Tim Burton's best movie thus far

Rating: 9/10 (4 January 2017)

Tim Burton's latest opus sees his favourite actor, Johnny Depp, essaying the role of the killer barber that Tod Slaughter made (in)famous back in the 1930s. Rather than being a straightforward adaptation of the penny-dreadful horror yarn, this is instead the film version of the Sondheim musical that enjoyed immense popularity back in the 1970s. With me so far? I was a little disappointed when I saw that Depp was, yet again, starring in the title role – can't Burton find another actor? The good news is that this is one of Depp's best turns, second only to his Ed Wood. He makes the role his own and, while he lacks the lip-smacking relish that Slaughter brought to the character, he nevertheless sets the stage alight.
The film isn't perfect by any means. Then again, musical adaptations rarely are. I could do without the CGI depictions of the London environs, which are sometimes zoomed through as if the camera's on a motorbike. And did we really need yet another SCUMMY turn from Timothy Spall, who takes typecasting to a whole new level? Burton seems a little unsure of himself at first, what with the new genre and all, but he handles this well and the various musical numbers are all well-staged and well-sung.
More bonuses come from supporting cast members – a restrained Alan Rickman, a Gothic Helena Bonham Carter – and the fact that Burton brings the story slap-bang into the 21st with buckets of delicious gore. Yes, the unrestrained throat cuttings are surprisingly played for laughs, taking the proceedings to a Grand Guignol level. Especially good is the blood-soaked climax, which is almost Shakespearian in nature. Okay, so the sub-plot about star-crossed lovers is so familiar as to be utterly mundane and uninteresting, but for the most part, SWEENEY TODD is a step in the right direction: good, stylish, and proud.