Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007) (R)
Directed by Tim Burton
Starring: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham-Carter, Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall
Daddy Says:
I'll be the first to admit, I know next to nothing of what goes on on Broadway. Plays just aren't my thing, and musicals aren't my cup of tea. So going in to Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, I'm not sure what I expected. My daughter wanted to see it, mostly I suspect due to it's leading actor, and I tried to keep my expectations low. But knowing it's a Tim Burton film, with his favorite leading actor, it's sometimes hard not to have higher expectations.
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street takes place in London of old. Recently returned from being sent to prison on a false charge by a judge with eyes for Todd's beautiful wife, Sweeney (Johnny Depp) is back to settle some scores. The judge (played with great relish by Alan Rickman) has made himself guardian over Todd's daughter and has his evil eyes set on marrying her. Setting up his barbering business above a less than clean meat-pie shop, Sweeney and the shop owner Mrs. Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter) hit upon an ingenious plan. Todd will get his revenge, and Mrs. Lovett will use the "leftovers" in her new meat pies.
The film is chock full of great visual images, as well as many bloody throat slashings. The violence is pretty disgusting, but the overall look of the film was quite dramatic. The songs didn't move me as much as I would have liked. Other than the one where Sweeney Todd sings to his razors, calling them "his friends", the rest of the music just isn't that memorable. My apologies if this is your favorite musical, it just didn't move me. On the other hand, considering this is his first musical, Tim Burton directed this as if he'd been doing them his entire career. The acting was consistently excellent and the film was overall entertaining. If you're interested in seeing a Broadway musical, albeit a musical of a most unusual sort, I'd recommend checking this one out.
Directed by Tim Burton
Starring: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham-Carter, Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall
Daddy Says:
I'll be the first to admit, I know next to nothing of what goes on on Broadway. Plays just aren't my thing, and musicals aren't my cup of tea. So going in to Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, I'm not sure what I expected. My daughter wanted to see it, mostly I suspect due to it's leading actor, and I tried to keep my expectations low. But knowing it's a Tim Burton film, with his favorite leading actor, it's sometimes hard not to have higher expectations.
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street takes place in London of old. Recently returned from being sent to prison on a false charge by a judge with eyes for Todd's beautiful wife, Sweeney (Johnny Depp) is back to settle some scores. The judge (played with great relish by Alan Rickman) has made himself guardian over Todd's daughter and has his evil eyes set on marrying her. Setting up his barbering business above a less than clean meat-pie shop, Sweeney and the shop owner Mrs. Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter) hit upon an ingenious plan. Todd will get his revenge, and Mrs. Lovett will use the "leftovers" in her new meat pies.
The film is chock full of great visual images, as well as many bloody throat slashings. The violence is pretty disgusting, but the overall look of the film was quite dramatic. The songs didn't move me as much as I would have liked. Other than the one where Sweeney Todd sings to his razors, calling them "his friends", the rest of the music just isn't that memorable. My apologies if this is your favorite musical, it just didn't move me. On the other hand, considering this is his first musical, Tim Burton directed this as if he'd been doing them his entire career. The acting was consistently excellent and the film was overall entertaining. If you're interested in seeing a Broadway musical, albeit a musical of a most unusual sort, I'd recommend checking this one out.
Rating for Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street: ****1/4
Daughter Says:
I was really looking forward to this movie because of who was in it. Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter are the main reasons for watching this great movie. I was also surprised to find that many people that I found intriguing in Harry Potter were also in this. I guess that really makes sense now that I think about it, because they were in London and those people have European accents. They also are amazing actors that can play creepy characters which I'm sure Tim Burton just LOVES.
I also loved that it is a Tim Burton film and I really like his work as a director and producer in all his films. The musical part is okay, I've never heard Johnny Depp sing before so that was also a first. He's not a bad singer either. The music was okay, some of the songs were catchy and others weren't that good. But I loved this musical anyway.
Johnny Depp also isn't a bad throat-slashing murderer either. He is amazing at acting like a creeper out to get his revenge. This movie has some major graphic scenes and I would give you warning. I had to cover my eyes a few times. And Tim Burton didn't lay back on the blood-spurting throats.
I give this movie a rating of ****1/2.
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