The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

Though an apt description of my past week, The Nightmare Before Christmas is known as the film of young suburban misanthropic Goths.  Dazzling stopmotion animation delights onscreen, but this viewer found the movie lacking charm.  Full disclosure: I gave up after 38 minutes.

It seems Jack Skellington, the king of Halloween Town is tired of the screaming and scaring every 31st of October.  Somehow he finds the door to Christmas Land and is dumbfounded by it as I am of this film.

The self-indulgent score overpowers every element.  Jack Skellington seems to be a character worthy of our compassion, but his elocution is pitiful.  The viewer cannot relate if he does not understand.

Unique as it may be, The Nightmare Before Christmas falls flat.  Stop-motion animation is a fabulous technique.  The film is fascinating to look at, but  you quickly get over that to find the story is unappealing.  It's tedious.  The musicality is the film's weakness.  Garbled and monotonous, the songs just aren't good.

As I see it, Tim Burton and director Harry Selick missed the mark with this one.  I'm at a loss to explain the film's cult following.  The film is a mess.  Burton's Corpse Bride is a far superior piece. Selick fares better with James and the Giant Peach or the creepfest Coraline.  The Nightmare Before Christmas is just that.