Johnny Depp stars as Benjamin Barker, a man wrongfully imprisoned for 15 years on the other side of the world who escapes and returns to London vowing revenge, alongside Helena Bonham Carter as his obsessive and devoted accomplice, Mrs. Nellie Lovett. Adopting the guise of Sweeney Todd, Barker returns to his old barbershop above Mrs. Lovett's meat pie shop and sets his sights on Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman) who, with the help of his nefarious henchman Beadle Bamford (Timothy Spall), sent him away on a trumped-up charge so they could steal his wife, Lucy (Laura Michelle Kelly), and baby daughter.
The triumvirate of Tim Burton, Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham-Carter returns for this entertaining adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's musical adaptation of the deathly vengeful antics of the eponymous London barber and his pie making accomplice. For my money, it features one of the best songs from Sondheim's repertoire - "Not While I'm Around" which neatly brings me to the starring role, for me at any rate - the young Edward Sanders who plays "Toby" strongly and charmingly. Jamie Campbell Bower also delivers well amongst a supporting cast of solid British stage talent - a rather menacing Alan Rickman and Timothy Spall amongst them. It is dark and gritty, and stays fairly faithful to the theatrical performance that impresses not just with it's solid performances (perhaps not so much with Johnny Depp who comes across as eerily uncomfortable) but with the super costume and make-up effects, the lighting and, of course, a score that marries cleverly the threatening with the frequent (very black) humour. HBC is probably at her best here, I have rarely seen her more effective in a role and she can certainly hold the attention, if not so much perfect pitch, whilst having fun converting customers into pasties. Like the stage play, it has highs and lows but on the whole it progresses entertainingly enough to a conclusion that I didn't like so much - I always like a good baddie, and these two were certainly of the most creative. Ketchup anyone?
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