A disappointing addition to the Depp-Burton resume...

Rating: 5/10 (1 July 2013)

Dark Shadows sees the return of working-duo Depp and Burton in their 8th feature film together and like their previous cinematic jaunts we are given a weird and sometimes-wonderful slice of Gothic pie. For those unaware this is based on the long-running TV show of the same name which aired from 1966-1971. In its time the show was a popular staple and its fans include Depp, Burton and Pfeiffer themselves, which perhaps explains why this adaptation was made. I certainly don't think its Burton adhering to the vampire-fad that's been seeping into cinema and TV since Twilight graced our screens. Indeed this film bears no similarity to the teen-fad that is Twilight, with Burton lending a dash of his trademark dark humour to the vampy proceedings.
Of course when it comes to Gothic Burton is the unofficial King of the genre, with each film in his directorial past reminiscent of the stereotypes of the genre. In this film that Gothic edge is brought to the forefront with hanging buttresses, hidden passageways and foggy settings contributing to the dark and gloomy atmosphere of the film, not to mention the pre-requisite crazy witch-bitch (It's not really Gothic without that last one now is it?). Said crazy witch-bitch is played by the talented Eva Green who brings a quirky-hilarity to the role of scorned and vengeful Angelique who has some serious issues when it comes to Depp's Barnabus Collins. Angelique embodies that one ex you have who just can't seem to forgive and forget and this is shown to the extreme when she kills Barnabus' family and fiancé and curses him to eternal damnation by making him a bloodsucking vampire. To add salt to the wounds she sets the village locals on him on your stereotypical dark- and-stormy-night who chain him in a coffin where he stays put for 196 years (the devils in the details) until he is accidentally set free.
In terms of this films enjoyability I think that might be somewhat hindered by its 'all-over-the-place' quality, with too many sub-plots confusing the films main purpose and too many characters vying for attention in this ambitious production. For example the film begins by introducing us to the Collins' new governess "Victoria Winters" (played by Bella Heathcote) and so I assumed she would take centre-stage (alongside Depp of course) throughout the film, which was apparently a foolish assumption to make. Though this character does have a romantic link to Depp's their relationship is never given enough screen time to feel authentic, nor is Heathcote's character throughout the film in general, though as it turns out her genesis is vital to the plots cohesion. This lack of screen time was not only irritating but seemed clumsy on Burton's part (she's the romantic lead after all. It would be like a 2-hour Harry Potter film with only 30 minutes of said character being shown!).
If you would like to continue reading my thoughts on this film then go here... (http://filmrambler.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/dark-shadows-2012.html)