Nightmare Before Christmas 3D, The

Stars: Voices: Chris Sarandon, Catherine O'Hara, Danny Elfman, William Hickey, Paul Reubens

Director: Henry Selick

Stunning 3D effects and five minutes of extra footage have been added to this now even more vivid, Tim Burton-produced stop-motion feature. Nervous children should be advised, however, that, even though the movie boasts a Broadway-style score by Danny Elfman, who also sings the role of Jack Skellington, this is not exactly Beauty and the Beast.

In Halloweentown, Jack is tired of the same old routine of making people scream every 31st of October and, to the dismay of the fellow monsters who inhabit the town, sets out to find something better.

What he stumbles on is Christmastown, whose goings-on so enchant him that he determines to take over the work of the head honcho tnere, one Sandy Claws. Claws is not exactly overjoyed at being kidnapped by demon trick-or-treaters Lock, Stock and Barrel, and delivered into the clutches of Halloweentown's Oggie Boogey Man - nor is Jack's idea of donning his scarlet robes and manning a crew of skeleton reindeer a raging success.

It's all ingenious stuff with some magic touches, but ponderously paced in keeping with the stately score, so it's hard to decide which age range will enjoy it. Anyone, perhaps, child or grown-up, with a taste for fantasy and a sense of the bizarre.

David Quinlan

USA 1993. UK Distributor: Buena Vista. Technicolor.
81 minutes. Not widescreen. UK certificate: PG.

Guidance ratings (out of 3): Sex/nudity 0, Violence/Horror 1, Drugs 0, Swearing 0.

Review date: 12 Oct 2007