Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

One star is for the artistic execution, which shines the most at the very beginning in the opening credits and then plays a smaller and smaller role. It is necessary to realize that this is too little for Burton, who is capable of much more and can provide a much more intense experience than in this film. The second star is for the central acting duo, where surprisingly Helena Bonham Carter takes the lead as the cynical and pragmatic Mrs. Lovett. The problem is that this time, the traditional Burton-style game is subordinate to the director's effort to be part of both the musical and dark thriller genres, while Burton is traditionally stronger in the comedic and poetic aspects. As a musical, Sweeney Todd completely failed in my eyes, and in terms of music, it is a completely forgettable affair that only deserves 2 stars. There is not a single melody or text that would bring me joy. In terms of drama, this film didn't evoke any strong emotions in me. Neither sorrow nor fear. It just doesn't work. A completely small film with the same theme, which has a completely average rating on FilmBooster, specifically The Tale of Sweeney Todd, made a greater impression on me despite its modest production design. Overall impression: 45%. (09/17/2012)

So close to a fourth star. Unfortunately though, blood and human flesh is not my thing, so I just can't give it. It certainly has Burton's weirdness, spookiness, and strangeness. The musical aspect is more than excellent. Johnny gives an incredibly good performance, Helena Bonham Carter perhaps even better. But the second half was too much for me. (06/27/2011)

Burton's aesthetic of dark sets and faded camera filters got old a long time ago. The promise of live water in the form of musical numbers, however, only adds to the overall withering in the end. Burton is absolutely inept when it comes to the singing performances, lacking any choreography or at least a hint thereof, meaning that both Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter try very unsuccessfully, even though they are otherwise really excellent. For two hours I felt a kind of unspoken reverence for the original (even Burton's right-hand man Danny Elfman is nowhere to be found), but to be honest, even Kevin Smith did better in Jersey Girl. (02/18/2008)

The tasty meat of Burton’s previous films ground to a pulp and flavored with visual spices, which unfortunately lacks the sharpness and surprise of Tim's best films. In the middle of the first a monotonous musical, in the middle of the second finally a captivating portrait of a monster, which, in a liter of blood, sees for a moment a reflection of what it used to be. Excellent Depp and Carter. But for Burton, the film has very little content under the sharpened form. Disappointment of the year, I have no doubt. [7/10] (02/08/2008)

After a second viewing, I have to stick with three stars. Sweeney Todd simply lacks heart and its witty ending doesn’t salvage it in this sense. The violence is cold and hateful, lacking Burton’s narrative poetics (like in Sleepy Hollow, for example). Todd’s decision to become a serial killer is unjustified and doesn’t make sense. And I don’t think that the singing Johnny Depp was a good choice for the title role. The other actors, however, were superbly cast and the set designs and music are great. (01/30/2008)