Movie Musical Reviews- #5: The Nightmare Before Christmas

Elric-san Happy Halloween, everyone. On this Halloween, I'd like to talk about a cult classic. It's songs are sung year round, you can't escape the merchandise at Hot Topic, and it's a tradition to watch it every Halloween in my family. This is the Halloween/ Christmas/ any time of year movie, The Nightmare Before Christmas.

The story centers around Jack Skellington, the king of Halloween, aka The Pumpkin King. Jack has grown bored with Halloween and wishes for something new in his life. When he accidentally stumbles into Christmas Town, he decides to try it himself, but doing so creates a Christmas of terror.

Something that makes this movie work so well is how simple it is. It doesn't try to overly complicate its world or origins or anything like that. Considering this is basically a parody of Christmas specials, it's brilliant, and the simplicity means the short run time doesn't make anything feel rushed. And the "be happy with what you have" message is something I always appreciate. There's only one thing I feel is a little underwhelming in the plot, but I'll get to that in a minute. Overall, the simplicity of the plot has made it last for 25 years.

The characters also have a very strong standing. Jack is such a likable main character, even though his actions are selfish, his curiosity is just so enjoyable. And he didn't mean to cause harm, he just wanted a break from Halloween. Understandable, cause he has to plan for it LITERALLY EVERY DAY. Is this necessary. Sally is also likable, but unfortunately she doesn't get enough screentime to be fully developed. She is definitely the most reasonable of the Halloween Town citizens, though. Speaking of the citizens, they are extremely enjoyable. It's just so entertaining that they cannot function without Jack. I mean, they panicked that he was gone for one night. I think one of the best lines comes from the mayor: "I'm only an elected official here, I can't make decisions by myself! " That is hilarious. And Santa is...a jerk, but that's understandable, he got kidnapped, so yeah. The weakest character, though, and the weakest element of the movie, is Oogie Boogie. Now, I love his design, and his villain song kicks ass, but I don't know his motivations. Why does he do this? What made him like this? Also, a villain is not necessary for the movie. But he's barely in it, so the problem is minor.

The visuals look great, even today. I love stop motion. The look can just be so timeless. And this movie does not look as old as it is. The designs are so creative, the animation is fluid, it's just amazing. I just wish I could see it on the big screen.

The songs...What can I say? "This is Halloween", "What's This", you all know them, you all love them, the soundtrack is amazing, keep singing the songs.

The Nightmare Before Christmas is beloved for a reason. It's a timeless movie that will be around for years to come. The merchandising is extreme, but it just shows that just because a movie is over two decades old doesn't mean it's irrelevant in modern culture. I'm a little biased, it is one of my favorite movies, but I do believe that it's excellent even without my bias. If you don't know what to watch on Halloween, watch this, and if you've already seen it, watch it again. It's a film that will hold up for years to come.

Score: 9.5/10

Feel free to leave suggestions in the comments.

Comments

Great review as always. Speaking of musicals, are you looking forward to the upcoming Coco movie? - visitor

Yep. I really enjoy learning about Dia de los Muertos, and considering how well The Book of Life turned out, I can't wait to see how Coco is. - Elric-san

Honestly, I love this movie a lot. Ooogie Boogie is my favourite character. - iliekpiez