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I first saw this movie back in my high school days, and watched it for the third time recently. It was every bit as wonderful now as it was then.

I think this movie is escapism in its purest form. For those of us who love the idea of atmospheric, mysterious, dangerous and thrilling places, it's pure joy to look upon Sleepy Hollow - dark, Gothic and very real. So much of this movie is the look and feel of this world and its characters. When you see the headless horseman on his horse, riding in the dark night with the wind blowing wildly, it is visual ecstasy.

The music, composed by Danny Elfman, is fantastical and reinforces the magical quality of Sleepy Hollow. His score is a wonderful, pulsating accompaniment that energizes the action and mystifies character scenes.

I love this movie for what it is, and I am grateful that there are movie makers who love to create what seems outlandish and unrealistic to skeptics.

When I was 10 years old, my brother and I discovered the world of Comic Books - adamantium claws, mutant chromosomes, capes, tights, unique abilities that we imagined what we would do, if only we possessed them. How great it would be if we didn't have to visualize these heroes in our minds, but watch them in a live-action movie?

With this movie, the dreams of geeks and nerds have been fulfilled in some sick and twisted yet wonderful manner, like the wet fantasies of normal people but magnified by the Nth power. It feels almost wrong to see Iron Man argue with Captain America, each capturing the essence of who they are supposed to be, in the flesh. How wonderful it is.

Once you get past the awesome visual reality that is the Avengers, assembled, it's a delightful pleasure that the director or the screenwriters implemented several "laugh out loud" moments that were seamlessly woven into the flow of this movie. The Hulk, in particular, provides at least a couple of comic moments that had everyone in the theater roaring.

It's not that we don't take this stuff seriously - we really do. It's great entertainment, and the box office results prove this. Yet, lest we forget, there is a bit of ridiculousness in this mish mash of a giant green monster, a man in red and blue tights, a modern-day bow and arrow archer, and so forth - and why confine entertainment to being one-dimensional spectacle and visual effects when you can select and choose from a true arsenal of gifts.

I ended up enjoying this movie much more than I thought I would. When a movie is titled, "We Bought a Zoo", it lowers one's expectations. However, I found this movie watchable and substantive.

Matt Damon really carries this movie. Himself appearing visibly aged, having lost whatever youthful shine that he used to glimmer with for the last decade or so, Damon really personifies a man who struggles with having lost something integral to who he is, as a widower. His character jumps into a self-proclaimed adventure headfirst, and he pays the price. However, Damon does a nice job of wearing that pain on his face, particularly in scenes where he struggles to connect with his unhappy teenage son.

Although this movie was definitely formulaic, it really felt like a journey of substance. The daughter of Damon's character is a scene-stealer, an adorable little sprite. The end of the journey had an epic feel to it, and it was genuinely satisfying to watch.