Overall a very well done musical by Tim Burton.

Rating: Null/10 (30 December 2007)

For some time, this has been my favorite musical. Stephen Sondheim is my favorite composer, and his music is absolutely beautiful and he has pushed the boundaries of the stage often in his work. So when i heard that this was going to be a movie, at first I was excited to see it. But when i heard that the two leads were played by Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter, i was a little nervous. Don't get me wrong, i love Depp, and Carter is a wonderful actress, but i wasn't sure if they would be able to do justice to the music.
Depp plays Sweeney Todd, and even though his voice is not the traditional voice that you'll hear as Todd on stage, it was a nice surprise to hear how well he could handle the character vocally.
Carter was Mrs. Lovett, and although she had a surprisingly nice voice, it wasn't a Mrs. Lovett voice. She obviously acted the character well and was entertaining to watch during different songs, there was something missing. Angela Lansbury Has a Mrs. Lovett voice, being the original Mrs. Lovett. It was hard getting used to, but i think that towards the end, like in the song "By the Sea" it felt more like she fit.
The other characters fit in the story. I liked the girl who played Johanna, she was very well cast. The boy in the role of Antony may not have looked like an Antony, but he sang well and i find it sad that they cut out important scenes with him and Johanna. The songs that were cut don't affect the main plot with Sweeney, but they were important to the love story between Antony and Johanna and they are missed.
I don't want to seem too critical of the beggar woman because she wasn't bad, i just don't think that there was enough that she gave to make me really believe her. in the last Johanna number where she sings "smoke! Smoke! City on Fire!..." there's not enough there. If you want a good beggar woman example, get a copy of the 2005 Broadway cast revival CD with Patti LuPone and Michael cerveris (spelling?) and listen to that beggar woman.
the blood was too much. I mean, i could get used to it at first, but when he kills the beggar woman, the blood came out in a waterfall-like fashion and reminded me of a fondue fountain. I liked the theatrical approach, but it almost detracted from the main story.
Overall, it was an enjoyable experience and a fun but dark musical. I recommend seeing it on stage.