"God, That's Good!"

So, the aftermath of Sweeney Todd… Definitely, a movie worth paying the full amount of money for in the theatre. The cinematography is amazing, the songs are well done, and the story sticks to the original play like glue. I was happily amazed by how well it turned out, even with Sondheim’s endorsement.

If you are squeamish about blood shooting everywhere, it’s not the movie for you. As Peter O’Toole said (not in this movie) “those who have nervous dispositions would do well to protect yourselves!” (and if you can name that movie, I’ll give you a cookie!). There’s blood, gore, guts and veins in the teeth in this movie, and the chosen path that Tim Burton went down was reminiscent of Sleepy Hollow with its dark streets, darker characters and horribly dark deeds.

Johnny Depp delivered a stunning Sweeney character. His voice, while not the deep baritone of the stage, was rich with pent-up frustrations, dashed dreams and violence – just the right combination for Todd. I loved how dangerous he could make a pair of razor blades and a cravat look…

Helena Bonham Carter played an extremely convincing Mrs. Lovett as well. The pair of them had a great on-screen chemistry, and her voice was perfect for the ever-delectable, opportunistic pie-maker.

Judge Turpin, played by Alan Rickman, was executed with the style and panache that could only be delivered by him. His voice was amazing (I’d never heard him sing before, and I was quite pleasantly surprised by it), and Rickman’s powerful on-stage presence was perfect for Turpin’s character.

The other characters I haven’t seen in anything else at this point, but I do know they did a great job in this movie.

The only disappointment at all was the lack of the chorus. No "God, That's Good" response to Mrs. Lovett's pies, and no introduction to Sweeney Todd at all ("Attend the tale of Sweeney Todd")...

Even so, all in all, a definite win all around for everyone – the audience included.

~M