Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

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Free S Tried to watch it couple of times, thinking that maybe I missed something there. But no, nothing was missed - movie is totally lame.. Rated 1/5 Stars •  Rated 1 out of 5 stars 07/14/24 Full Review L E The story of Sweeney Todd is a modern Dionysian tragedy that depicts the complete dissolution of a man who loses his mind in a mad quest for revenge. The original musical by Sondheim is a masterpiece whose musical structure portrays Sweeney's carefully controlled rage slipping inch by inch, devolving into a nihilistic rampage that ends in nothing but an inhumane lust for blood and his righteous death. While there is no denying that Tim Burton translates the story beats of the film well enough, he loses much of the play's tragic beauty in his pursuit of a Burton-esque texture to the film. Tim Burton is an absolute master of mise en scène, and almost all of his films are instantly recognizable due to their whimsically dark atmosphere. His directing style strives for texture above all else, which can often uplift the story to even greater heights, like in the case of Coraline or Edward Scissorhands. However, it can also demean the narrative by turning a serious story into a parody of itself; a fate that Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street has just barely avoided. In Tim Burton's reimagining of this classic Broadway musical, London is rendered a surreal reflection of the original setting. Sweeney Todd has been transformed from a sorrowful Victorian barber into a hollow-eyed ghoul with silly hair. Tobias is not an intellectually-disabled 20-year-old, but a sharp and spunky preteen. The chorus is nowhere to be seen. Even the blood that soaks so much of the narrative is plaster-red and looks more like water dyed with food coloring. All of which contributes greatly to Burton's aesthetic, but pulls focus away from the story and characters of the film. All in all, Burton's work is a faithful retelling, but nothing more. Fans of his films may find much to like here, but fans of Sweeney Todd will have to look elsewhere for an authentic adaptation of their favorite demon barber. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 04/13/24 Full Review Teddy B Everybody involved feels like they were made for this specific production, rather than hampering Sondheim's vision like in Disney's 'Into the Woods' Tim Burton enhances the original musical through the medium of film. The only thing I wish was changed was some of the visual choices which come off as flat or dimly lit. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 04/13/24 Full Review Alec C Prepare yourself for blood and guts, along with a musical soundtrack. Sweeney Todd aka Benjamin Barker, returns to London seeking revenge against a corrupt judge and the society that cast him aside, one close shave at a time! Along with Ms. Lovett, the creator of the worse pies in London, this dastardly duo sing and dance through murder and mayhem in one of the most macabre musicals of all time! Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/08/24 Full Review Gareth v Part crime mystery, part horror, part musical. A mish-mash of genres but with Burton,the master of gothic off-beat, and he has pulled of another highly entertaining movie here. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/27/24 Full Review Nawt W A story and setting that were practically suited for Tim Burton's direction and style. Hyperbolic gloom and contrast, with a macabre tone and characters that you can't describe in any other way but deranged. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 12/30/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

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