Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street (2007)

From the outset, you know this film is from the imagination of Tim Burton. The streets of London are midnight blue, and his characters faces are pale and dirty. I suppose the fact that it has both Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham-Carter is a dead giveaway too. Even the opening credits are fun, complete with tomato ketchup blood.

And boy, is there a lot of it. And its great fun to watch. The story is from the musical of the same name, and follows Todd, who was banished from his happy life with his wife and child because Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman) took a fancy to his spouse. the bad Judge decide to get rid of Todd so that he could have her for himself. The film begins with Todd being found on a boat after he has been rescued by a young sailor who is taking him home to London. When he arrives back at his old barber shop, he finds Mrs Lovett (Bonham-Carter), his neighbour in the shop below, who makes 'the worst pies in London'. Times are hard, and meat is scarce. She discovers who he is, and tells him that his wife is dead and his daughter is now locked away in the judge's house. The story that follows is the tale of how Sweeney Todd seeks his revenge against those who ruined his life and his quest to see his daughter again. Todd kills a few folk along the way, and makes sure Mrs Lovett has plenty of meat for her pies.

Johnny Depp is amazing as a broken, debatably pyschotic killer. He's got the 'moody, staring off into the distance' look down to a tee. Alan Rickman's sneering drawl is perfect for his part as the sleazy, dishonest judge, and Timothy Spall is great as his sneaky, nasty accomplice. Helena Bonham Carter gets to do what she does best - kooky, messed up nutter. A turn from Sacha Baron Cohen is good for a giggle as well. Jayne Wisener as Todd's daughter, Johanna, is gorgeous. Johanna is a nice change from the dark, cruel or just downtrodden faces of most of the cast. So it's been perfectly cast.

The songs are fun (Johnny can sing!), and a lot of the lines are quite funny. The ketchup blood keeps it from being too gruesome, thankfully. Depp and Bonham Carter work really well together, and the fact that no-one really stands out as an amazing singer until the end when the young sailor gets a small turn at it, makes the whole thing slightly easier to watch. Its fun, but not at all cheesy. The only real problem is that it is awfully dark - the lack of straying from varying shades of blue black might be a bit off putting for some people.

Definitely worth seeing, particularly for Burton fans.

Sweeny Todd is out on general release in cinemas now and you can find the trailer for it here - http://www.sweeneytoddmovie.com/

[pANDAS Radio]

Shouldn't this article have the film's full title in it?

[Shannow]

That's you assuming the general public even notice anythign beyond the main bit.

I enjoyed this, a lot, and I'm not suually one for musicals, it was about as Tim Burton as a Tim Burton Film gets, and back on his game I'd say, I still ahven't forgiven him entirely for 'Planet of the Apes' though.

[Connor O'Bain]

everyone i have spoken to has either loved it or hated it, there doesnt seem to be a middle ground with this movie. unfortunatly i fell into the later catagory.

[Foxglove]

Helena Bonham Carter annoyed me to hell in this film. I am beginning to wonder if she is capable of playing any other character. The film was OK, but I really didn't think it deserved the plaudits it has been getting. It was enjoyable enough but I was not bowled over by it at all.

(The title was edited but didn't save for some reason - it is amended now)

[bikuki]

until the end when the young sailor gets a small turn at it, makes the whole thing slightly easier to watch.

Umn, are you forgetting the whole Johanna song near the beginning? He had a great voice, as did the wee lad playing Toby. I liked pretty much the whole cast and the cinematography was awesome. The only one I wouldn't enthuse about was Johanna (and that's not cos she was bad, just that she was bland). She had no character whatsoever and was just a pretty face kinda floating around. A friend of mine went to school with the girl who played her and apparently she's EXACTLY like that in real life - kinda glaikit but pretty.
I'm going to see it again on Thursday

[spoonie]

i thoroughly enjoyed this film

[fallen_nemesis]

I'm really not sure if I liked it or not. I didn't DISLIKE it, I just didn't come out the cinema with a feeling of I'd just been to see a great film. It was obvious Tim Burton, I loved the fact it was limited colour etc. Still think it would have been better shot with a blue filter etc like Sleepy Hollow. I don't know. It had all the elements of a great film, and a great/ brave concept. I just wasn't convincd by the finished product.

[Jenpot]

Originally Posted by Foxglove

Helena Bonham Carter annoyed me to hell in this film. I am beginning to wonder if she is capable of playing any other character.

Um...A Room With A View

I haven't seen all of it, but as far as I remember she doesn't play a similar character in that.

I reckon a lot of its to do with Burton though. I mean fair enough, Fight Club was before that but the majority of what she's done since has been with him, and his films are generally all like that, hence the reason for the similar characters. Or then again, maybe she's just too preoccupied with starting a family/too lazy and all that jazz to actually bother looking for work outwith her partner's.

On another note, I absolutely loved Sweeney Todd, best Burton film in years.

[StuntGirl]

Halfway through this I decided it was actually one of my favourtie films now, the only flaw for me was the girl that played Joanna. I found her bland to the point of irritating, although I suppose that is the part.

Am I wrong for pure wanting Johnny Depp and Alan Rickman in this film though? :\

[Jenpot]

Yes, you should clearly want Johnny Depp and the guy that plays Anthony instead.I can't decide if looks like a girl or a boy but either way he's lovely.

[StuntGirl]

Originally Posted by Jenpot

Yes, you should clearly want Johnny Depp and the guy that plays Anthony instead.I can't decide if looks like a girl or a boy but either way he's lovely.

Naw, I wasnae feeling him. I'd feel like I was shagging a wee girl, not in the sexy way, but the wrong way.

[Jenpot]

Oh dear, that wouldn't be good. He's legal, it's fine

[Dec]

Pure ZZZs, aesthically impressive, but it's the type of film moshers will pure love. Same with Nightmare Before Christmas.

[Jenpot]

Hah, I haven't heard the word moshers in years! Didn't they all turn into "Emo's" with the release of the second My Chemical Romance album*?


*Before you comment, nothing wrong with this album