Blood, Gore, and Catchy Tunes

Rating: 9/10 (13 February 2008)

Tim Burton's version of "Sweeney Todd" is a heavily flawed film, but it is one of the year's best films despite the flaws.
The actors are all really good. Johnny Depp and Helena Bohnam Carter look like zombies. The film is very cinematic and is not like watching a stage production.
Unfortunately the singing is not very good, especially if you are used to hearing "Sweeney Todd" sung by professionals. This is not a fatal flaw but it is distracting. Also, the film is extremely gory, which might turn off many of the people who would normally like musicals.
The flaws will probably be most evident to viewers that are familiar with the stage musical. If you are not familiar with it, you probably will not notice.
If you like musicals with a really, really, dark sense of humor, you should see "Sweeney Todd."