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Movies / On DVD / The Nightmare Before Christmas
The Nightmare Before Christmas

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The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

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Reviews Counted:70

Fresh:68

Rotten:2

Average Rating:8.2/10

Consensus: A stunningly original and visually delightful work of stop-motion animation.

Runtime: 76 mins

Genre: Childrens

Synopsis: Tim Burton's holiday classic, THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS, makes a return to the big screen this holiday season in stunning Disney Digital 3D™. The dazzling new make-over of the ... Tim Burton's holiday classic, THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS, makes a return to the big screen this holiday season in stunning Disney Digital 3D™. The dazzling new make-over of the musical-fantasy was led by the film's original filmmaking team of Academy Award® nominated writer/producer Tim Burton ("Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," "Corpse Bride") and director Henry Selick ("James and the Giant Peach") as well as the talented technical wizards at Industrial Light + Magic. Audiences will get closer than ever to Halloweentown's beloved Pumpkin King, Jack Skellington (voiced by CHRIS SARANDON), as he attempts to take over the Christmas holiday. Against the advice of Sally (voiced by CATHERINE O'HARA), a lonely rag doll who has feelings for him, Jack enlists three mischievous trick-or-treaters – Lock, Shock, and Barrel – to help him kidnap Santa Claus. Jack eventually realizes his mistake but has to contend with the evil Oogie Boogie before he can make things right and restore the Christmas holiday. Fueled by an unforgettable Grammy® nominated soundtrack featuring ten ghoulishly delightful songs by Oscar® nominee Danny Elfman ("Corpse Bride," "Big Fish") who also provided the singing voice for Jack, Tim Burton's THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS 3D combines the Oscar® nominated artistry of stop-motion animation with brand new state-of-the-art digital technology to create a unique and entertaining movie-going experience that is sure to become a modern holiday tradition. [More]

Starring: Danny Elfman, Chris Sarandon, Catherine O'Hara, William Hickey

Starring: Danny Elfman, Chris Sarandon, Catherine O'Hara, William Hickey, Glenn Shadix, Paul Reubens, Ken Page

Director: Henry Selick

Director: Henry Selick
Producer: Tim Burton, Denise Di Novi, Kathleen Gavin
Screenwriter: Michael McDowell, Caroline Thompson, Tim Burton
Composer: Danny Elfman
Studio: Buena Vista Pictures

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Reviews for The Nightmare Before Christmas

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 
Reviews
Tomatometer Critic Review Category
tomato
4/5

Saxon Bullock

This hugely entertaining horror fable for all the family might suffer from pacing problems, but it's also a true original that still stands out from today's CGI-heavy crowd.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Nov., 27 2007 02:10 PM

Channel 4 Film

tomato
4/5

Rich Cline

The characters are vivid and often hilariously revolting.... Visually, the film is absolutely gorgeous.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Nov., 02 2006 03:15 AM

Shadows on the Wall

tomato

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.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jan., 26 2006 03:16 AM

Time Out

tomato
4/5

Likely to appeal to grown-ups of all ages--while putting the fear of God into kids--it's a perfect antidote to standard festive fare and evidence of the rich and varied possibilities of stop-motion animation. In a word, wonderful.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Apr., 17 2001 11:20 PM

BBC

tomato
4/4

Josh Larsen

...endlessly delightful, even as it deals in icky bugs and severed limbs.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Oct., 21 2009 07:24 PM

LarsenOnFilm

tomato
5/5

Roger Moore

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | May., 13 2009 03:15 AM

Orlando Sentinel

tomato
4/5

Pablo Villaca

O tom divertidamente sombrio da narrative, associado a uma direção de arte magnífica e à ótima trilha de Elfman, acaba resultando num conto de fadas que deve tanto aos Grimm quanto ao Expressionismo Alemão.

comment Comment | Mar., 10 2009 05:57 PM

Cinema em Cena

tomato

Richard Corliss

A fun house of funereal glamour.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Dec., 05 2008 11:37 AM

TIME Magazine

tomato
5/5

Andrea Chase

inspiring, wacky, and infused with Burton's unique romanticism suffused with, but not subsumed by, a gothic sensibility

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Sep., 08 2008 05:31 PM

Killer Movie Reviews

tomato
3.5/4

Peter Canavese

A twisted revamp of Rankin-Bass by way of Edward Gorey. [Blu-ray]

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Sep., 07 2008 08:22 PM

Groucho Reviews

tomato
4/5

Kevin Carr

a brilliant feat of movie making

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Aug., 28 2008 01:12 PM

7M Pictures

tomato

Jonathan Rosenbaum

The set designs are ingenious and the songs (music and lyrics by Danny Elfman) are fairly good.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Nov., 27 2007 02:05 PM

Chicago Reader

tomato
3.5/4

The result, though refreshingly different from mainstream animated fare, is ultimately more trick than treat.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Nov., 27 2007 02:02 PM

TV Guide's Movie Guide

tomato

Todd McCarthy

The dazzling techniques employed here create a strikinglook that's never been seen in such sustained form, making this a unique curio that will appeal to kids and film enthusiasts alike.

Full Review Source: | comment 1 Comment | Nov., 27 2007 02:00 PM

Variety

tomato

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

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Nov., 10 2006 02:22 AM

Urban Cinefile

tomato
3.5/4

Colin Covert

The hippest of all holiday classics, the 1993 release rendered anew in 3-D format remains a postmodern three-ring circus of morbid humor, eye-popping puppet animation and show-stopping songs.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Oct., 30 2006 03:18 AM

Minneapolis Star Tribune

tomato
3.5/4

Linda Cook

Is it cooler than ever in 3-D? Well, sure. But essentially, it's the same movie that drew Tim Burton fans into theaters in 1993.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Oct., 29 2006 04:05 PM

Quad City Times (Davenport, IA)

tomato
B+

Scott Brown

Flattened for years on cable and video, Nightmare has been resurrected in all its tactile glory.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Oct., 25 2006 12:46 PM

Entertainment Weekly

tomato
3.5/4

David Elliott

Concise, elegant, a tad scary, this is a treat for Halloween.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Oct., 20 2006 03:04 PM

San Diego Union-Tribune

tomato
3.5/4

Elizabeth Weitzman

(Producer Tim) Burton's skewed vision is seamlessly realized by director Henry Selick and cleverly enhanced by Danny Elfman's songs.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Oct., 20 2006 03:01 PM

New York Daily News

 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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Latest News for The Nightmare Before Christmas

May 09, 2009: Exclusive: The Art of Coraline with Henry Selick
Henry Selick, the animation mastermind behind such Certified Fresh classics as The Nightmare Before Christmas and James and the Giant Peach adds another gong to his cabinet with... More...

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It's Day Four of RT's Five Days of Christmas Countdown, where we serve up a different list each day of the best holiday flicks around. Today, we've got something for kids and... More...

October 22, 2006: Box Office Wrapup: Prestige Defeats Flags for #1 Spot
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October 19, 2006: Critical Consensus: "Flags" Flies High; "The Prestige" Is Magic; "Flicka" Is A Pretty Good Ride; "Marie Antoinette" Spared Critical Guillotine
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