Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Cruel and sadistic, which is why it will appeal to the era of today. It's just that sometimes I don't fit into the era of today, so I guess that's why I wasn't as impressed with Sweeney as I thought I’d be. And I was looking forward to it so much. I was expecting something different, which is fine, my ideas are always "romantic". I guess what disappointed me the most was that the story was so readable, his actions so predictable. Such a pity. But even my favorite actors and their performances didn't can’t make me give more stars... Sometimes love is cruel, but why prove it with a razor and forget it? (03/21/2008)

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)

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)

"Attend the tale of Sweeney Todd, his skin was pale and his eye was odd..."... thus begins the stage version of Sweeney. However, like many other songs, you won’t hear this one because it was cut from the movie. Which wouldn’t have mattered. But what Tim Burton gets up to really does matter. You couldn’t even call this copying your own ideas. But you either have to grin and bear it, or join in with his game. In terms of acting, no objections, but in terms of singing, I have a couple. I certainly wouldn’t say that Depp can’t sing (the only one I could claim that about is maybe that tragically ridiculous Spall). He proved on a few occasions that he can handle that discipline too. But the problem is that the role of the close-shaving barber is considered in musical circles to be the most difficult of all. And it can be painfully visible in the result, like it or not. Sometimes it shows a lot. Especially if you have ever seen a professional production of Sweeney. The tragedy of this character lies in the fact that he stands at the beginning of the autumn of his life. Unfortunately, the “whippersnapper" Depp can’t act this convincingly. And that applies to the entire cast, in fact. With the exception of Helena Bonham Carter and some supporting roles. Thanks to insensitive cutting, at the beginning it is a little disjointed, about nothing and almost boring. A change in the wind in favor of quality starts around the song Epiphany about half way through. Then the final twenty minutes drag the musical Burton back into the waters of solid above-average. Only just, but he’s there. (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)