Sweeney Todd - The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Though decidedly watchable, Mr. Burton's attempt to translate a great black comedy/tragedy/musical to the screen is only partially successful. The production design is gorgeously macabre, the majority of the cast is quite good and Sondheim's memorable score remains as virtuosic as ever.
However...the musical numbers frequently are unimaginatively and repetitively staged ("By the Sea" being a notable exception) and the two leads are disappointingly miscast. Both Johnny Depp & Helena Bonham Carter are very able and talented actors, but here have not the vocal power, grim humor and maturity required for the parts. While watching the film, this viewer kept thinking that Alan Rickman, here cast as Judge Turpin, would have proved a far more convincing Sweeny; perhaps a Glenn Close or Miranda Richardson, a wonderful Mrs. Lovett.
Instead, Depp and Bonham-Carter come off as very talented leads in an ambitious High School production.

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.

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.

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

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!