Johnny Depp play Benjamin Barker, who was once a London barber and husband to a beautiful wife named Lucy. Her striking beauty and lovely yellow hair attracts the attention of a corrupt judge played by Alan Rickman, who casts Barker into exile for 15 years just to obtain her. After serving his sentence, he returns to London, where he now goes by the name of Sweeney Todd. He decides to set up shop above a failing meat shop run by Mrs. Lovet, played by Helena Bonham Carter. And they form a partnership together between her meat pie shop and his barber shop. From there on out, revenge, tragedy, murder and cannibalism ensue.
I have always been a huge Tim Burton fan. I've grown up with his films and he has been a big inspiration on me. I love his unique visual style and creepy sense of humor. Even if some of his films come off as a case of style over substance. Looking back on his filmography, it's hard to find many stinkers or bombs he has had. From his debut with Pee Wee's Big Adventure until Sleepy Hollow, I don't think he made a single bad film! That is until Planet of the Apes rolled its ugly head. And for most of the new millennium, Burton has been directing remake after lame remake. Yet he's had an occasional diamond in the rough with Big Fish and Corpse Bride, but my personal favorite recent film of his without a doubt his adaptation of this Stephen Sondenheim's musical.
I was also amazed how well Tim Burton brought this musical to life. This is the first musical that he's directed and you'll swear that he's done this before! The film demonstrates that Tim Burton isn't a one trick pony. He has so much potential and in this film it shines.
The film also has killer songs. (No pun intended). Some of the songs can both be moving while others are darkly comical. Few musicals can say that. In Les Miserables, many people said that the weakest link was Russell Crowe. In this film, I couldn't find a weak link in the vocal department. Everyone from Alan Rickman to Timothy Spall was excellent. There's even a kid actor that managed to not annoy me and impress me with his pipes! Whenever there's a kid actor in a movie that doesn't irritate you, that's a win in my book.
You never would have guessed that a movie about cannibalism and a throat-slashing barber would ever be this enjoyable. It sounds weird how I'm saying it now but if you watch it you'll understand. If you are easily grossed out by the sight of blood, steer clear of this film because you will most likely pass out or vomit while watching this.
Final Report: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street expertly balances dark, macabre and sinister elements with those of love, emotion, despair and tragedy. Mix that in with some beautiful songs courtesy of Stephen Sondenheim, typically gorgeous visuals and production values and an all-star cast with Johnny Depp in a career best performance and you have Tim Burton's most mature film to date. What else can you call it but a bloody work of art?
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