Tim at his best

Rating: 9/10 (22 December 2007)

I am an avid Tim Burton fan, Johnny Depp fan, and Sondheim fan. I could not have asked for a better combination of the three. I am usually not a huge supporter of movie musicals, but the overall tone of Sweeney Todd is theatrical enough to support people bursting into song. Tim's production design goes with the story - it is dark and creepy, but still, as I stated before, theatrical enough so that the bright red blood seems okay. Tobias is played by a young boy, which is new, but it works quite well, especially at the end. And who would have thought that Johnny Depp could sing that well? He really shines - Sondheim was right to approve him. Helena Bonham Carter is also singing for the first time, and she does quite well, although her voice is not terribly strong. I loved her character, though, and hope she gets recognized for it. However. this is not the movie to take your kids to. There are some really truly scary moments - the end is truly chilling. The old beggar woman really creeps me out. It is darkly funny, but not in a way that is appropriate for people under the age of 17. It is rightly rated R. Tim, you have done incredibly well. Its just the movie musical I needed.