Blood, gore and a cracking tale!

Rating: 8/10 (17 February 2008)

If you have a taste for a dark tale, with lashings of blood, an unquenchable sadness, that leads to terrible deeds, then this is the film for you. The singing was wonderful, and there is so much humour in the lyrics; thank goodness that the actors took so much trouble learning to sing. Helena Bonham-Carter is fantastic as Sweeney's partner in crime; her singing is astonishing, as her words don't get lost in a warble of sound, but rather trip across the ears to amuse the audience.
Johnny Depp is dark, completely focused of his awful quest. His singing is also a revelation, strong where it needs to be, with a menacing undertone. He wields his razors with the grace of a flamenco dancer, but they leave a lethal trail right across the story.
I adore Tim Burton's touches of humour, and his dark, Victorian vision makes this film a fitting companion to his back catalogue. The other actors all fitted their characters like a glove, with Ed Sanders and Timothy Spall deserving special mention for bringing a comic touch to their horrible creations. Can't wait for the DVD and all the extras!