Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)

lookingglass

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http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0408236/

I am a huge Tim Burton fan. In fact, I've seen every movie the man has ever made. Due to circumstances beyond my control (Oscar season at the independent movie theater) I missed this one.

Now if you plan on renting this there are several key facts I want you to ponder. First, it's a musical. A Stephen Sondheim musical. Meaning, that with out even a hint of irony people break into song. If this is annoying to you, please skip it. Second, it's a bloody film. The body count gets into the double digits and Burton isn't very shy about it. So if you have something against bloody films you may want to leave this one on the shelf.

To switch gears, I'd like to say that I was disappointed with this film. When I rent Burton movies I know what I'm getting myself into. This film just didn't live up to my expectations. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't horrible, but it wasn't great either. Johnny Depp just seemed to be taking his Edward Scissorhands role and punching it up a few notches. Also, it seemed like Burton stole half his cast from the Harry Potter movies, so specific scenes seem odd, mostly because those actors didn't move beyond their Potter roles.

Over all, it's worth renting. However, if one is looking for an all out Tim Burton weird fest... forget it. It doesn't live up to the hype.
 

ryn

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Originally Posted by lookingglass

To switch gears, I'd like to say that I was disappointed with this film. When I rent Burton movies I know what I'm getting myself into. This film just didn't live up to my expectations. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't horrible, but it wasn't great either.
My thoughts exactly. I had high hopes for Sweeney Todd (I love both musicals and Tim Burton), but the movie was mediocre.
 

gingersmom

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I love the stage version, but since my daughter's attack in 2000, I can NOT watch any movie with throat cutting in it, Johnny Depp or not.


So I'll be skipping this one completely.
 

yam102284

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I thought it was a decent movie. I love Johnny Depp and I love Tim Burton films. This one was good though. I liked the ending, I kinda figured it out, but it was still good.
 

nanner

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Sweeney Todd is one of my favorite Sondheim musicals. I pretty much love every version I see.

I thought the film was fantastic. At first, when I heard Johnny Depp was playing Sweeney, I was like, "Wha....?? Can he sing?".....because it's a very demanding musical, voice wise. But I love Johnny Depp as an actor, and I thought, if anyone can pull it off, Tim Burton and Johnny Depp can.

It's not the stage play, but I think it stands up on its own. I think Tim Burton did a wonderful, whacky job with it.

I saw it twice in the theatre, and now I'm thinking I want to get my own copy of it to have forever.
 

nanner

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Originally Posted by yam102284

I liked the ending, I kinda figured it out, but it was still good.
Ohmigosh. That final image of Sweeney, at the end, just sitting there, with.....you know...(I don't want to ruin the ending for anyone
)...was amazing and chilling!
 

aussie_dog

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OMG, I love this movie! I bounced around in my chair when I saw this subject title, lol. I'm a huge fan of the Burton/Depp collaborations, so I was looking forward to this for ages (though I had some misgivings about Depp singing; I was beginning to wonder if Burton hired him because he was right for the part, or if he just likes his best friend too much, lol). I saw it 5 times in theatres, and bought the 2-disc edition the day it came out. LOVE it!

One thing that I've noticed about this movie (or the stageplay, for that matter) is that people frequently need to see it more than once to really "get" it. It's a complicated work of art, different than what you're used to, musical or not. The first time anyone sees this movie, they're either comparing it to the broadway play, which they probably love (and that's the reason they're seeing the movie, lol), or they're seeing it for Johnny Depp and/or the Burton/Depp collaboration thing and they're spending their time judging everyone's singing voices. But once you've seen what it's all about, you can see it a 2nd time and really appreciate it. I remember my sister was "disappointed" when she saw it (whether it was about the movie itself, or just the ending, I'm not sure, lol), and I wasn't bouncing around thrilled when I saw it, either. But I saw it again the next day and that's when I fell head-over-heels in love (my sister fell in love, too, the next time she saw it). Just the story, what one man's lust and power can do to destroy not just one or two people's lives, but HUNDREDS of peoples lives. It's also a great study in the human mind, watching one man disintegrate, destroy himself. The ending is just perfect, IMO; each time I saw it, when the movie ended, I'd be so much closer to tears. By the 4th viewing, tears actually came (5th time nothing happened, as I had my mom sitting next to me and she was too busy cringing from the blood, lol)

I knew absolutely nothing about the play or Sondheim before the movie came out, but I now appreciate the genius of both. Just watch a clip of Sondheim teaching a class how to sing his musicals (in particular, look for the one with him teaching a class how to sing My Friends from Sweeney Todd). He's just a genius, he thinks about EVERYTHING. In My Friends, with all the "s" sounds in the first part, that symbolizes that you're supposed to be singing them quietly, almost whispering.

