A generally par adaptation.

Rating: 6/10 (21 December 2007)

I just saw Sweeney Todd, and seeing the message board, I realize that I could argue for hours about this movie. Most people seem to have loved it. I however, disagree. Though it was enjoyable, I don't think, for me, there's a version of Sweeney that couldn't be. I first saw the show at 11, and I fell in love. It is by far my favorite musical. Learning that Johnny Depp was the titular character wasn't even that disheartening. Today, I was very excited. I entered the theater with high expectations. I feel slightly cheated. I'll start from the beginning. The singing is superb. I especially love Johanna and Toby's voices. There were a few flaws (WHY OH WHY CAN'T JOHNNY SING DOWN THE OCTAVE?!?! AND WHY CAN'T HELENA USE HER CHEST VOICE?), I felt, all things considered, the voices were great. Next - casting. I felt that Johnny, though a given in almost any Burton film, just wasn't right. His pensive, pouty face was employed the vast majority of the movie, and someone needs to tell him that lowering your voice to a whisper and then randomly inserting "Trekkie Monster"-esquire grunts does NOT equal instant drama. Next, Helena. Also a given, but i felt like she stole the show. She really, really was terrific. Antony, on the other hand, just was not built for the part. Wiry and bug-eyed, he did not fit the picture of a young sailor infatuate with love. Rickman, who I was looking forward to, proved to be frail and unconvincing (possibly brought on be the cut of "Johanna"). The beadle was just right (though his singing could have been improved). Toby and Johanna, as previously stated, were terrific. And Sacha, fittingly dressed up like Princess Leia with a codpiece, was perfect. Burton, I felt, was not the right director. I simply hated the stylism. The blood looked like paint, not effective, more laughable. Many directorial choices were rather ridiculous. The fast motion pans of London early in the film looked exactly like an interactive DVD menu. Besides those main points, the set and costumes, makeup and hair added to the feel. Though it seems like I don't offer very much criticism, the amount I did give was important. Directing and main characters need to be perfect for me to enjoy a film. And though Sweeney, one of the hardest characters to master, can often be accepted as the way Depp portrayed him, I was expecting more. The black humor seemed a bit more fan service then actually clever. My final word: though impressed, I was disappointed that it turned into a Burton/Depp movie instead of what it was meant to be, a Sweeney movie.