By Walker Kesler
I don’t know how I went eighteen years without seeing Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas. I have always been a fan of stop motion animation and Disney musicals, and I am always willing to give Tim Burton’s projects a chance, even if they end up a disappointing watch (looking at you Mars Attacks). So the idea that I had never watched 1993’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, Tim Burton and Disney’s stop-motion animated musical, until this month still surprises me, yet here we are. Having some time to myself this October, I decided to give Burton’s Halloween-Holiday mash-up movie a chance, just in time for its 30th anniversary.
Now before I proceed with my thoughts with the film, I’d like to clear one thing up: yes, it is technically a Christmas movie, and those that know me will know that I strongly believe in not celebrating the holidays until after Thanksgiving. However, given the unique nature of Nightmare’s premise and setting, I feel that I am willing to make an exception and treat this film as a Halloween movie.
The movie opens in Halloween Town on Halloween night where we meet Jack Skellington, the pumpkin king. Though Jack is loved throughout Halloween Town, he has become tired of the monotony that defines his life. When he discovers Christmas Town, he falls in love with the holiday and plans to make it his own by kidnapping Santa and replacing him. That premise alone is original, but the addition of genius animation and incredible music make Nightmare a fantastic artistic achievement in film.
The strongest part of this film definitely lies in its animation and music. The decision to use stop-motion elevates this film dramatically. Seeing the characters as practical 3D models in these detailed and intricate set pieces breathes life into Nightmare’s world and its characters, something that would have been lost had the film been more traditionally animated, and it was something that computer animation hadn’t been able to accomplish yet until two years after the film’s release with Toy Story. The music is also a big part of this film since it is a musical, and it’s no surprise that Tim Burton had long time collaborator Danny Elfman compose the score and write the songs for Nightmare. Elfman’s blend of haunting melodies, sweeping strings, bouncing horns, and his contribution as the singing voice of Jack perfectly complements the strange, eerie world of Burton’s Halloween Town.
This film may alienate some in its originality. It is still a Tim Burton film through and through, and for those who are fans of his work, The Nightmare Before Christmas is an essential watch in his catalog. However, those who are turned off by Burton’s filmmaking style may find issues with this movie as they would find issues with other Burton projects. However, I strongly recommend it to fans of Disney musicals for the way it stands alone in style and content compared to the movies of Disney’s renaissance era like Lion King and Aladdin, which were released during the same time as The Nightmare Before Christmas.
With its bizarre premise, fantastic animation, and amazing music, Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas stands as one of the filmmaker’s best movies and one of Disney’s most memorable projects, showcasing an era when the studio was still trying to innovate. The result is a delightfully charming film that will be adored by those who appreciate its unique form of storytelling.
echodailyorg.news 
Leave a comment