I Just Don't Feel It Tim...

Rating: 5/10 (19 May 2012)

When I first heard that Tim Burton would be directing 'Dark Shadows' I distinctly remember quite literally punching the air in delight! When the cast was announced for this film I was excited, finally a good vampire film and a good cast! Unfortunately 'Dark Shadows' lacks the 'oomph' that I thought Burton would surely provide...
It gets off to a bad start with the film instantly jumping into the action, barely leaving any time for the development of the characters. This I believe is what lets 'Dark Shadows' down the most. The cast was impressive but some of the people who I most was looking forward to seeing (Chloë Grace Moretz, Helena Bonham Carter & Michelle Pfieffer) were severely underused! The film focused mainly on Johnny Depp and Eva Green's characters and their story lines instead of developing the other characters back stories! This ends up leaving the viewer bored and restless, waiting for the plot to thicken or the characters to actually do something.
While the film had a lot of downs it did also have its ups! Green did a magnificent job of portraying 'Angelique Bouchard' the cold, broken hearted witch with a bone to pick with Barnabas Collins (Depp). Pfieffer was excellent and was one of the strongest actors in 'Dark Shadows'. She managed to gel the cast together and provided a sense of humour and realism. Depp was a big let down, he could have done so much more with his character (Barnabas Collins) but unfortunately he just comes across as wooden. I had high hopes for Moretz - our latest rising star - but she just doesn't get enough screen time...
Overall 'Dark Shadows' was average. With barely any character development you feel as if there needed to be more to the story. There were a few shining stars and funny moments but I expected far better from Tim Burton... Better luck next time maybe?