(3 ½ stars out of five)--I'll readily admit that these sort of films are not usually my cup of tea (animated films with musical numbers), but this is one of the better of the bunch. Of course everyone remembers The Nightmare Before Christmas, the other Tim Burton stop-motion animated feature, but the thing that separates this film from that one is the sheer beauty of the animation. It is, without a doubt, a magnificent looking film - the best stop-motion animation ever done. Burton has created a beautiful Gothic world here, and the story is actually quite poetic, recalling the touching, almost mythic quality of Edward Scissorhands. In my opinion, however, the film is held back by the goofy musical numbers that really feel out of place with the rest of the picture. You have Burton's darkly funny sense of humor (eyeballs hanging out of sockets, limbs falling off, talking maggots) contrasted against the overly-cute, Disney-like musical numbers. It's something that didn't work for The Nightmare Before Christmas, and it certainly doesn't work here. I understand why they're there, of course; this is animation, and so it has to be marketed as a kid's movie. I would have much preferred that Burton return to the days when being dark and twisted meant pushing the limits.
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