File this one under: Great concept, mediocre execution. The story is about Ian Cranston, a High School kid who carries the bloodline of Ichabod Crane. As soon as Ian moves into Sleepy Hollow, the Headless Horseman returns to life to finish the Cranes off once and for all. Kind of a neat little idea, and it could have been fun movie but the concept got lost somewhere along the line.

It's hard to pinpoint what's wrong with the Hollow. For the most part, it's shot pretty well. There are some scenes that are really dark and grainy, but for the most part the movie looks better than most of these low budget horror flicks. I can't really fault the actors, even though Nick Carter is nobody's idea of a talented thespian and whoever thought casting Judge Reinhold as a football coach should be fired immediately. But the movie is carried pretty solidly by hottie Kevin Zegers and the girl from 8 Simple Rules. The real standout as far as acting goes is Stacey Keach, who really seems to be having a lot of fun with the role of the old grave keeper. I can't fault the writing, because while it's a little clichéd at times, there is a solid pacing to the story.

I think the problem with this movie is that it doesn't know what it wants to be when it grows up. Part horror movie and part after school special, it winds up feeling like an R.L. Stine Goosebumps episode with some nudity in it. The Hollow's biggest flaw is that it's uneven. The next biggest flaw is the way the Headless Horseman looks. He has a head, for one thing... and it's a completely ridiculous looking pumpkin head. As it is, the Hollow is worth a rental if you're a fan of the old Disney cartoon and are interested in seeing a modern day retelling of the story. I don't plan on adding it to my collection, but if you have kids that are like in their early teens, they might enjoy watching it on Halloween night.