Tim+Johnny, for better or for worse.

Rating: 4/10 (20 May 2012)

Tim Burton and Johnny Depp feed off each other immensely as working partners and have developed what I can only assume to be a legitimate close friendship over the years. Due to their friendship Hollywood has seen some of the most incredible and original motion pictures over the 90's and 2000's. Im not saying they cant work apart thats not the case at all. Im actually saying they work together so much they might want to be caviler in choosing projects to work on.
Dark Shadows is a disappointment for many reasons, and after collaborations between Burton and Depp such as Ed Wood, Edward Scissorhands, and Sleepy Hollow, one has to wonder why this was ever even made. The script doesn't only not work on any real level, its pace is horrible and the film cant decide what it wants to be at all. Dark Shadows cant even decide if it wants the main character in the film Branabus (Played by Depp) to be liked or not, he goes from goofy to high class to murderer in a eye blink and it all comes off flat.
Another big problem Dark Shadows has is it never fleshes out any side plot. Like the side plot is glanced at for like a scene then it just pops back in 25 minutes later and you are like "Oh thats what that random scene 25 minutes ago was about.
Other times things just seem forgotten completely. I swear I forgot Bella Heathcote was in the film at on point and she is the love interest, and I didn't forget because I was "Caught up in the thrill ride that is Dark Shadows." I forgot because she disappeared for a good 35 minutes and she isn't doing anything during that time, not in danger or kidnapped just kinda goes off screen and comes back later, as to say "Did I miss anything?. No, Bella. You missed nothing.
Much like The Avengers people fight for shoehorned screen time unlike The Avengers the screenplay isn't fan friendly at all so aside from some beautiful filming techniques the film has nothing to offer.
If you a Depp fan, Phiffer fan, or A die hard fan of Burton ascetics as a director I guess its worth a watch, but as a film that stands alone its not funny, its not scary, and its not engaging. Its nothing really, you would expect more from Depp and Burton at least a little more.
3.5/10