A Throat Slashing Extravaganza Gone Wrong

Rating: 4/10 (24 April 2008)

"Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" is a hard film to watch and will test some audiences, maybe most audiences. I was tested during this musical, turned for the silver screen, that never felt so wrong. There were some things that were done extremely well and I can appreciate that, such as the make up, set design and costume design. Those are all worthy of the Academy Award nominations that they got and I can't complain about their wins. There was some great CGI and special effects that give the look of the film a very contrasting picture of dark, bright, beautiful, and a down right heinous look. The blood is just as black as the clothes, or the floors, or the rooms which gives "Sweeney Todd" a very dark feeling that was captured very well by director, Tim Burton. The feel and tone of the film are pitch perfect, but once these characters open their mouths the film quickly turns from perfect to nearly unbearable.
I actually would really like to see this film adapted to a fable instead of a musical much in the mold of "Edward Scissorhands." That's where I think this can be an exceptional film. The music is down right awful and it made me cringe in my seat. I had to leave during parts of the music because of the words and the sounds were just so hard to listen to; it's just bad. It's a musical and the music sucks. There was one song here, in a rare bright spot for the film, where Sacha Baron Cohen sings which generated a couple laughs, especially with the look of his hair growth formula. That's where the laughs end. This isn't funny and it isn't supposed to be, but that scene may have been one of the best the film has to offer- and that isn't even that good. It's just an average scene. The best scene comes at the end of the film. The ending is what got "Sweeney Todd" a rating higher than a half a star in my book. I won't ruin it, but it's a strong ending that doesn't wavier from the theme and tone of the film and even though it's predictable it's still very well executed. The progression of Sweeney' thirst for vengeance takes such a severe course where he forgets what he's avenging and who he's doing it for. In his blood-lust he forgets where he came from and what he's here for. Sweeney looses himself in his hatred and grows so dark that he does something that he could not bear to do.
The acting is average. Depp should not have been nominated with so many other strong performances from the year. Brad Pitt in "The Assassination of Jesse James" was much, much better with a similar type of character; just against a very different backdrop. Ryan Gosling was much more deserving in "Lars and The Real Girl" and in all reality this performance doesn't even stand in the same breath as those two. Depp just mails in another one of his makeup soaked, black eyed, yellow teethed, over the top, completely out there performance that only Johnny Depp would want to do. He's done this same performance before and basically plays another variation of "Edward Scissorhands," "Sleepy Hollow," "Charlie in the Chocolate Factory," and "Pirates of the Caribbean." It's a performance that I've seen before and quite frankly a performance that I've been tired of seeing a long time ago. Depp has a lot of talent and was great in "Blow" and even better in "Donnie Brasco," but with films such as this, all those talents are wasted with ridiculous characters. His singing is mediocre, but it's not like he's got the greatest songs to sign, so I don't fault him there. Helena Bonham Carter is pretty good in this, and this is exactly in her ballpark, as well. I'm not sure why she didn't get nominated since I couldn't find much of a difference between the two lead performances, but I guess it's do to the fact that she's not a big name like Depp.
In the end, the plot was good, the look was great, but the musical just doesn't work. Without the singing this is probably one of the best films of the year. This is, however, not one of the best films of the year. I'm not a musical guy in the first place, but I am open minded. "Sweeney Todd" struggles with getting to where it wants to go and you can see where it wants to go from a mile away. I'm watching and knowing what's going to happen, but I feel like I'm waiting and waiting and waiting for it to happen as the music breaks up any kind of rhythm or pacing the film gathers. Instead of a 2 hour film, it should have been no more than 80 minutes. It becomes tedious and tiresome. I'm squirming in my chair, waiting for something to happen while Johnny sings for 5 minutes about his razor. It becomes boring instead of interesting and captivating. The music is the worst part of the film, and once again, for a musical? I don't think that's a good thing.
P.S. don't show this to anyone who doesn't know anything about it other than Johnny Depp is in it. I've seen the results. They don't last ten minutes before they're gone. I have watched this two times with six different people. The results the same. Even Johnny Depp can't save this film. Main reason? It's a lost cause to begin with and he just isn't very good giving the same old tired performance that we've been watching for 15 years. The best part may have been the look of the giant breasts full of milk. And who doesn't love that?