Sweeney Todd Movie Review Thread- Page 5

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 12/20/07 at 10:52am

If anyone can't wait until tomorrow (Fri.) to see 'Sweeney Todd' in Manhattan, there are midnight screenings tonight at AMC Empire 25 on 42nd St. and AMC Kips Bay ar Second Ave. and 32nd St.

[thirtythirtyninety]

Posted: 12/20/07 at 2:25pm

Great reviews from both Village Voice and LA Weekly:

http://www.villagevoice.com/film/0751,hoberman,78639,20.html

and

http://www.laweekly.com/film+tv/film/burton-and-depp-give-new-blood-to-movie-musicals/17924/

good stuff.

[zooxanthellae]

Posted: 12/20/07 at 2:31pm

YES!!! It's back up to 87% on Rotten Tomatoes! Hopefully it'll push into the 90's when the major reviews come out!

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 12/20/07 at 2:37pm

And for comparison sakes (a more detailed comparison of reviews) here is the link the Metacritic Tally, currently at 84% - they usually wait to post most reviews until opening day.

http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/sweeneytodd?q=sweeney%20todd

[bk]

Posted: 12/20/07 at 2:59pm

This obsession with reviews and percentages is so baffling to me. I've never seen anything like it, really - just a by-product of the Internet, I guess.

[Barihunk]

Posted: 12/20/07 at 4:46pm

Philadelphia Inquirer review is in. 2 1/2 out of four stars.
Mostly positive stuff until she sums it up thusly:

"Sondheim's morbidly playful lyrics - "Shepherd's pie peppered with actual shepherd!" - do not succeed in lightening the unrelieved darkness of Burton's bleak vision. His movie is a wonder to behold, but only those with Burton's acquired tastes would want to sample a pie overstuffed with such joylessness."

Philadelphia Inquirer

[wickedfan]

Posted: 12/20/07 at 6:43pm

NY Times is up with A.O. Scott's review. Huge rave. Calls it "close to a masterpiece". A piece of "extreme-I am tempted to say evil-genius." Says it's the first movie in a long time to give him nightmares.

http://movies.nytimes.com/2007/12/21/movies/21swee.html?ref=movies

[BustopherPhantom]

Posted: 12/20/07 at 6:47pm

Nice. Now all we need is for Ebert to call it "The Best Film Evur" and it'll be a great day tomorrow.

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 12/20/07 at 9:51pm

Ny times

It may seem strange that I am praising a work of such unremitting savagery. I confess that I’m a little startled myself, but it’s been a long time since a movie gave me nightmares. And the unsettling power of “Sweeney Todd” comes above all from its bracing refusal of any sentimental consolation, from Mr. Burton’s willingness to push the most dreadful implications of Mr. Sondheim’s story to their blackest conclusions.

Link above in Wickedfan's post

[BustopherPhantom]

Posted: 12/21/07 at 12:11am

So, oddly enough, Ebert's review is not up on the page, but a summary is:

"Tim Burton's macabre, blood-soaked, brilliant film version of Stephen Sondheim's hit musical. Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter do their own singing,and very effectively, too, as the cut-throat barber and the landlady he supplies with fresh meat for her pies. With Alan Rickman as a vile judge and Timothy Spall as his flunky. A dark look at London poverty and desperation, filmed with bizarre intensity. Rating: 4 Stars"

Woo!

[zooxanthellae]

Posted: 12/21/07 at 2:44am

wow glad about all the major reviews being positive!!!!

I just got back from the midnight viewing, myself, and let me just say this film is nothing short of amazing!

[outovfashion07]

Posted: 12/21/07 at 2:46am

I was extreamly disappointed with the movie that I just saw. Maybe it was over-hypeing or Johnny Depp's painfully dull interpritation of the character but the movie is just bad. I will add more after I sleep.

[CyCoSpAz2]

Posted: 12/21/07 at 2:54am

I too just got back from a midnight (well 12:05) showing and I loved it.

[zooxanthellae]

Posted: 12/21/07 at 2:58am

I didn't feel as if any of it was dull... I was on the edge of my seat the whole time, despite knowing exactly what was going to happen... not to mention that last shot of Johnny.... Chills!

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 12/21/07 at 3:01am

It's amazing that a story that I'm this familiar with could actually shock me, terrify me, and keep me on the edge of my seat.

I always loved the show, but, despite Sondheim's best efforts, it never actually scared me.

If you weren't scared for the last fifteen minutes or so of the film, there's something wrong with you!

There was a good amount of humor throughout, but I think this film is really the first realization of how truly dark and terrifying and absolutely shocking Sweeney can be.

Pretty much perfect in every way.

Bravo, Tim Burton.

[FOAnatic]

Posted: 12/21/07 at 3:05am

It's amazing that a story that I'm this familiar with could actually shock me, terrify me, and keep me on the edge of my seat.

My sentiments exactly. It's a story I know practically backwards and forwards...yet I found myself short-of-breath with my heart pounding.