And for those wary about the singing part, this movie isn't like other broadway musicals. They don't just burst into singing. No, they talk, and then they carry over their conversion into a singing variety. It's also quieter and less extravagant than other musicals (*cough*High School Musical*cough*).
 

green bunny

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I thought this movie was great! But I like musicals, black humor, blood and gore, and the stage version. I knew what I was getting into.

Tim Burton can be hit and miss, but I thought that this was a pretty good one. I didn't think those in the Harry Potter movies acted in this movie in their HP roles.

I don't think Johnny Depp was channeling Edward Scissorhands; it's just way too different. ES was sweet and misunderstood, and ST is a murderous psychopath, beyond redemption.

Tricia
 

aussie_dog

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Originally Posted by lookingglass

Johnny Depp just seemed to be taking his Edward Scissorhands role and punching it up a few notches.
Honestly, I couldn't see that. Edward is a timid, shy, innocent, and gentle man who lived a world of isolation and had NO social skills to speak of. Sweeney is a man who was perfectly normal until he was wrongly convicted of a crime and then went mad with revenge. There's no comparison between the two, absolutely none, except that both don't talk much, lol (Sweeney talks more than Edward, though, lol)
 

okiron

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I loved it. A bit darker it seemed than the musical (Sweeny actually laughed and smiled a bit in the musical) but it was still great. Tim Burton's remakes have never disappointed me once.
 

laureen227

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the biggest criticism i've heard about it so far is the lack of singing talent on the part of some of the principal roles... like Burton cast for looks/personality/whatever instead of ability.
that said - i'm planning to see it - i was in a local production of the musical, & would like to see what, if anything, Hollywood changed!
 

capt_jordi

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I loved this movie! I went away singing all the songs! I thought it was a great twisted strange little musical! (Just my style!
)
 

zissou'smom

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Oh I loved it too. I saw it when it came out. I didn't expect a great movie as the plot has been done to death, from Victorian novels to Pink Floyd's the Wall to a Simpson's episode. Man gets shafted and loses his family, disappears to sea or prison for years, comes back... you know the rest.

So I went for the spectacle, and I wasn't disappointed. The pure theatrics I thought were pretty awesome.

I didn't think it was bloody the way screamer flicks are, I never really felt sick and if it looks too realistic I do. Like Saw or whatever, can't watch that.
 

lunasmom

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I may actually be OK with it. I've heard so much negativity about the movie though I'm still curious to see it...
 
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lookingglass

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Originally Posted by laureen227

the biggest criticism i've heard about it so far is the lack of singing talent on the part of some of the principal roles... like Burton cast for looks/personality/whatever instead of ability.
that said - i'm planning to see it - i was in a local production of the musical, & would like to see what, if anything, Hollywood changed!
I wouldn't say there was a lack of singing talent in the film. Depp and Carter did a very good job tackling some challenging vocal parts.

As for the bloody parts of it, the film didn't translate like a horror movie. Meaning that the violence seemed more cartoon-like rather than splatter fest like Saw or Seven.

However, Burton did us all a favor and killed off Sacha Baron Cohen (AKA Borat). This movie will forever have a warm place in my heart because of that.
 

quill_luv

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I love Sweeney too, wonderful, bloody, horrible stuff, but it's one of those films that makes me cringe and laugh at the same time. It's brilliant stuff!
 

kittyl0ve4

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I couldnt wait for this to come out on DVD. My high school has a wonderful theatre program, & they did this musical my junior year, it was amazing, so when i saw it was in theaters, i really wanted to see it but didnt get a chance to. then i made my bfs dad get it when it came out on DVD cuz he will get us any movie we ask for... I LOVEEEEE Johnny Depp he is a great actor. i thought it was good, but it just wasnt as great as i thought it would be. & i really didnt like the ending. has anyone seen the original movie? the one where he dies in the fire in his barber shop? it wasnt a musical, but i liked the ending in that one, better than the ending of the musical.
 

yosemite

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I tried watching it, but couldn't get into it and I normally like musicals and I mostly love Johnny Depp.
 

laureen227

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Originally Posted by lookingglass

I wouldn't say there was a lack of singing talent in the film. Depp and Carter did a very good job tackling some challenging vocal parts.
well, doesn't help that i heard singers doing the criticizing!
it is VERY difficult music, i agree - thought i would never memorize it! it never went where i expected it to go!
 
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