Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

When is comes to making a great musical feature, it takes a lot of dedication, hard work and desire to perform and make the feature stand out in the viewers mind. Two names you would never think of when talking about musicals are Johnny Depp and Tim Burton, you’d think a dark movie with a moral twist, but that all changes with the film Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.

Based on the hit Broadway musical of the same name director Tim Burton (Corpse Bride, Sleepy Hollow) brings his one-of-a-kind directing skills to turn Sweeney Todd from stage to screen along with his dark, edgy and somewhat twisted shooting style. John Logan (The Aviator, Gladiator) wrote a wonderful screenplay while Stephen Sondheim, who has done a numerous amount of songs and scores for various shows and films, composes the musical score. Logan and Sondheim compliment each other very well in this tale of love and revenge. Johnny Depp (Corpse Bride, 21 Jump Street) takes on the title role of Sweeney Todd/Benjamin Barker. Helena Botham Carter (Fight Club, Corpse Bride) plays Mrs. Lovett, a meat pie baker who owns the shop under Todd’s. Judge Turpin who is portrayed magnificently by Alan Rickman (Harry Potter series). Rickman always seems to play a damn good villain. Turpin’s right hand man is Beadle Bamford played by Timothy Spall (Harry Potter series). Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat) plays Signor Adolfo Pirelli, a competitive barber.

The story takes place in London when Benjamin Barker aka Sweeney Todd (Depp) comes to town to settle a score with Judge Turpin (Rickman). Turpin wrongfully imprisoned Barker 15 years earlier so Turpin could be with Barker’s wife. Todd comes back to Fleet Street and takes up company with a meat pie baker named Mrs. Lovett (Carter). Todd and Lovett plot how to lure the judge into his shop so he can dispatch of him in his own way. To attempt to gain recognition Todd challenges a street barber named Signor Adolfo Pirelli (Cohen) to a challenge of shaving skills. Todd wins and with the win lure the judge up to his barber shop for a shave, the closest shave he’s ever given. When a young sailor bursts in a confesses his plan to steal away the judges female ward, Todd loses his chance at revenge.

Tim Burton and Johnny Depp who have now hooked up for the sixth time have again come away with a winner. Sweeney Todd is a brilliantly done musical. No voice-overs were used just to accomidate a big star who can’t sing. You can here all the stars and their little voice quirks in the songs, especially Depp and Rickman. I swear sometimes you could close your eyes and it would be Jack Sparrow singing to you.

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street gets a 4.2 out of 5.
(I might be a little biased because Burton is my favorite director and Depp is in my top 5 of actors all-time, but I gave the movie the rating it deserved.)

This is definitely a must own dvd, even if you don’t like musicals (yeah I’m talking to you Nick!). I just wish I could have seen it on the big screen.