Sweeney Todd: Razor Sharp

Rating: 10/10 (18 March 2008)

I'm sure I will receive all kinds of crap for the perfect ten rating, but let me give you a bit of my preferential background. I just turned 20, but I can remember catching creepy Edward Scissorhands while channel surfing as a little guy. I recall renting Sleepy Hollow to watch on Halloween when that was released on DVD. Despite my age, one of my favorite pastimes after a long day is watching cartoons, and Nightmare Before Christmas and The Corpse Bride always seem to be at the top of that crooked Tim-Burtonesque DVD pile. Watching movies is one of my favorite pastimes and Burton as a writer and/or director always shows me what I'd love to see, but couldn't have imagined myself.
That said, Sweeney Todd is my favorite of his films to date, and thus, one of my favorite films period. I adore music, and the adapted soundtrack is eerily melodic with every dark twist on the Broadway score. I have only seen Internet clips of the musical but I swear this music is genius on both the orchestral and vocal fronts. Speaking of which, Johnny Depp's voice was impressive, distinct and impassioned, albeit unpolished. If a viewer can't catch important dialog and character development amidst the lyrics of the songs, they won't like this movie as much as me. Some viewers would love this movie after a second watch and a second listen. Every lyric and every note is consistent with its mood in the scene and its meaning in the story. If I was acquainted with any blind people, I would definitely recommend this movie to them. I don't mean this as a joke. I just mean it's extremely complete, aurally.
The second enjoyment this movie delivered in spades for me was visual. The makeup, the costumes, the sets, the lighting, the props, and above all, I think, the cast are all very pleasing on the eye. If you think I'm just listing random qualities of a motion picture, make note of these things when you watch again. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street doesn't leave me wanting to see more. They're all there, and they're all fine-tuned. I love it.
But as it boils down, you like the story or you don't. You like the actors and actresses or you don't. You like the music or you find it cheesy or annoying. Steer clear if you are bothered by bloody violence! Because of my personal preferences in movies, however, this one was a 10 on all fronts. I am not familiar with any of the legends this character was inspired by, nor the Broadway musical his story was based on, but nobody could have demonized Sweeney like Depp. I expect people will either love or hate this movie.
If you think I'm being bombastic in this review, I want you to know it was hard for me to put a 10/10 before the critics of the IMDb, and I want them to know why. I actually loved this movie that much.