True Fans of the Original Series will be disappointed

Rating: 5/10 (14 May 2012)

Watched this at the theater today. I'm not jumping up and down raving about it. My brother and I took our kids and our parents to see it for Mothers Day and I'm apparently the only member of the family that didn't like it.
Dark Shadows was originally a black and white soap opera that ran from 1966 - 1971. It was the forerunner for future ideas like Twilight. It was the first series to introduce Vampires, Ghosts, Werewolves, etc.
Being that Dark Shadows was intended as a Gothic drama, it seemed out of place since the movie attempted to portray the prequel to the series. Depp is popular for quirky, comedic roles, but I didn't feel it meshed well. That may be only because I've seen and enjoyed the original series, though.
The comedy bits were just that -- bits -- and unfortunately that didn't play well on the big screen. It almost seemed as if the makers of the movie couldn't decide whether to make a comedy or stay true to the drama.
Fans of the original series will most likely not appreciate this attempt, unless they are Johnny Depp fans. Hopefully, there won't be a sequel. To do so would only serve to finish trashing the legacy of the 1966 series.
On an objective note, it's a good family movie. If you know nothing about the original series, then you'd have no expectations and the movie would probably be better received. But, don't look for it to spend time on the subjects of vampires, ghosts, and werewolves. Except for the supernatural powers exhibited by the "good" and "evil" characters, you'd almost forget that it was about a vampire.