In Defence of the Dark

Rating: 8/10 (5 May 2013)

Having just read page after page of negative reviews, I thought it necessary to add this -
DARK SHADOWS IS A LOT OF FUN!
It's a campy, affectionate adaptation of a hammy horror soap from the 1970's. Granted, Johnny Depp is not Jonathan Frid, and the script never even attempts to give him that role. His Barnabbas is not the tortured monster of Dan Curtis' series, but a fish-out-of-water 18th century dude having trouble coping with 70's grooviness. Fans of the TV show may consider this a cop-out, but there's still a lot to enjoy.
The supporting cast is uniformly fun - from Michelle Pfeiffer pulling faces at the camera to Johnny Lee Miller as the stuffy, twitchy Roger. The romance between Vicky & Barnabbas is hardly present in the film, but that's because Eva Green dominates as Angeline - and she's absolutely terrific as a demented, lovestruck witch.
I think a big part of the issue people have with this film is that they were expecting a bit more darkness and a lot less froth from Burton. So try this - pretend you are going to see "Robert Zemeckis' Dark Shadows" instead. It'll give you a better idea of what to expect and if you just let go of your preconceptions you'll find yourself giggling through this as much as I did.