A Gothic Drama Not A Horror Comedy

Rating: 9/10 (13 May 2012)

First and foremost, if you are thinking of seeing this film and expecting a horror comedy, you are going to be sadly disappointed. This movie is not a comedy at all though it does have a few humorous moments. It is not a horror movie even though it has a vampire and he does kill victims and drink their blood. This is instead a very good Gothic drama.
If you are a huge fan of the Dark Shadows TV series and want to see a big screen version of your beloved soap opera, you will most likely be a little disappointed by the amount the characters and back story were changed. Everyone's history and nature has been thoroughly changed Barnabus, Victoria, Caroline, Angelique, I mean everyone.
If you are going to see it just because it is a Tim Burton movie, you should know it is closer to Sleepy Hollow than any of his other movies. It takes itself seriously and the mood is very melodramatic. The acting might seem over the top in another setting but it is actually a good match for the period feeling of the setting.
The music is fantastic, actual 70's rock. I happen to be a fan of Alice Cooper and his appearance and performance was just a little extra icing on an already tasty piece of cake.
I truly enjoyed this movie. It was entertaining and something different which is rather hard to come by here lately.