Stodgy and tasteless (unlike the pies)

Rating: 2/10 (28 February 2012)

I was amazed when I saw this rated 7.6 here and has made three times its budget. I think it must be one of those movies that you either get or don't and finally seeing it four years after its theatrical release I can understand why I decided not to go in the first place. In essence, it seems to fail at all of its stated aims - a horror film, a musical or a drama. It is downbeat, depressing, gratuitously tasteless (actually on occasion repulsive), one-paced and really quite dull. Given its star cast and Burton at the helm, it is definitely not the sum of its parts. As to the musical elements, all the "songs" sounded the same to me and none of them stayed in my memory after they finished. Most seemed to be simply a matter of the cast reciting the next few lines by singing them (no more than competently). It would have been a better movie without them. Regarding the cast, for once I can't even compliment Depp - whom I much admire - as he is trapped in one tedious groove throughout. The colourful turns by Alan Rickman and Timothy Spall are the sole redeeming feature and justify one of the two stars I bestow! It looks great, of course; it's a Tim Burton movie.