love it good for kids but if they scared of monsters and stuff like that then no dont let them watch it
The Nightmare Before Christmas
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Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
Tim Burton magic with just a touch of scariness.
Themes in this movie include: friendship, honesty, materialism
updated 09.21.09
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 7 and Up
The good stuff
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What to watch out for
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Violence & scariness:
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What Parents Need to Know
This review of The Nightmare Before Christmas was written by Liz Perle
Parents need to know that this offbeat, stop motion-animated movie is one of the great family films for all ages. That said, it does have scary Halloween creatures in it -- characters take off their own heads and limbs, and there are skeletons, nasty toys, and a creepy villain named Oogie Boogie. A Christmas tree even burns up. Some little kids who aren't old enough to distinguish this fantasy from the goings on at Halloween (or those prone to nightmares) might steer clear, although you can always pause the TV and talk about what's scaring them. The special 3D version is identical in content and storyline to the original, but the enhanced visuals may add marginal spookiness and could further blur the line between fantasy and reality for some younger kids.
Families Can Talk About
Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
- Families can talk about why we celebrate the holidays we do. What does your favorite holiday mean to you? Has anyone ever tried to ruin one of your holiday experiences, and how did you overcome that? When you get tired of something, what are some creative ways to bring excitement back into it?
- Why did Jack's experiment fail? Is it fair to expect people who have done something the same way for a long time to change quickly? Could Jack have tried his ideas a different way?
Have you seen it? Review It!
More on The Nightmare Before Christmas
What’s the Story?
Made in stop-motion animation, Tim Burton's holiday fantasy centers around Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King (voiced by Chris Sarandon) -- a creature who is to Halloween what Santa is to Christmas. When Jack becomes bored with staging yet another frightnight for the sketchy members of Halloweentown, he wanders away from town one night and stumbles across Christmastown and becomes immediately entranced. Jack decides he needs to bring Christmas to Halloweentown and he is willing to do just about anything to make it happen -- even it if means kidnapping Santa himself. Unfortunately for Jack, his plans don't exactly come out right. The holidays just don't translate. Whether it's a coffin-shaped sled pulled by skeletal robo-reindeer to gifts that terrify their recipients or shrunken heads, or snakes that devour Christmas trees (all done in a way that isn't too scary for kids), the effects just don't come out the way Jack wishes. At one point, the military is called out to shoot down Jack's sled from the Christmas Eve skies.
Is It Any Good?
Burton's movie is a magical marvel. With a nod to Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Burton has fashioned a funny, darkish tale that pokes a bit of fun at kids' two favorite holidays (indeed, only the Easter Bunny is spared).
The movie is twisted in the way of Roald Dahl or even Maurice Sendak, are slightly off kilter. By changing the perspective on something we all take for granted, Burton makes us see these special holidays anew. And, of course, he does provide a happy ending. It's pure Tim Burton -- utterly weird and totally enchanting.
Movie Details
Studio: Touchstone Pictures, Director: Henry Selick
Run time: 76 minutes
Theatrical release: 10/19/2006, DVD release: 10/3/2000
MPAA Rating: PG for some scariness
Run time: 76 minutes
Theatrical release: 10/19/2006, DVD release: 10/3/2000
MPAA Rating: PG for some scariness
Our Members Say
See all 65 member reviews
Most Recent Reviews
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I rate this title on for age 7 and give it
- My highlights are:
good
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I rate this title on for age 5 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
perfect for everybody
best movie ever not scary at ALL im a total adict
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I rate this title on for age 8 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
On For Ages 8 and Up
One of my favorite movies! A movie fro the whole family on Halloween or Christmas! Jack is a good role model and so is Sally. On for ages 8 and up
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I rate this title on for age 7 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
wow!! That's creepy!!!!
if you saw the trailer for this movie the last thing u would think about is chriamstmas! It's terribly creepy but at the same time it is a good movie (well atleast somewhat bad)
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I rate this title on for age 10 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
Fantastic, Fun, Frightening Fable is Not For Under 10.
This is a fine achievement in film making. It is fun, witty, and has a great soundtrack. But, PARENTS: this is a frightening film; there are many scary images of demons and gouls, and one especially scary and gross called the Boogeyman (he's made of bugs). But, other than the creepy tone and some scary images, this should be a fun treat for you and your family (over 10). Thanks for reading - Movie Man
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I rate this title off for age 6 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
fine
just ok fine. But there is plenty of scary images.
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I rate this title on for age 7 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- My highlights are:
- Educational
- Good role models
Great, but a little creepy...
Great! Teens will also like it, mainly because of the creepy characters. This movie is great! But may be scary for younger kids.
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I rate this title on for age 9 and give it
its a very good movie but little kids might be scared because the bones are alive
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I rate this title on for age 9 and give it
its a very good movie but little kids might be scared because the bones are alive
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I rate this title on for age 4 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Educational
- Good role models
LOVE IT
My brothers (4 & 5 years old) LOVE this movie. It's not scar at all.This is probobly their favorite movie. Me and my mom love it too, because it shuts them up, and they sometimes fall asleep!!! In fact, their watching it right now!
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I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
now its time for halloween
this movie is awsome every day i watch it tim is my favorite director so it has to be good
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I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
now its time for halloween
this movie is awsome every day i watch it tim is my favorite director so it has to be good
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I rate this title on for age 5 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
Fun and fascinating, but too spooky for preschoolers.
Love this film. It's a bit on the scary side for very small kids, so I'd say it's for elementary age and up.
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I rate this title on for age 10 and give it
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LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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I rate this title for age 0 and give it
Great Movie
This movie is great i love all of the details and bright and weird colors to look at. Just to let those nightmare before christmas lovers know this movie will be in theaters for 3-D
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I rate this title iffy for age 2 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- My highlights are:
ewwwwww but good :) a bit scary for say 4 year olds
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I rate this title iffy for age 6 and give it
- My highlights are:
Great Tim Burton film. Some good soundtrack sings in it with some amazing animation. Kids may be freaked by some parts but it's good to show them no all cartoons are light and funny.
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I rate this title on for age 4 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
This is a fave in my house. my youngest son who is 3 almost 4 loves this movie. Its dark but if you let your kids watch it, it actually helps them see that scary cartoons are just that cartoons.. Its not cartoons we should worry about making them scared of its the REAL monsters in the world. I am talking about sick people.. Sometimes we focus on the wrong things. Anyways we love it!!! I love all Tim Burton films.
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I rate this title on for age 6 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
Great for nearly all ages
There is really nothing wrong with this movie. It's cute, it depicts a fun holiday, the songs are adorable, there's no profanity, no nudity, nothing adult in the slightest. The only thing that might bother LITTLE kids is the characters taking off their own body parts, and the torture-ish scenes in Oogie's dungeon. I mean LITTLE kids people, like, under six. Maybe even under five.
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Ratings at a Glance
| 44% | of parents say it gives kids positive messages |
| 44% | of parents say it's too violent |
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