Nice Visuals, Shame About The Music

Rating: 1/10 (7 February 2008)

On the face of it this was going to be a great night out. Tim Burton, Johnny Depp, Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall and Helena Bonham-Carter. Tim Burton has even carried off a musical before so what could possibly go wrong?
I should have known something was up during the titles.
Despite the visuals being instantly recognisable - if anything even more Tim Burton than usual - the music just wasn't up to it. The missing ingredient in this film is Danny Elfman. Instead of one of his wonderful scores we have to put up with frankly awful Stephen Sondheim music, not helped by dreadful sound mixing, with the music too loud compared to the vocals.
This was the first film in a long time where I seriously considered leaving the cinema before the end of the film.