Nightmare Before Christmas, The (1993) Rank 3 Reviews

Greenwich Village Gazette (Eric Lurio)

Watching something like this on the big screen is always better than seeing it on DVD. Period. ...read the complete Nightmare Before Christmas movie review at Greenwich Village Gazette (Eric Lurio)

PopMatters

When The Nightmare Before Christmas was first released in 1993, I recall a reviewer saying, "This is the kind of story Dr. Seuss would have written if he had grown up on heavy metal and horror films." I must say that I agree. I'm not exactly sure what ...read the complete Nightmare Before Christmas movie review at PopMatters

Montreal Film Journal (Kevin N. Laforest)

One addictive picture which you won't be able to help but watch again and again ...read the complete Nightmare Before Christmas movie review at Montreal Film Journal (Kevin N. Laforest)

Boxoffice Magazine (--)

Nightmare gets and 'A' for visual effort, but falls short as a total viewing experience because of Burton's historical inability to tell a good story. ...read the complete Nightmare Before Christmas movie review at Boxoffice Magazine (--)

Urban Cinefile (Urban Cinefile Critics)

Still as fresh as the day it was released in 1993 and now in dazzling 3D, Tim Burton's stop-motion animated Nightmare Before Christmas is a compelling feast of twisted characters and imagery ...read the complete Nightmare Before Christmas movie review at Urban Cinefile (Urban Cinefile Critics)

The Phantom Tollbooth

Breaking the string of three-star movies this week is the re-release of Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas. This fabulously inventive animated feature was one of the most artistically creative movies of the '90s. Chock-full of Burton's ...read the complete Nightmare Before Christmas movie review at The Phantom Tollbooth

interrogation reports

Essentially The Nightmare before Christmas presents a common cautionary tale that we should stick to what we know rather than reaching too far. Jack Skellington (Danny Elfman), the Pumpkin King, lives in Halloween town and along with the other townsfolk ...read the complete Nightmare Before Christmas movie review at interrogation reports

Mutant Reviewers From Hell

One of my favorite attractions at Disney World is the Haunted Mansion. It's so chintzy and non-threatening for a true scare experience, still it manages to bring off a great atmosphere of, well, Halloween. What I associate with Halloween, at least: full ...read the complete Nightmare Before Christmas movie review at Mutant Reviewers From Hell

Needcoffee.com - DVD Review

What can I say about this movie that hasn't already been said? It has amazing music, cool animation, an interesting and involving storyline, and characters that show up at conventions every year still. I can't tell you how many little goth girls want ...read the complete Nightmare Before Christmas movie review at Needcoffee.com - DVD Review

Movie Ram-blings

"It was a long time ago, longer now than it seems, in a place perhaps you've seen in your dreams. For the story you're about to be told began with the holiday worlds of old. Now you've probably wondered where holidays come from. If you haven't, then ...read the complete Nightmare Before Christmas movie review at Movie Ram-blings

UltimateDisney.com - Special Edition DVD Review with Pictures

Since its original release in 1993 as the first full-length stop-motion animated film, The Nightmare Before Christmas has become an enduring cult classic. Not only have animation fans and movie buffs proclaimed the brilliance of the film, Medicom ...read the complete Nightmare Before Christmas movie review at UltimateDisney.com - Special Edition DVD Review with Pictures

Movie Views (Ryan Cracknell)

A magical celebration of the imagination. ...read the complete Nightmare Before Christmas movie review at Movie Views (Ryan Cracknell)

Columbus CityScene (Rick Curnutte)

...combines the droll, macabre imagination of Burton with the pure joy of the discovery of Christmas spirit. ...read the complete Nightmare Before Christmas movie review at Columbus CityScene (Rick Curnutte)

Mr. Brown's Movies (Michael Dequina)

The story, characters, music, and look of the film come together to form one complete, unified work with a consistent tone and feeling. ...read the complete Nightmare Before Christmas movie review at Mr. Brown's Movies (Michael Dequina)

DVD Review

When I saw the first pictures from â��The Nightmare Before Christmasâ�� a few years ago, I knew this would be one of the greatest Tim Burton movies ever. Time proved me right. In his radical visual style, Burton pulls out all the stops. The world of ...read the complete Nightmare Before Christmas movie review at DVD Review

