Perfect, then it's all thrown away..

Rating: 7/10 (15 May 2012)

Dark Shadows 7 out of 10
This movie really had great potential.. The sad thing is, that they: Burton, Depp and Carter.. had it so close.. like, 70% perfect!!! But alas, after a great soundtrack (it's opening song a favourite of mine, and one I have planned for a film I've written of my own) and one of Depp's best performances in a long time.. Burton's art "should" have succeeded, but instead, fell suddenly flat..
Amongst the cast: Michelle Pfeiffer (another ex cast member of Burton's) looked amazing for her age (perhaps just good makeup of course) Helena Bonham Carter (that I've never been a fan of) played her part as well as expected knowing the inner workings of her hubby's mind.. Even Christopher Lee makes a brief appearance along with Alice who well, I'm not sure has changed in the past 50 years..
Tim Burton is a master of the Gothic scene. His architecture in time, place, setting and sculpture is without equal. From the early success of Edward Scissorhands to his latter great Sleepy Hollow. He once again brings this uncanny, quirky and foreboding ability to entice audiences into his escapism with Dark Shadows, and he so nearly pulls it off masterly once more, but unfortunately where the film goes, where it entices us to be, instead stops in it's tracks and starts to drag.. then with quick explanation or none at all comes to a close and leaves you behind with quite a dull feeling of.. what was that all about? is that it? So I guess now, it's over.
I soooo wanted it to be more, but with such strong character development and premise from the get go, you expected more of the same from start to finish, but instead it rushes what it should have developed, and throws what could have been to the winds..
The film may leave you with questions, but perhaps they are not even worth knowing the answer to, other than perhaps, why?