If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

Admirable film.

It's funny watching the elements come together in this complicated scam. On one hand, the set-up isn't quite as complex as it seems, but there's an easy sense of fun in every exchange.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Do serial kills start singing after they murder their victims? Most likely not, but Sweeney Todd tackles that very premise as Tim Burton directs his bloodiest film to date.When musicals are done right, I'll be one of the first in line to see them. Much like Westerns, they are rare to come by these days so I'm always down to go back and check out one that I hadn't previously seen. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street was one of those musicals, but sadly I don't think it lived up to the hype for me.To have a cohesive character arc, you need obstacles or just something significant a character goes through so that the ending feels justified and earned. In my opinion, there is no real character arc for Todd. Sure, he begins as a normal man starting a life with his wife and daughter, but this is done in a brief flashback. I never once felt attached to this character or really cared at all. The wrongs that were done to him and his family are bad, but again, it wasn't like we see a lot of this on screen, we are told about it. For as much bad as we see Todd do, it just would have been nice to have some material balance it out the other way.As for the musical aspects go, it's pretty paint by numbers. Perhaps, if I were into the story a little bit more and cared about what the characters were doing, I would have gotten into the songs they were singing. I really tried, but I just couldn't. It's also worth noting that because this film does have a fair amount of dialogue as well, the transitions to song weren't as smooth as they could have been. I love me some Alan Rickman, but when he breaks out into song at the barbershop, it feels pretty dang awkward.I'm in the minority here though, this musical is beloved by many people, and at first glance it seems like Burton did a nice job of adapting the musical to screen. So perhaps it's just me. I just feel that in order to make a good film about someone who says "we'll not discriminate who we kill", I have to believe that what he or she is doing is warranted, and I didn't. Of course, these aren't just regular murders. These are bloody and premeditated murders in which the victims get baked into pies and fed to the town. Brutal. Just brutal.+Burton was the right man for the job-Never felt connected to the story or characters-Pretty gratuitous if you ask me-Song transitions are rough4.5/10

This film focuses on Sweeney Todd, a vengeful barber convicted for a crime he didn't commit. Directed by Tim Burton, this film has a screenplay by John Logan, based on the stage musical of the same name written by Hugh Wheeler. The cast is headed by Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman and Jayne Wisener, among other actors.Tim Burton is a director about which I have many reservations. No one disputes his creativity, not their ability to create great movies. The problem is that he makes excellent films with the same ease that makes huge mistakes. So, I had few expectations when I went to see this film, and it still fell more when I saw it was going to be a musical. However, I was very pleased with what I saw, and I think Burton, this time, did a great job.I don't know the original play, so I cannot tell if the script was true to the original story but I think it's a good script, doesn't make mistakes or leaves important questions unanswered, besides having interesting twists and an excellent finish. The actors were excellent, particularly Depp, who knew how to combine his taste for bizarre roles to a strong and deep voice. Helena Bonham Carter also shone, in an obscure character whose obsessive love leads to a journey to doom. This macabre couple really managed to give life to this film, turning it into a mix of horror and musical movie, which thickens as the plot goes to the end. Its a film that proves without doubt that the musicals doesn't need to be romantic and very cuddly, since the musicals can be seen as a scenic (and cinematic) variant of the opera, a so popular and dramatic spectacle in the past.The sets, costumes and visual effects are excellent. We are talking about Burton, so it couldn't be otherwise. Its a fairly graphic film to some extent, with several liters of arterial blood and scenes that may shock more sensitive people. The soundtrack is the responsibility of Stephen Sondheim (author of the original musics and lyrics) and is excellent, remaining in our memory for a long time.

you would get a tragedy like this. That's really the only way I can describe this movie, it's what you'd expect a tragedy by Burton to be. Wacky characters? Check. Dark and gloomy atmosphere? Check. Fancy costumes? Check. All you need now is Helena Bonham Carter. Oh wait, she's in the movie, forget that. This is really the only live-action musical I can still watch. I've noticed as I've gotten older, a lot of other live-action musicals don't connect with me as much, but this one does. Maybe it's because it off-sets the randomness of people breaking into song with them getting their throats slit? The songs are all great and recognizable, Depp and Carter are good opposites for each other, Tim Burton brings his usual whimsy to the film, and it's a refreshing take on the musical genre. If you're a fan of Tim Burton, there isn't much to dislike about this film.R.I.P. Alan Rickman

Unfortunately, I was unable to accept the two leads' performances as befitting the characters. They underact to "Dull Surprise" levels, especially Depp. Don't get me started on that last scene! Furthermore, he doesn't look old enough to be the father of a sixteen-year-old, and their hair and make-up look too Hot Topic for my taste. I call this "But not too historical" syndrome. Do audiences really not want to see how people dressed and did their hair in times past, or are wardrobe people lazy?Most unforgivable is the fact that they cut sections of the musical that are a big part of why I love it, namely, Kiss Me, the Judge's song sequence and the beggar woman's pickup lines. Why does Tim Burton reduce Johanna's character but not Mrs. Lovett's? She's clearly misguided in all things, so I care more about the other women. I have a feeling the cuts were done to make the film under two hours, which is a terrible idea. Films that give themselves time are usually better.HOWEVER! Depp and Bonham-Carter are the only egregious things about the movie! Everyone else is dressed roughly appropriately for the period, and fits my personal vision of their character well. Rickman as Judge Turpin, for example, is one of the greatest casting moves of all time to the point where I forgive his inability to sing. Laura Michelle Kelly is also great but underutilized. My only problem with the supporting cast is the focus on Timothy Spall's face in the scene where he and Turpin have just left the courthouse. Finally, the film looks beautiful; I couldn't tell the backgrounds were mostly CG. But alas, Sweeney Todd needs engaging lead performances to work as a finished product.