Doug Pratt's DVD Review

The very special 1993 stop-motion animation film by Tim Burton and Henry Selick is presented with both an English and a French Dolby Digital soundtrack, and the many songs are also in French. The filmâ��s transfer is lovely, with not a flaw to be found ...read the complete Nightmare Before Christmas movie review at Doug Pratt's DVD Review

Cinopsis (--)

Jack Skellington, le Roi des Citrouilles, exceptionnel maÃ®tre des festivitÃ©s d'Halloweenville, exubÃ©rant squelette au large sourire, est las d'effrayer les Ãªtres humains. Reconnu comme le grand seigneur de l'effroi par ses comparses sorciÃ¨res, ...read the complete Nightmare Before Christmas movie review at Cinopsis (--)

Washington Post (Desson Howe)

If Christmas is in jeopardy, if Santa Claus is being forcibly prevented from his annual duties, you can be sure the kids will pay attention. And since Tim Burton's animated fantasy, "The Nightmare Before Christmas," is such a state-of-the-art wonder ...read the complete Nightmare Before Christmas movie review at Washington Post (Desson Howe)

The Onion A.V. Club (Keith Phipps)

Few directors have translated box-office fortune into quirky personal projects with the regularity or artistic success of Tim Burton, whose work on the Batman franchise helped pave the way for a film about a young man with scissors for hands, a biopic ...read the complete Nightmare Before Christmas movie review at The Onion A.V. Club (Keith Phipps)

Crazy for Cinema

Being a relatively big fan of Tim Burton â�� I don't always love everything he does, but at least he uses his creativity to the fullest â�� I try to see all of the movies he's involved in. I remember loving NIGHTMARE when I saw it 7 years ago in the ...read the complete Nightmare Before Christmas movie review at Crazy for Cinema

That Cow (Andrew Bradford)

Tim Burton's style is, essentially, exaggeration, putting things entirely out of proportion with reality, with a hefty amount of dark humor thrown in. The Nightmare Before Christmas is a stop-motion animated musical featuring spooky creatures dabbling ...read the complete Nightmare Before Christmas movie review at That Cow (Andrew Bradford)

Decent Films Guide - faith on film

Oh, I donâ��t mind the wee ghosts and goblins on my doorstep with parents in their shadows: pint-sized monsters themselves mustering the nerve to shout "Trick or treat!" with outstretched pillowcases before retreating to safety. But the older kids with ...read the complete Nightmare Before Christmas movie review at Decent Films Guide - faith on film

rec.arts.movies.reviews (Aaron Sherman)

Others can, I'm sure, point out a lot more technical detail about this movie than I (this is why I am not giving more credits info). But, there are a few highlights that I thought I should point out, after seeing another review in this ...read the complete Nightmare Before Christmas movie review at rec.arts.movies.reviews (Aaron Sherman)

IMDB.com

THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS posits the existence of separate, inhabited towns which hold dominion over the major holidays. In Halloween Town, the residents are celebrating the successful completion of another October 31st, but Pumpkin King Jack ...read the complete Nightmare Before Christmas movie review at IMDB.com

SpannerWorks (Adam B)

I first saw The Nightmare Before Christmas in 1996, and I wasn't quite sure what to make of it. A stop-motion animated musical comedy? It was so completely unique and inspired, I was transfixed. Tim Burton, the man behind Beetlejuice, Edward ...read the complete Nightmare Before Christmas movie review at SpannerWorks (Adam B)

Tech, MIT (MIT)

Set in a land where each holiday has its own world, Nightmare gives the account of Jack Skellington, the leader of Halloweentown. Tired of exporting Halloween every year to the ``real'' world, Jack wanders through the forest with his ghost dog Zero ...read the complete Nightmare Before Christmas movie review at Tech, MIT (MIT)

Shadows on the Wall (Rich Cline)

The characters are vivid and often hilariously revolting.... Visually, the film is absolutely gorgeous. ...read the complete Nightmare Before Christmas movie review at Shadows on the Wall (Rich Cline)

Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)

As a kid, I remember watching such holiday classics as RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER and FROSTY THE SNOWMAN, which I suppose weren't perfect movies, but they were perfect for the season and the age I was when watching them. If I had waited until ...read the complete Nightmare Before Christmas movie review at Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)

eFilmCritic.com (Brian Mckay)

