L'Etrange Noël de M. Jack

Yeah! Such a cute little horror movie! Here you have, five stars. Now, seriously, come on. This animation film really annoyed me and if it was longer than 76 minutes, I’d probably would have turned it off. But it’s clear that I’m in the minority. (08/06/2009)

With the central blueprint of "Burton-esque" visuals, director Henry Selick played around according to his own judgment, and together with composer Danny Elfman, they created a fresh and impressive piece of work. For seventy-five minutes, the wonderful musical concept managed to dispel my dislike of Halloween and the American concept of Christmas. The opulent parade of creatures from Halloweentown, brimming with the darkest humor, is presented at such a rapid pace that it's impossible to absorb everything in one viewing. Indeed, the camera flies around quite frenetically, and the editor could also benefit from slowing down a bit. Yet all those aspects are overshadowed by the intricate story, which spares neither All Saints' Day nor Christmas, perfect dialogues, beautiful songs, and last but not least, the fantastic set design. I would have never believed how much I would grow fond of the old, rundown graveyard. (14/10/2005)

If Corpse Bride is a cute necrophiliac kiss that will delight the masses, Jack Skellington's story is a rotting goulash for the taste buds of Burton's gastronomes. Danny Elfman is in first place this time, whose great soundtrack and excellent vocal performance in the lead role turns the film into a real experience. The macabre animation, which clearly overcomes the Corpse Bride through cascades of colors, sharp color rasters and large units, is also very pleasing. In terms of playfulness, it's between the land of the dead and Helloween's kingdom. The visual ingenuity of the creators knows no bounds, and with small gags, the film is as worm-eaten as a dead body (my personal champions are the vampire hockey players). The story is, as usual, typical Burton: the main character straddling two worlds, belonging to one and trying to understand the other... it always works, and it does so here as well. Perhaps I'm missing the greater warmth Burton has achieved in the love story of Viktor and the dead bride. The Nightmare Before Christmas keeps its grave distance and I was truly warmed up by the snowy scene at the very end. However, it is impossible to compromise on the absolute score - not if one is a shy lover of the film and literary poetics of Tim Burton... (05/06/2006)

The beautiful eccentricity that Burton held in himself long before he fully succeeded in Hollywood. It is an unparalleled experience to witness his morbid imagination running at full speed. This work is half his and half Danny Elfman's, who created possibly his most captivating musical composition and also perfectly sang as Jack. The pre-Christmas nightmar, which is starting to charmingly belong to domestic holiday programs. (26/02/2006)

"This is Halloween..." The most Burton film Tim Burton didn’t direct. He only wrote the script and convinced Henry Sellick to direct it. The result is a Christmas (non)fairytale that you can watch in the most sweltering of summer days. (14/01/2008)

This movie is powerful, has a strong sense of humor, plus a great soundtrack which is always guaranteed with Tim Burton. You are going to love Jack Skellington and his crazy ideas, the abduction of Santa Claus, and the residents of Halloween Town – and you will be excitedly watching even while the end credits roll. (12/02/2009)

The plot, building on endless contrasts, is a bit hackneyed nowadays, but the visuals, plasticity, and almost self-flagellating perfectionism (I really want to try turning stop-motion animation into wild camera movements) still make this a great fairy tale. Compared to today's trends, moreover, it's quite exceptional in terms of meaning, because the hero here comes to an epiphany on his own, and that epiphany takes the conservative form of the view that everyone simply has their place in the world and there's no point in trying to change it. And that itself takes place through the process of "Well, I tried it, now I know it was stupid, so shut up." (17/09/2020)

I have seen this movie twice and I must say that I really liked it the first time, but I couldn't remember why. The second time, I didn't like it as much. Animation-wise, it's great, and the music is well done too, but the story just didn't grab me. Maybe I should have formed a connection with it when I was younger. It has its charm, but after many movies from Burton and one exhibition, it's just too much. (03/04/2015)