Hammer Horror - The Musical!

Rating: 7/10 (25 January 2008)

Benjamin Barker returns to London, years after being framed by a judge who lusted after his wife. Taking the name of Sweeney Todd, he plans revenge against the judge, while at the same time begins a killing spree that supplies fresh meat to Mrs. Lovett's pie shop.
Based on the musical by Stephen Sondheim and with a screenplay by John Logan, Tim Burton has made a Gothic horror movie, that could easily be seen as a tribute to the Hammer Studio's movies. The mood is atmospheric, it's bloody as hell, and has an ending truly fitting with the piece.
Johhny Depp is good as Todd, acting and singing the part well. Helena Bonham Carter gives good support as Mrs. Lovett, as do Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall and Sacha Baron Cohen. All the actors do their own singing, which means that the voices aren't always the best, but the movie is better for that. And for a musical there's no big dance sequences. I don't know, as I've not seen this on stage, if there are actually any in the musical but I'm glad there is none in the movie. It would have slowed down the tale, and in truth not really fitted in.
As I said, Burton doesn't skimp on the blood, as it sprays across the screen during numerous throat slashings. Burton has admitted to a love of Hammer movies, and this shows through-out the movie. You could almost picture Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing in the middle of all this! From a story point of view, there is a slight twist towards the end, which in truth is easy to see coming, but you don't mind little flaws like that.
This is a great movie, and while not a great musical fan, I really enjoyed it.