Revew: Sweeney Todd

Grade: D

Originally, I hadn't intended on writing a review of this film. However, after having a day to reflect on its gory repulsiveness, I figured I'd try and spread some awareness about it.

For those that don't know, Sweeney Todd is a musical. Somehow...some way...I missed this fact going into it. The misty, eerie introductory credits finish and we're introduced to Johnny Depp and his weary sidekick aboard ship bound for London. Soon afterward, the singing begins, and I'm like WTF?! I hate musicals. Well, I shouldn't say that with such disdain that it judges a whole genre of film, but typically, I don't like musicals. Having said that, this fact already made my likeness for it drop a few points right off the bat. The only musical I've liked so far in my life, was Wicked.

I like Johnny Depp. I do. And I usually like Tim Burton. But this film just really didn't connect with me. I felt like I was watching a B-horror movie with singing. Although Depp and his wicked witch of the meat pie, Helena Bonham Carter performed well, it didn't make me forget how much this movie was really sucking.

So, we take a dude who becomes separated from his wife and daughter for 15 years, for which reasons we have no idea, and then have him return to London in search of them. Makes sense. Now, we'll make him into a barber who sets up shop above a pie bakery, and have him kill everyone who needs a brilliant, close shave. Uh..what? Then, we'll have him and his chick-pie maker burn the bodies in a Freddy Krueger-style boiler room in the basement. Sound good? Seriously? I do have a question though....if Sweeney killed most everyone that sat in his chair, how the fuck did anyone find out about his reputation as a barber?

Did I mention this film won the Golden Globe for Best Picture in a musical or comedy?