It's a visually stunning film. But, best of all, Burton found the comedy in it. It's not a morbidly serious film throughout. This film could not have been in better hands.

Remarkable. Simply remarkable.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 12/21/07 at 3:06am

Absolutely f*cking loved it. Every single minute.

[BroadwayBound062]

Posted: 12/21/07 at 3:09am

It was fantastic I knew what was coming when and still had chills and was on the edge of my seat. though I loved one girl walking out saying, they shouldn't have made it a musical...haha o well i loved it

[Atrias]

Posted: 12/21/07 at 3:17am

Wooo! Quite a movie. I'm still in such shock (and so deprived of sleep) that I'm not quite sure what to make of it yet. I did love it, but I felt like some of the elements with the Johanna/Anthony/Judge story could have been stronger. I found myself going, "Wait, what?" when the Judge announced he was going to marry Johanna, and I've seen and listened to the show dozens of times. Minor qualms, though.

[ljay889]

Posted: 12/21/07 at 3:19am

It was AMAZING. The story still managed to terrify and shock me also. It was a little ridiculous though, the audience kept laughing during the final sequence...which was my favorite part. They roared, clapped, and laughed at *spoiler* the Judge's death *spoiler.* It was quite annoying. I thought Helena was heartbreaking. Her acting totally made up for her singing.

I will admit the ending was a little strange without Toby going crazy. I kind of missed that.

*More Spoilers* How crazy and terrifying was it to see Lovett actually burn in the oven? *Spoiler*
Updated On: 12/21/07 at 03:19 AM

[Color and Light]

Posted: 12/21/07 at 3:23am

In spite of the fact that it was far from "perfect", I enjoyed this film immensely. As someone who adores Sweeney Todd in a manner that borders on being creepy, I was amazed at how certain parts of the movie had me on my toes as if I was completely unfamiliar with the show.

I quite loved Helena Bonham Carter's Mrs. Lovett, particularly during "Not While I'm Around"--the thinking that you can see in her eyes was so incredibly creepy and heartbreaking. She really made the character pathetic and desperate without being obvious about it, which is how I always saw her... as opposed to her being a brassy conniver.

The same goes for Johnny Depp, who I've never been much of a fan of, as Todd. Though he's certainly the least vocally skilled Sweeney I've ever heard (as far as professional productions go), he actually sounded legitimately lovely during some songs, particularly during "Pretty Women". As I mentioned with Helena, his Sweeney is also an incredibly pathetic character in this version--I loved how they cut back to reality after "Epiphany", just so one doesn't forget that, in spite of his rage, Sweeney really is a little slip of a nobody. I think I might be converted to the Cult of Depp after this film. Quite the hauntin' fellow, he was.

Alan Rickman also took the cake for me. Not only was he incredibly slimy, but he also made Turpin somewhat sad, albeit in a very (the money word again) pathetic way. You almost stop hissing at him when he says that Johanna will be forgiven, until you remember that he's long overdue for some justice. I read a review of the film where someone mentioned that he acts through the nose-- and I have to agree. That man has perfected the sneer and made it an art form.

Kudos must also be given to Ed Saunders. I didn't really feel much when I saw the clip of "not While I'm Around" that had made its way to the internet, but he was really quite touching as Toby.


All in all, I'm quite pleased with the movie. Certainly, there were things I missed and a few stylistic choices I didn't agree with, but overall it was wonderful. And, unlike Dreamgirls, I think Sweeney Todd lived up to its hype quite well.

And those orchestrations! Ooooooooeeeee! They were glorious! Jonathan Tunick, way to work it! I can't even begin to describe the chills I got from that organ overture bit before the credits.

I know people have complained about the movie bringing in a lot of obnoxious fangirls or for not having the right cast/director/whatnot, but I'm honestly so pleased that Sondheim has gotten such a good movie finally made out of his material. While I doubt he needs that validation, it's still nice.

Updated On: 12/21/07 at 03:23 AM

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 12/21/07 at 3:25am

SPOILERS

yeah, I can't believe they actually went there showing Helena in the oven! That was some really f***ed up stuff.

I'm just in total awe and disbelief right now, I just can't sleep! Can't wait to see it again.

I agree the ending without Toby going a bit crazy was strange, but how much more could any audience member handle at that point, ya know?

[Fantabulous428]

Posted: 12/21/07 at 3:25am

Can we all stop and appreciate the wonderfulness that was "By the Sea"? I love that Burton took something that could never work on the stage, adapted it to film, and made it work brilliantly.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 12/21/07 at 3:28am

I'm either going to have completely trippy By The Sea dreams, or nightmares about Lovett in the oven. We'll see.

Updated On: 12/21/07 at 03:28 AM

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 12/21/07 at 3:29am

By the Sea was brilliant, so hilarious and yet so unbelievable, tear-jerkingly, pathetically sad at the same time. So perfect...

The amazing thing was that Helena's voice in the song was not good, and that made it SOOOO much better.
Updated On: 12/21/07 at 03:29 AM