Good, but. . .

Rating: 7/10 (25 December 2007)

I'm in the minority, but I actually didn't like it as much as I was expecting to. It was good and well-done, but I went into it expecting the amazing movie that I'd heard so much about and left feeling disappointed. Maybe if I were to see it again I might appreciate it more. It's hard to finger exactly what disappointed me, but I guess it was just that everything could have been done better, at least to me. In one review I read it stated that the show had been cut from over three hours to just over two without losing anything. I disagree. I felt that a lot of characterization was lost and that everything moved very, very fast. I know Helena Bonham Carter legitimately won the part of Mrs. Lovett, and she was very good, but I couldn't ignore that nagging feeling that other actresses might have been better. And I love, love, love Johnny Depp, but I couldn't help but feel his performance was a little...one note. Yes, it once again displays his chameleon talent and yes he nailed the part, but there wasn't that much to nail. There are several scenes where he's very good, but several where he gets easily overshadowed by others on screen. He also hardly speaks, Mrs. Lovett had a bigger part than him. Judge Turpin's lecherousness could have been fleshed out a lot more.
On the whole, it was very good, the style was great, the actors as an ensemble were great, but I guess to me, once I start examining the separate parts, it suffers.
I still say it is definitely worth seeing, but I'm not sure I would name it the best movie of the year.