Burton does it again...wonderful!

Rating: 8/10 (14 December 2007)

I went into this film very nervous. As a huge fan of Sondheim and the stage show, I wasn't sure that the film would measure up. I was pleasantly surprised. While it certainly does not surpass the stage show by any means, I think that Burton and his cast paid wonderful homage to Sondheim's genius. I almost wish that Depp and Bonham Carter had stronger voices though. However, having never sung before, both of them did wonderfully. I had zero respect for Sascha Baron Cohen before seeing this film, but he was a delight. Alan Rickman was fabulous, as always, and the new faces in the cast are ones I hope to see again. Visually, the film was stunning. A bit gory for my tastes, but the story certainly calls for it. The colors were fantastic, and the contrasts Burton made were eye-popping. Musically, it could have been a lot worse. They cut the opening number, which is one of my favorites, and seriously shortened A Little Priest, which is my all-time favorite song, but the cast really stepped up to the plate with the music, and they did a wonderful job. Helena Bonham Carter is no Angela Lansbury (the original Mrs. Lovett), but she was great. Not a film I could see frequently, just because of all the gore, but I loved it.