Starring: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall, Sacha Baron Cohen Directed By: Tim Burton Average Rating: Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Audience Rating: R (Restricted) Binding: Blu-ray Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, Subtitled, Widescreen Label: Dreamworks Video Number of Items: 1 Release Date: October 21, 2008 Running Time: 116 minutes Theatrical Release Date: December 21, 2007
Amazon.com: After years of rumors, it turns out that Tim Burton was the perfect visionary to film Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Stephen Sondheim's Broadway masterpiece, and the result is a macabre and moving musical movie as enthralling as anything Burton has ever done. The show's mix of gothic horror, Grand Guignol, very dark humor, and witty and beautiful music never was the stuff of traditional musical comedy, but it's a powerful work, and perhaps the richest of the late 20th century. In the movie, Burton's frequent collaborator, Johnny Depp, plays Todd, a wronged man whose lust for revenge drives him to murder (an 19th-century legend who has been traced to a real-life barber). Helena Bonham Carter, another Burton mainstay, is Mrs. Lovett, the barber's partner-in-unspeakable-crime. It's no surprise that Depp is an excellent choice to convey Todd's brooding intensity and volcanic rage, but he can also sing a score that is so challenging it has often played in opera houses (though not with the same style as the Broadway original, Len Cariou, and he occasionally lapses into pop style). Bonham Carter is small of voice and lacks the humor of the original Broadway Lovett, Angela Lansbury, but she sings on pitch, in rhythm, and in character at the same time, which is no small feat for a Sondheim show. Aficionados will regret the loss of certain musical passages--"The Ballad of Sweeney Todd" is just an instrumental overture and the chorus is gone altogether, among others--but the reassuring presence of orchestrator Jonathan Tunick and conductor Paul Gemignani ensures that the music feels right and sounds great. And the film's depiction of a Victorian London hellhole--with cinematography by Dariusz Wolski and costumes by Colleen Atwood--also looks and feels right.
The excellent cast is filled out by Alan Rickman as the villainous Judge Turpin, Timothy Spall as his seedy Beadle, Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat) as a rival barber, Jamie Campbell Bower as the young lover Anthony, Jayne Wisener as his object of affection, and Ed Sanders as the young Toby. For fans of Tim Burton and Johnny Depp who don't think they like musicals, Sweeney Todd should be a revelation (though not for the squeamish, as the gore is intense and completely appropriate). For fans of Broadway and Sondheim, it's hard to imagine getting a better adaptation than this. The fact that there's no newly composed Oscar-bait song sung by a Josh Groban-type over the end credits only makes it better. --David Horiuchi
A Musical of a Different Breed I know that most people are not in line clamoring to see a musical, but this is one is different. It's not very often that you find a tale of love, revenge and horror all wrapped nicely into a musical. Sondheim's score is beautiful. Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter completely embodied their respective characters. Sacha Baron Cohen's appearance was enjoyable. And who doesn't love Alan Rickman! There is a lot of blood in this movie, but I would consider it more cartoony than flat out gore. It's touching, it's funny, it's sick, it's enjoyable, it's dark, it's Sweeney Todd and it's a 5 star movie. I'm not out to change the world and get everyone to suddenly watch all musicals because not all musicals are good (ie: Rent), but this one is definitely the exception to the rule.
Surprisingly I liked it! Okay, so I had no intention of ever seeing this one because of the gruesome theme. I've never even been interesting in seeing it in the theatre but thought I'd give this movie a chance. Hey for a dollar rental from the library, how could I lose right?
I had been VERY apprehensive about watching the DVD and actually thought I'd just returned it without ever viewing it. Well I was quite surprised that I found the movie wickedly (although a bit gory)interesting!
Although Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter are not singers I thought their singing was fine for the characters they portrayed. I wouldn't choose them for the "Phantom" or "Christine" but they did just fine in this movie.
