It smells like piss, it looks like piss, this is piss.
I saw Sweeney Todd last night and I was pretty disappointed. I have not seen this musical before now, so maybe I just wasn't prepared for it, but every character was horrible. Not poorly played, though I am sure it wouldn't hurt to adjust some things, but cruel and evil. I know the plot itself is a dark one and a movie about revenge is never going to be that heart warming, but even in darker movies, I will find myself falling for the most corrupt character...and in Sweeney Todd, I didn't feel for any of them. Johnny Depp played Sweeney Todd- a barber falsely accused of a crime and torn from his wife and child by a judge who sentences him to life in prison. Generally, I would sympathize with a character who has this type of history, no matter if he rose above it to become a better person, or if he went out seeking revenge. But Sweeney was nothing but bitter and cruel throughout and rarely showed any sign of remorse or longing. I felt a little sympathy for Helena's character, but there was always this looming cruelty and selfishness that overpowered any sign of compassion. The Judge, played by Alan Rickman, was just an evil person. Throughout the whole movie, just evil. But, I pretty much expected that from his character, so it wasn't as surprising. Timothy Spall, the guy that played Peter Petigrew in Harry Potter, was the judges sidekick. He was probably the best played character. He was horrible also, but it was clear from the beginning that he would be, and he played the part very well. Sacha Baron Cohen was also pretty good. He was not in the movie for very long, but he made his time worthwhile. The daughter and the boy that fell in love with her immediately were really just there to maintain the plot. The doting sailor, who fell obsessively in love with the daughter after seeing her through a window, was very creepy and much too intense for his high tenor voice. I know, I know, the musical/movie is suppose to be just as I described and I shouldn't have gone to see it if I didn't want to see a movie about slitting ppl's throats. I'm just saying, I wish there had been a little more depth to a lot of the characters.
On a more positive note, I really enjoyed the music. They all seemed well equipped to sing for their part and the quirky numbers were very amusing. Some of my favorites include By the Sea, A Little Priest, and Epiphany. And, as if I even need to say it, Johnny Depp, even in this odd get up and playing a vicious murderer, was gorgeous.
Simply put, I probably won't buy the DVD when it comes out, but I do plan on acquiring the soundtrack.
On a more positive note, I really enjoyed the music. They all seemed well equipped to sing for their part and the quirky numbers were very amusing. Some of my favorites include By the Sea, A Little Priest, and Epiphany. And, as if I even need to say it, Johnny Depp, even in this odd get up and playing a vicious murderer, was gorgeous.
Simply put, I probably won't buy the DVD when it comes out, but I do plan on acquiring the soundtrack.