I had wanted to see this until I saw the trailer

Rating: 1/10 (6 February 2008)

I can't comment on the actual movie as I refuse to go to see it as the trailer and raves by gratuitous gore-lovers have put me off completely when I had originally expected to see it. I liked earlier Burton work and most especially anything with Johnny Depp and I was hoping this movie would raise the level of the dreadful Sondheim music which I tried to listen to years ago and gave up on as it was just so boring. But then it's rare for me to appreciate anything this self-satisfied composer Sondheim has produced with the one exception of In the Park with George which was a clever idea and nicely presented visually even though the music was as usual simply awful.
I worked for years in the Fleet Street vicinity so was very well aware of this famous old story. It would have been good to see a movie based on it - but not when it's covered in gratuitous gruesome gore and disturbing scenes which according to the write-ups it is. I would guess even Sondheim managed a few laughs in his stage musical and the gore wasn't meant to be quite so gratuitous? So my one star indicates absolute disappointment.