SLEEPY HOLLOW

(1999) One of those films that make you wonder why the heck it took you so long to see it, I recently watched Sleepy Hollow for the first time and - not for the first time - was reminded of, when done right, just how brilliant the world can be through Tim Burton's eyes.  Johnny Depp is Ichabod Crane, a British police officer and man of science and hard facts who, out of frustration, is sent by his superiors to the little village of Sleepy Hollow to investigate a series of beheadings.  What Crane learns upon arrival, however, is that the killings are being done by a headless soldier on horseback - and the locals are terrified, turning to him for help.  Determined there is a logical solution to the superstitions of the villagers, Crane is soon confronted himself with the legendary killer face-to-face (so to speak), and must come to turns with hunting down the motive behind the murders in order to bring a seemingly invincible supernatural villain to justice.  The mood, atmosphere, and visuals of Sleepy Hollow (along with a stellar cast supporting Depp, led by Christina Ricci and some of the best British character actors every put on film) are astounding, immediately immersing you in the moody moors of a village beset by terror, and even with some thrilling sequences and set pieces Burton still manages to infuse the perfect amount of dark humor into the proceedings throughout.  Fun and slightly brilliant - and again, a shame it took me even this long to see it. (rated R)  9/10 stars