Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Director: Tim Burton

Release Date: 24^th January, 2008

Lead Actor: Johnny Depp

Running Time: 113 mins

Genre: Musical/Thriller

Review by Fraser Green

Covered in blood from the opening credits to the very final stages of the film, Tim Burton’s bloody musical, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is quite superb. Starring Johnny Depp (Pirates of the Caribbean Trilogy, Sleepy Hollow), Helena Bonham Carter (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), Alan Rickman (Harry Potter series) and Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat) this cast line up in brilliant and they all sing very well, particularly Johnny Depp.

Sweeney Todd (Johnny Depp), once known as Benjamin Barker, has returned to London after 15 years in prison from a crime he never convicted. After returning to his old home, now “the worst pie shop in London”, run by Mrs. Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter), Sweeney Todd believed he would return to a wife and child. After being told of his wife’s death and his adopted daughter, Sweeney returns to his profession as barber, but this time with a murderous rampage and will not stop until he gains his revenge on the Judge that stole his life from him, Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman).

This has to be the perfect film for director Tim Burton (Edward Scissorhands, Sleepy Hollow) and he nails it very well. Now the sixth film that Burton and Depp have teamed up in, this is undoubtedly their best film with Depp giving one of his best ever performances on screen in competition with Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean Trilogy. This is a dark musical with plenty of violence and all the actors sing and play their characters at a top level. The music composition is also fantastic. Even though I am not a fan of musicals at all, this one I enjoyed. Based on a stage play that was an instant hit on Broadway, this film adaptation has given me that same feeling, an instant hit. Also, for all those people love bloody violence, this film is covered in it and it sure to make you think twice when you go and see a barber or hairdresser.

My Rating: 4 stars

~ by cade14 on January 24, 2008.