Christmas is my favorite holiday, even if my family doesn’t generally celebrate on the day itself due to unorthodox work schedules. But Christmas movies? Those I could do without. Many speak vaguely about a spirit of Christmas as they try to divorce the spiritual aspects the Christian holiday and stick to the secular. But then I’ll see something like Elf, a movie I actually like, talk about the “spirit of Christmas” as if, for that movie, it involved Santa giving you stuff. Others, like the diabetes-inducing It’s a Wonderful Life, a movie I really don’t like, play up the day as something incredibly special unlike every other day of the year. I don’t really see that as it also describes the other family occasions I got to like Thanksgiving and Easter. That’s probably why my favorite Christmas movie is Die Hard and I also prefer stuff like Gremlins and Home Alone that are more broad comedy, or even just A Christmas Story which offers a more realistic look at the holiday as a good time for family but not that good.
So, with all that in mind what about The Nightmare Before Christmas?
Conceived from an idea by known eccentric Tim Burton and directed by Herny Selick, The Nightmare Before Christmas could work as either a Christmas movie or a Halloween movie. And by that, I don’t mean it’s a horror movie like most “Halloween” type movies, but a movie that’s actually about the holiday itself.
Do I need to recount anything about this plot? The Pumpkin King, Jack Skellington, the guy in charge of Halloween, is bored and burned out. But then he learns Christmas is a thing and decides to do “Sandy Claws” a favor by taking the jolly fat man’s place, allowing him to get out of his rut and do something else.
Naturally, that is a terrible idea on so many levels. The various monsters and mad men of Halloween town may not be particularly dangerous, but that doesn’t mean they are any good at Yuletide Joy.
There’s nothing really to dislike about The Nightmare Before Christmas. It’s got Burton’s general aesthetic, and say what you will about Burton as a director, but his work often has a very distinct look to it, and that look fits perfectly with this particular story. Likewise, Selick is a master animation director. There’s always a lot going on visually, and there’s not much better than Oogie Boogie the sack full of bugs boogeyman. Heck, Danny Elfman’s songs all really work as well. Factor in a subplot of reanimated ragdoll Sally, the only person Santa thinks has any sense in the whole town, pining for Skellington’s love, and you just have a perfectly delightful movie about what a holiday can mean to someone. Sure, the Pumpkin King should have stayed in his lanes, but that’s just about learning to be thankful for what you have, and there’s a minor Christmas message there too if you think about it.
Just not one more retailers would approve of. Merry Christmas, everyone.
Grade: A
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