the town ooze wits and intricacy. The movie differentiates life and death, good and evil, on a cultural level, conveying a spirit of innovation by depicting the celebration of Christmas in the way Halloweens are celebrated. This puppet animation has become a milestone of insurmountable heights, in which Jack Skellington, with his lanky figure, pale face and poetic melancholy, has become a classic icon in film history.