As a fan of the original stage version of this grimly Gothic tale, going into Sweeney Todd was bittersweet in my hopes and expectations. However, I'm pleased to announce that I did find Burton's latest effort impressive and intentional. Fans of the original won't be disappointed with a top-notch cast and the wonderfully dark overtures that haunt every minute of Sweeney Todd. Tim Burton, one of the masters of ambiance, sets his atmosphere in the grisly streets of a depressed London and his artistry punctures through every scene of screen time. I would have to clarify that, while Johnny Depp is a skilled actor, fans of the original will find it hard to believe that Depp has the ability to transform into the George Hearn "Sweeny" we've come to know. This is in fact true and recognized by Burton. In this respect, the character of Depp is not played as the same manner as the deep-voiced, towering Todd from the musical adaptation. Depp's is more of a less boisterous and thoughtful one. The vocal performances are great but have a different approach and feel to them. It was a refreshing adaptation and I feel a triumph on the part of Burton for making a stage-to-screen experience that captures you from it's bloody introduction.

"Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street," directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter, is based on the Stephen Sondheim musical from the 1970s. I remember sitting stage right, down front, in the theater when I saw this musical with Angela Lansbury and Len Cariou and being completely, utterly blown away. As a stage show, it was jaw-dropping, with some of Sondheim's most beautiful music: "Johanna" is perhaps my favorite of all Sondheim's songs, but the score also includes the beautiful "Not While I'm Around" and "Pretty Women."

Seeing the film is a different experience from seeing the musical. Burton does a marvelous with it, blending the macabre grand guignol with the cartoonish and also with reality, overall giving the movie a really murky atmosphere. "By the Sea" was, for me, pure Burton. Depp, Carter, Rickman, Ed Sanders, Jamie Bower, etc., are all excellent, Sacha Baron Cohen does a great turn as Pirelli. Sweeney can be a great singer, as he usually is on stage, but he really doesn't have to be, and Depp and Carter match well. The singers need to be Joanna, Anthony, the judge, and Toby if at all possible. They all sing very well in the film, and the orchestrations are fantastic, "Johanna" and "Pretty Women" being the highlights.

The "gore" looked fake so it wouldn't be too off-putting; it off-put me anyway. More than that, the entire story is sickening - somehow the distance between the audience and the stage makes it more palatable. Plus, the original show has a much lighter touch and, in the character of Mrs. Lovett, a good deal of humor. Burton plays the story much darker. I literally gagged a few times. I would have been better off just listening to the soundtrack.

In the end - not my thing, but this extravagant musical may surely be yours.

I went into this film very nervous. As a huge fan of Sondheim and the stage show, I wasn't sure that the film would measure up. I was pleasantly surprised. While it certainly does not surpass the stage show by any means, I think that Burton and his cast paid wonderful homage to Sondheim's genius. I almost wish that Depp and Bonham Carter had stronger voices though. However, having never sung before, both of them did wonderfully. I had zero respect for Sascha Baron Cohen before seeing this film, but he was a delight. Alan Rickman was fabulous, as always, and the new faces in the cast are ones I hope to see again. Visually, the film was stunning. A bit gory for my tastes, but the story certainly calls for it. The colors were fantastic, and the contrasts Burton made were eye-popping. Musically, it could have been a lot worse. They cut the opening number, which is one of my favorites, and seriously shortened A Little Priest, which is my all-time favorite song, but the cast really stepped up to the plate with the music, and they did a wonderful job. Helena Bonham Carter is no Angela Lansbury (the original Mrs. Lovett), but she was great. Not a film I could see frequently, just because of all the gore, but I loved it.