Review for Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Director: Tim Burton

Released: 2007
Genre: Musical

I will begin this review by confessing that I am not a big fan of musicals. With the exception of Oliver, The Sound of Music, Fiddler on the Roof, and a few older Disney films, I typically do not like staring at a film involving nothing more than a bunch of dancing, singing, and a wire thin plot around which the cast gleefully revolves. That being said, I almost brought From Justin to Kelly to my friend's musical movie night yesterday evening, but in my defense, I have heard that From Justin to Kelly possesses an entertainment value that far transcends the musical genre.

For this musical night, our group voted for Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, which was fine with me, as I have yet to review a movie directed by Tim Burton. I have seen Sweeney Todd and several other Burton films before, so I was aware beforehand of the typical 21st century Burton trappings: Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter play the lead roles, the plot is "dark" in nature, and everything about the movie exudes a sort of air-brushed, commercialized gothic feel, watered down just enough to reach a wide audience. I should call him the "Hot Topic director;" he has been stuck in a stylistic rut ever since 1994's Ed Wood.

Burton's contrivedly bizzare showing takes place amid the decaying back alleys of 19th century, industrialized London, with towering smokestacks eschewing soot and adding to the dreary atmosphere. Depp plays Sweeney Todd, who has returned to the city after a fifteen year hiatus, vowing to take revenge on a prominent judge who forcefully took his wife and child. Todd is a skilled barber, and decides to wreak vengeance on those who have wronged him in his shop. He soon amasses a large number of kills in his pursuit of the judge, and establishes a joint operation with the owner of a pie shop underneath him named Nellie Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter) in which he supplies fresh victims for the meat in her pastries. In the end, justice is served to nearly everyone involved, however gruesome said justice may be.

Sweeney Todd is accomplished in several respects; Burton's movies are almost always well plotted and orchestrated, something I will admit to despite my misgivings about his stylistic rigidity. Unfortunately, none of the songs in this film are catchy, and as a result, Sweeney Todd lacks a certain "if I were a rich man" quality. Most of the musical scenes are comprised of a somewhat melodious, conversational dialogue, instead of entire songs that are separated from the transitional scenes. Of course, the gallons of blood that are sprayed, oozed, dripped and pooled by Todd may distract you from the shapeless numbers- it certainly distracted me, and almost prompted me to forgive most of Sweeney Todd's shortcomings. Almost.

I'll relent and give it a modestly positive rating.

2.75/4.00