It's a Dead Man's Party in Santa's Village ... clever and infectious ...read the complete Nightmare Before Christmas movie review at eFilmCritic.com (Brian Mckay)

Killer Ducky (--)

...read the complete Nightmare Before Christmas movie review at Killer Ducky (--)

rec.arts.movies.reviews (Brandi Weed)

Okay, let's get the bad news out of the way first. The film is only 75 minutes long, so some things which are set up are never very well explained; similarly, the plot is rather thin (but I've seen thinner films do well--HOME ALONE 2, anyone?). Ideally, ...read the complete Nightmare Before Christmas movie review at rec.arts.movies.reviews (Brandi Weed)

Salt Lake Tribune (Sean Means)

The story of Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King,... is like Jack himself - spindly and thin, but with a resounding voice. ...read the complete Nightmare Before Christmas movie review at Salt Lake Tribune (Sean Means)

Guess the Gross (--)

It looks and feels anything but the standard Disney talking-animal fare that usually gets shoved down kidsâ�� throats; Nightmare is a whole new breed of childrenâ��s films, if not of a whole new kind of film entirely, and for once Iâ��m glad to report ...read the complete Nightmare Before Christmas movie review at Guess the Gross (--)

Time Out (Ben Walters)

The script�s non-stop momentum suits the roller-coaster photography �- and the punchy running time brings things to a close before eye-strain sets in. ...read the complete Nightmare Before Christmas movie review at Time Out (Ben Walters)

MediaCircus (Anthony Leong)

Just in time for Halloween comes the re-release of "The Nightmare Before Christmas", director Tim Burton's twisted take on those animated television specials that show up around the holiday season, such as "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" or "Rudolph the ...read the complete Nightmare Before Christmas movie review at MediaCircus (Anthony Leong)

Austin Chronicle (Marjorie Baumgarten)

When people say that The Nightmare Before Christmas looks quite unlike anything they've ever seen before, they're not just joking or copping out. The overall appearance of this Tim Burton- and Denise Di Novi-produced animated feature has few ...read the complete Nightmare Before Christmas movie review at Austin Chronicle (Marjorie Baumgarten)

Filmtracks (Christian Clemmensen)

Because of his affiliation with Oingo Boingo, it shouldn't come as a surprise to hear Elfman perform multiple voices, and yet the performance of musical comedies is a whole different kind of animal. His amusingly expressive performance of ...read the complete Nightmare Before Christmas movie review at Filmtracks (Christian Clemmensen)

Movie Magazine International (Heather Clisby)

It seemed the appropriate thing to do. Wait for the first rainy night of the season, light a fire and watch a laser disc of Tim Burton's "The Nightmare Before Christmas." I had seen this instant classic only once before, on Halloween Day in 1993, ...read the complete Nightmare Before Christmas movie review at Movie Magazine International (Heather Clisby)

DVD Review: Nightmare Before Christmas -SE

"Nightmare Before Christmas" is the remarkable production from the mind of Tim Burton and the skills of director Henry Selick. Working together to wrap the package up perfectly is the wonderful score from composer Danny Elfman. The film is so many ...read the complete Nightmare Before Christmas movie review at DVD Review: Nightmare Before Christmas -SE

DVD Times review (Michael Mackenzie)

You can't help but feel sorry for director Henry Selick. He clearly poured his heart and soul into this project, yet it is continually referred to as "Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas". In fact, many reviews go so far as to credit Burton ...read the complete Nightmare Before Christmas movie review at DVD Times review (Michael Mackenzie)

Flak Magazine

The Nightmare Before Christmas gives death a big snuzzly bear hug, and doesn't let go. From the protagonist (a skeleton-headed scarecrow) to his love interest (a sewn-up Frankenstein's monster who, stitchmarks aside, is one of the loveliest belles ever ...read the complete Nightmare Before Christmas movie review at Flak Magazine

Albuquerque Alibi (Devin D. O'Leary)

