gory, showy, black comedy, good performances

Rating: 7/10 (23 January 2008)

Long-awaited and presented as a musical gore-fest, this 'Sweeney Todd' is excellent and does full justice to the Sondheim musical. Who would have thought that Johnny Depp could sing and put across the songs (Epiphany, Pretty Women, Johanna, etc.), albeit in a slightly higher register than some previous Sweeneys and with more than a nod to the vocal style of Anthony Newley and other Broadway greats? Who could have imagined the English rose, Helena Bonham-Carter, as Mrs Lovett, maker of 'The Worst Pies in London'?
Johanna and Anthony, smaller characters,are soppy cyphers on the side but some other clever casting (Sacha Baron Cohen as Pirelli, Timothy Spall as the Beadle, Alan Rickman as the Judge - his duet with Depp is a delight) makes this film extremely watchable. Yes, there's a lot of blood and the violence is graphic and realistic, more so than any stage production. Dark and brooding, this London is one of shadows, broken hearts, bitterness, and mystery.
I miss 'The Ballad of Sweeney Todd' though - theatrical though that song is, it sets the tone and acts as a chorus throughout the drama, and if you know the stage play well, you instantly notice it has been cut. However, there are more than enough Sondheim songs remaining, done well, and fitting perfectly with the way the film has been shot. The opening credits are also well done and appropriate.
Maybe this is the first 18 rated musical, but it is a mix of genres which works well.