Darkly dramatic but without depth.

Rating: 7/10 (18 May 2008)

Unfortunately, I felt that Sweeney Todd proceeded from one-musical piece to another without the necessary development. Although music can, to some extent embody emotions better than the written word, in this instance, it gave one insight but not enough depth.
Sweeney Todd is certainly dramatic enough to maintain interest but I felt unfulfilled by its drive towards the climatic end. The music at times is overly long, which could of been better utilised through dialogue. However, the acting is excellent with Johnny Depp, Helen Bonham Carter, Allan Rickman, Timothy Spall and Sacha Baron Cohen all producing fine performances.
The films dark story, excellent production design and dramatical musical score do portray the black emotional core of Sweeney Todd, and it has its periods of excellence, but it does not have sufficient substance come the end.