Tim Burton's designs add a bizarro flair to every character in this, including an excessively rotund (and severely pinheaded) Saint Nick. In this mixed-up holiday hit, Halloween hero Jack Skellington kidnaps "Sandy Claws" and takes over his gig. While ...read the complete Nightmare Before Christmas movie review at Albuquerque Alibi (Devin D. O'Leary)

DVD Verdict

Tim Burton's career in Hollywood began with a stint as an animator at Disney. For those of you who think that must've been a fun or easy job, let me put it in perspective. Films run at roughly 24 frames per second. For your average full-length animated ...read the complete Nightmare Before Christmas movie review at DVD Verdict

filmsgraded.com (Brian Koller)

Kids of all ages, including the adult variety, will enjoy The Nightmare Before Christmas. Whether a small child can handle some of the more intense scenes is a judgment call, and one that I will defer to others. The film deserves its PG rating, but it ...read the complete Nightmare Before Christmas movie review at filmsgraded.com (Brian Koller)

Advocate (Baton Rouge, LA) (John Wirt)

The bizarre but beguiling characters in Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas truly do dwell in a world of their own. ...read the complete Nightmare Before Christmas movie review at Advocate (Baton Rouge, LA) (John Wirt)

Moviepie.com (--)

It has taken me years to get up enough courage to finally watch Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas. Whenever there was a preview of this flick tacked onto another film, I'd sit there and shudder audibly, telling anyone near enough to listen that ...read the complete Nightmare Before Christmas movie review at Moviepie.com (--)

Hollywood Gothique

Tim Burton`s skewered sensibility finds excellent expression through the masterful stop-motion of director Henry Selick. The songs and score by Danny Elfman are wonderful; the characters are engaging; the visuals are enthralling. Amidst all the weirdness ...read the complete Nightmare Before Christmas movie review at Hollywood Gothique

Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)

As a kid, I remember watching such holiday classics as RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER and FROSTY THE SNOWMAN, which I suppose weren't perfect movies, but they were perfect for the season and the age I was when watching them. If I had waited until ...read the complete Nightmare Before Christmas movie review at Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)

Movie Criticism for the Retarded

Some fans and critics have suggested that Edward Scissorhands is Tim Burton's most personal film, that that artistic, outcast lost boy is a stand-in for Burton himself. I suspect this might even be true. But if Edward is Burton's conscious reflection ...read the complete Nightmare Before Christmas movie review at Movie Criticism for the Retarded

The Flick Filosopher's take (MaryAnn Johanson)

Some fans and critics have suggested that Edward Scissorhands is Tim Burton's most personal film, that that artistic, outcast lost boy is a stand-in for Burton himself. I suspect this might even be true. But if Edward is Burton's conscious reflection ...read the complete Nightmare Before Christmas movie review at The Flick Filosopher's take (MaryAnn Johanson)

Jam! Movies (Jim Slotek)

As original a vision as anything Tim Burton ever came up with, The Nightmare Before Christmas holds up amazingly well 12 years after its initial release. ...read the complete Nightmare Before Christmas movie review at Jam! Movies (Jim Slotek)

FirstShowing.net (Dave Minkus)

Chief resident of Halloween Town, Jack Skellington, has just completed another successful Halloween with the entire town rejoicing. So why does he feel like something is missing? While pondering this, he stumbles into a place he's never been and learns ...read the complete Nightmare Before Christmas movie review at FirstShowing.net (Dave Minkus)

Slant Magazine (Nick Schager)

The Nightmare Before Christmas is a veritable bounty of visual delights. ...read the complete Nightmare Before Christmas movie review at Slant Magazine (Nick Schager)

IMDB.com

Jack Skellington (speaking voice by Chris Sarandon and singing voice by the film's composer Danny Elfman) is the king of the pumpkins. His specialty is scaring kids out of their wits on Halloween, but he is looking to expand his franchise to other ...read the complete Nightmare Before Christmas movie review at IMDB.com

Laramie Movie Scope (Robert Roten)

In many ways it is a very clever film, but it never lives up to the promise of its visual brilliance. It rates a C+. ...read the complete Nightmare Before Christmas movie review at Laramie Movie Scope (Robert Roten)

San Diego Metropolitan (Jean Lowerison)

Burton has produced a timeless classic. ...read the complete Nightmare Before Christmas movie review at San Diego Metropolitan (Jean Lowerison)