In all fairness this is probably the worst version of Sweeney Todd out there, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's bad. I actually do like this movie, but it seems that the only reason Tim Burton decided to adapt it is that it's a dark musical and he has already laid claim to anything with even an iota of macabre. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love that, but it just makes me think that he amped up the blood and guts and downplayed the original beloved characters whereas the stage show downplayed the blood and guts and amped up the character, story and wonderful musical numbers.
The score is also incredibly dumbed down, but I already ranted about that in my review of the other Sweeney Todd. Not to say I didn't like the songs in this movie, I just like the original theatrical score better. I also disliked how they reduced the character of Todd's daughter Johanna (played by Jayne Wisener) to a couple lines and a short song. I'm serious, she only has a couple lines in this movie and they're all under twelve words and a song that's only two minutes. Inn the play, she actually has lines and more singing and a backstory and whatnot, whereas she's pretty much a silent role and a character for Jamie Campbell Bower (the far too effeminate for my taste Anthony) to fall in love with.
So, I've bashed it so much you probably are wondering why I gave it a fairly high score. Well, it definitely has it's own merits as a film. First of all, as per any Tim Burton film, it's really nice to look at and the visual style is absolutely fantastic. I also liked how it was filmed in a sepia tone to portray the dark, depressing nature of 1800's era London. The actors also did pretty well in their respective roles, and for (mostly) untrained singers they all did a damn good job, especially Johnny Depp. But that being said, the role of Sweeney Todd requires a strong bass voice (like George Hearn, the best Todd), which comes from a trained singer. Johnny, however, is an untrained tenor, which isn't the proper voice for Todd, but I liked how he brought something different to the role in terms of vocals.
The songs are also pretty good, my personal favourite being "A Little Priest", which is sung in the middle of the movie by Johnny and Helena. I did like the Johanna Quartet, and Jamie Campbell Bower has a nice tenor voice (albeit a little weak, Cris Groenendaal's was much stronger) and Johnny does have a nice voice, which is surprisingly powerful. Helena's voice is also quite nice (again, just a tad meek), and Alan Rickman's voice is actually quite good.
In terms of the supporting acting, Sacha Baron Cohen was a perfect casting choice for Pirelli. The role of Pirelli is nothing more than comic relief really, and Baron Cohen took full advantage of that, being incredibly foppy and hilarious. Edward Sanders also did well as Toby, despite my personal problems with Toby in the play not being a child. Sanders is a cute kid and a good actor, and despite all problems, played Toby well.
However, just because this is a musical doesn't mean that it's okay to watch this with your children. This is a definite keep-away from anyone under the age of thirteen, and even people above that age that are squeamish around blood should steer clear of it. Even though the blood is artsy and fake looking, the murder scenes are still pretty damn graphic, and they get more graphic in the end. There was only one part I had to look away from, but I'm not squeamish in regards to blood, so I did fine.
If you haven't seen this, it depends on your personal tastes whether you see it or not. Like I said, if you're squeamish around blood, this is a definite no-no, but if you appreciate good movies and are not squeamish around blood, it's a definite maybe. If you're a fan of the musical, it's watchable, but you'll probably have the same problems I had with it. All in all, it won't appeal to everyone and it's not as good as the 1980s broadway show, but it's perfectly watchable entertainment
