The Movie
Jack Skellington is The Pumpkin King, the man who makes Halloween scary every year, and the most popular citizen of Halloween Town, one of several secret towns dedicated to a specific holiday. But Jack has grown weary of the same old annual duties, and when he inadvertently discovers Christmas Town, he decides to bring his trademark mayhem to December 25th. Phase one, kidnap Santa Claus. Phase two... well, better to just watch this stop-motion-animated musical.
Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas (it pains me a little to use the full name, because people are forever expressing the notion that Burton directed it, which he didn't) is a visually fascinating throwback to those timeless Rankin/Bass animated yuletide specials but with a decidedly sinister twist. Despite his would-be girlfriend Sally's warning, Jack proceeds with his twisted plan, it's a total disaster and he learns his lesson. But can a good old-fashioned Christmas still be had?
You might also want to check out Brandon DuHamel's review of The Nightmare Before Christmas Collector's Edition Blu-ray from three years ago.
The Picture
Yes, this is a conversion from the original 2D film, but one which saw tremendous effort and care by the likes of Industrial Light & Magic and others. It's a great choice for 3D because of the beautifully detailed, sharply focused little sets. Some bits, like objects flying at the camera, really lend themselves to the engaging if not jaw-dropping 3D, along with the layers of snow. Detail-wise, the 16:9 image is striking, from the fine stripes of Jack's suit to the texture of, well, everything.
The Sound
The Dolby TrueHD 7.1-channel soundtrack enhances the 3D effect, and does quite a bit for the 2D version as well. Music and singing voices can be heard all around us, and the different fantasy worlds--especially Halloween Town--are well realized, with active surrounds. There's also really exquisite clarity in this high-resolution track, evident in the sustained resonance of ringing bells and elsewhere.
The Extras
There are no extras on Disc One, the 3D platter, and while Disc Two (2D Blu-ray) is "new" in the sense that the trailers have been updated from the 2008 Collector's Edition to be more relevant in late summer 2011, it is also "old" in that it still refers to the previously released extras as "All-New." There are no new extras in this set (other than a standard-def DVD), surprising since the movie had a limited engagement in "4D" with in-theater effects, and that alone would have made a nifty featurette for those of us who couldn't make it.
Among the bonuses carried over from Christmasses past is the audio commentary by director Henry Selick, producer/co-writer Burton and composer/Jack's singing voice Danny Elfman. There's a section devoted to the Nightmare-ish transformation of the Disneyland Haunted Mansion attraction, with an optional trivia text track. Tim Burton's original poem, which formed the basis for the entire project, is narrated here by the great Christopher Lee, illustrated with artwork.
Burton's inspired short films "Frankenweenie" and "Vincent" are here, albeit in 4:3 standard definition, which is the format for most of the other extras: deleted storyboards, deleted animated sequences, an above-average "making of," a storyboard comparison and more. There are also extensive studies of the characters along with animation tests and concept art.
This three-disc set also includes a hybrid DVD-ROM with both the movie for standard-definition players plus a Digital Copy for our choice of iTunes or Windows Media.
Final Thoughts
A highly stylized comedy adventure, a catchy musical, and even a sweet little love story, The Nightmare Before Christmas is a modern holiday classic that transcends two holidays. In both 2D and 3D the Blu-ray is among the finest we've seen and heard, and while the extras are essentially reheated, anyone who missed them before is in for a treat.
Product Details
| Overall | |
|---|---|
| Video | |
| Audio | |
| Movie | |
| Extras |
