Sweeney Todd - The
Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
Starring: Helena
Bonham Carter,
Johnny
Depp Director: Tim
Burton Rating 
The big question is: Can director Tim Burton
& the most up to date cinematography compensate for a butchered script
& a Broadway musical that has no lead singers?
It gets worse.
Somehow the gifted Helena Bonham Carter loses all the dark humor in the role of
Mrs. Lovett, just as Johnny Depp loses the depth of Sweeny Todd. Once you loose
the dark humor and the added energy of a dancing/vocal chorus, what's left? A
morose palette of dark gray, anemic characterization, with no one you care
about, limping to an outcome that really doesn't matter.
The actors playing the Beadle & adult Johanna/Mad Woman were effective.
The opening list of credits of the movie was engrossing & promised more
than the rest of the film could deliver. Another segment I enjoyed were the
scenes in which Mrs. Lovett was fantasizing the traditionally middle class fun
she and her ghastly lover would have on the perfect holiday by the sea. For
once the monochromatic dreariness of industrial London was replaced by a
pleasant, over saturated Technicolor landscape. It was funny in an Addams
Family sort of way. At least in this too brief atmosphere you could remember
who the director was.
As for the rest of the film, I found myself wishing it would just end so I
could get up & down a beer...or two.
The original Broadway DVD with Angela Lansbury is SO much better.
Johnny Depp seems to be gyrating toward an un-artistic, action figure career.
He should be portraying people like...oh, just off the top of my head, Leon
Trotsky; but he's playing cartoon characters instead.
Sweeney
Todd - The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Broadway) (Keepcase)
Sweeney
Todd in Concert
Review: JEFarrow
Updated 06/08