Enigmatic, Gruesome, Riveting,--but Miscast! I am not much into musicals. Gigi, My Fair Lady, and that is about it. But the gothic, horror nature drew me to view this movie. I surprisingly enjoyed it. The one flaw: Tim Burton is tied to the apron strings of Bonham Carter. Johnny Depp seems to be Burton's illegitimate love child. It is the only way I can explain the innumberable amount of movies Depp inhabits in the Tim Burton world of film-making. Burton could have had a grade-A achievement on his hands. It is bloody, (though the blood looks like stage blood--still not for children). Burton worked closely with Sondheim and thus had a well-established plot to put his pretty pictures with. A rare one for Burton. Good on imagery; very poor on plot. Having all this too his advantage, he still managed to muck it up by casting Depp and Carter in the two key roles of the opera/musical. What a pity. Depp is no opera singer; and Carter is just no singer--plain and simple. If Burton had only cast Patti Lupone or a younger version of her (if he wanted younger, I'm sure Burton could have found one); and Michael Cerveris would have made an excellently menacingly Sweeney Todd. Cerveris did the chamber opera version and was exceptional as a singing Sweeney. He oozed evil. Sondheim could have insisted; but perhaps Sondheim simply wanted the money and gave the casting over to Burton. I would have said "No". sondheim doesn't need the money; and he could have at least put the damp on Depp and Carter. The rest of the cast are very good to excellent. The two best singers are Tobias and Anthony. Johanna and the beggar woman were suitably good. But Depp and Carter shall always make this one the big chance of putting Sonheim's gothic opera to film; but ultimately: the one that slipped through Burton's fingers. Even though it was staged and filmed quite well. Burton deserves half the blame for not being able to say no to Carter the whining singer who could shatter glass; and Sondheim the other half for not standing his ground for first rate singers down the line. One day ten years from now, this movie needs to be remade with real singers for the entire cast. That shall be a five star production. Include the "Ballad of Sweeney" and I'd give it 6!
Braithwaite
A bloody good musical Right from the opening credits, a dark atmosphere permeates the scene and sets the mood for 'Sweeney Todd'. Arriving on the shores of London are Mr. Sweeney Todd (played by Johnny Depp), who once was a barber named Benjamin Barker, and his sailor friend Anthony. Anthony knows the tale of Barker, how he was put away in prison unjustly so that the evil Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman) could have his beautiful wife Lucy. Todd is free, and wants his revenge.
From the ship he heads to Fleet Street, where his old barber shop used to be. Beneath the shop is Mrs. Lovett's (Helena Bonham Carter) pie shop, where she sells the worst meat pies in London. Mrs. Lovett finishes the tale of Barker by telling Todd that Turpin raped Lucy, after which Lucy took poison. Barker's daughter was now the young ward of Turpin. Mrs. Lovett recognizes Barker, and rents his old rooms to him. Todd scares up business by beating London's number one barber, Adolfo Bamford, in a "shave-off". Now business takes off, but Todd's most wanted customers have yet to arrive; Judge Turpin and his lackey, Beadle. Subplots unfold as Todd and Lovett sort of adopt Adolfo's young servant boy Toby, and Anthony walks by the Judge's house only to fall in love with young Joanna, Barker's daughter, through the window where she sits all day, imprisoned in her own house.
Being a Tim Burton film, the dark atmosphere is rich and uncontrived. He brings a grimy gloominess to London, and the characters of the film. I've never seen Depp or Carter look darker or older than they do in 'Sweeney Todd'. While the filming is dim, the blood stands out bright red, making a remarkable play with color. There are some awfully nice throat-cutting scenes, very bloody, but I was hoping for a little more gore. The plot fit very well with being a musical, and I love the little song Todd and Lovett sing when they figure out how to dispose of the bodies. (Who would have known Depp could sing, or Rickman for that matter?)
The fact that 'Sweeney Todd' is a horror movie AND a musical is interesting, to say the least. The plot is good and the acting superb. Burton did a wonderful job with this film. Watch out for a delicious surprise ending, too. This movie is definitely worth a purchase, as long as you don't mind musicals or a little blood. Enjoy!
Excellent! There are some pretty thorough reviews here, so I won't attempt to out-do them. What I love about this film is the fact that it so perfectly captures the original musical. That is due in large part to Tim Burton and Johnny Depp - these 2 are the reason the movie was a total success. Other good things: the costumes were stunning, the cinematography was just haunting, and the actors, were in large part, wonderful. I was incredibly suprised by Sacha Benton Cohen, who, I was convinced, would destroy the part, but I loved him in it. Alan Rickman is a god, as always. Whether playing Snape, the Judge, or the Colonel Brandon, he's incredible.
The 2 weak links in this film were Helena Bodham Carter as Mrs. Lovett and the boy (I don't know his name) who played Anthony. Let's be real. She got the part because Tim Burton's her hubby/live-in lover. She LOOKS great in the part of Mrs. Lovett, but she can't sing worth two hoots. Seriously. Can't sing a note. As for the boy who played Anthony, he was a bit too wussy for my taste - especially a kid who was a sailor.
Another observation: Although this should be fairly explanatory given teh subject matter, please, please do not let your children see this movie. It's very, very violent and while the blood is very fake, it can be frightening for young children - tweens.
But, the film is wonderful. Whether you're a Sondheim fan, a Burton fan, both, or neither, this film is sure to please.
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