What you see is what you get

Rating: 5/10 (8 March 2016)

Tim Burton's adaptation of the classic Gothic soap opera of the 1960s delivers exactly what you'd expect based on the theatrical poster and the trailer. The usual Burton fare: a very stylish, beautifully photographed Gothic-romantic comedy with the motif of fateful eternal love, balancing between the spooky and the campy, marred by an uneven script and capped by a less than satisfying, somewhat illogical final showdown (as in Sleepy Hollow).
Cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel (Amélie, Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince) was a great choice as his style perfectly matches Burton's. The gorgeous visuals, mixing eerie darkness and the colourful world of the early 1970s are the greatest strength of the film. Apart from that, there's nothing particularly interesting, nor particularly jarring here. Some jokes work, some don't. The story is all right, the pacing is okay, the characters are fine, though some of them are underdeveloped (especially Victoria/Josette and Carolyn), and the special effects are executed well (the one I liked the most was Angelique's 'fragile skin'). It's just nothing special.
All in all, Dark Shadows is enjoyable, harmless, but mostly forgettable entertainment. It may work best if you've never seen a Tim Burton movie, as the visuals are indeed impressive, and his unique style is probably the most consistent here (and in Sleepy Hollow). If you're looking for a Burton movie with a more lasting impression, however, check out Ed Wood or Big Fish instead.