The reviews are split down the middle, tilting slightly in the film’s favour. Most critics agree on where the pleasure lies: Burton’s design. The production design, the retro visual spirit and the effects, deliberately artificial yet convincing, draw praise even from those who do not enjoy the film as a whole. The cast comes next, with the panicked, over-the-top ensemble singled out and Pierce Brosnan named more than once as the comic standout. Danny Elfman’s score gets a mention.
The reservations cluster around pacing and laughs. Several reviews find the opening slow and the script slight, and one or two say the jokes do not land. The spread is wide, from four-star notices to firm rejections. The Los Angeles Times finds it less entertaining than it ought to be; Collider says it lacks soul; Eye for Film faults the ending. Two later reviews are of disc releases and spend as much time on the transfer as the film.
