Good Musical

Rating: 9/10 (26 July 2008)

I am not a fan of musicals, but I did enjoy Sweeney Todd. This was a project made for Tim Burton and his was easily the best director for the film.
The film is based on the Broadway musical which was based on the infamous killer (who may or may not existed). Benjamin Barker (Johnny Depp) was a barber who had lived happily in London with his wife and daughter. However, a evil judge had him arrested and sent him to Australia and took his wife and daughter away. Barker returns to London 15-years later, renamed himself Sweeney Todd and he was looking for revenge. When Sweeney returns he befriends Mrs. Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter), who's pie business is failing. The come up with a working relationship where Sweeney becomes a barber and gets to fill his blood lust and Mrs. Lovett gets free meat to make tasty pies.
Burton's direction was great for this film, getting the Gothic feel which he is famous for, whilst adding a little humour. I prefer Burton when he makes more adult film then some of his family friendly one and when he is independence. It is also a little cartoon when it comes to the violence, obvious people do die in nasty ways, but the blood is bright red and it is a little overplayed. But I think it was needed because a gritty realist approach was not going to work. The casting was great. Helena Bonham Carter is an actress who I think is just great and I think that she was really good in this and was the best actor in the film. Johnny Depp is good, like he normally is and he does have a strong working relationship with Burton. I would admit that he isn't a strong singer, but he is better to say Pierce Brosnan in Mama Mia (it is comedically bad). Depp's English accent also reminded me of Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean films. But he is still very good with many of his songs and general acting. Alan Rickman is always good as a villain and there is a promising young actor, Ed Sanders, who was great as a drunk street kid. There was also Timothy Spall who does he usual creepy guy performance and Sacha Baron Cohen who added a little comic relief, and is better then in most of this thing i.e. Ali G. There were some good songs and this film is a great bit of escapism.
Only one word of warning: this film is not for the faint hearted.