That Tim Burton chooses interesting premises or sources of inspiration and then has fans baying for the release of his work and the uniquely gothic, macabre style he delivers is something undoubtedly mentioned in every review of his work. For the initiated or familiar this style never ages and expectations are consistently high. For someone wanting purely good entertainment there is such a varied back catalogue of work you are guaranteed rich viewing. Quirky eccentric characters, worlds sumptuous with aesthetics, every movie is truly a creation, embodying Hitchcock’s idea of cinema not being a slice of life, but a piece of cake. Sweeney Todd certainly has the potential to deliver on what is meant by the term ‘Burtonesque’. The darkly comic story of a serial killer barber out to seek revenge on those responsible for separating him from his family through false imprisonment - is prime for filling with the caricatured, screen consuming performances Johnny Depp delivers directed by Burton. So too the 18th century London setting and debauched behaviour of the central characters is feeding ground for the imagery and style we know from such gorgeous films as ‘Sleepy Hollow’. Add to the mix the story is to be told through music and you cannot imagine any other director other than Burton tackling the project.

More is the pity then that the finished product falls flat. The grey tones of the London setting mean the film only intermittently comes to life visually - perhaps these neutral tones were intended as  contrast to the substantial amount of bloodletting that fills the films second half, but this in itself looks synthetic and you quickly become desensitised to the barbers MO, it being neither substantially gorey or comical. Only a shadowed Depp standing in a door and the tragic final shot strike you as images resembling the flare running through the entire body of ‘Sleepy Hollow’ or ‘Ed Wood’.  

As for performances, Helena Bonham Carter is disappointingly hollow, she seems to turn up to say her lines on the way to the something more important, her unrequited love never ringing through as the exchanges between her and Johnny Depp lack the chemistry I was expecting in spates. Depp is equally to blame for this and seems to have pigeonholed his acting style into one of nervous ticks and glaring menacingly. He is Johnny Depp in this movie, not the character, which is a first in terms of my viewing of his roles. He neither establishes the character as a villain we want to empathise with and in the same fortnight Javier Bardem introduced a truly heinous villian to the movie world, his sociopathic ways feel light weight.

The story never gathers pace, with a love story running in tandem to Todd’s killing spree feeling tacked on. A consideration that would never have crossed my mind on entering unfortunately becomes a reality - the production fails to escape is stage origins. Facial expressions and delivery are over done so as to convey feelings to people at the back of a theatre as opposed to creating an intimate movie experience. A fantasy sequence set at a beach and brief time spent on the streets of London only serves as a reminder that the rest of the film is essentially confined to 2 sets. On more than one occassion the actors finish a number for the camera to pan out the window and as they glaze out and you can’t help but wonder if there is more interesting events we are missing out on elsewhere.

The music grates at times, with much of the musical element merely involving singing dialogue as opposed to bursting into songs that you will find yourself humming after. A duet where the central duo decide to take Mrs. Lovetts meat pie shop in a new direction apart there is no centre piece or show stopper which I feel entitled to expect no matter how depraved the subject matter. The musical arrangment is intentionally odd, and the cast ably carry off their singing duties, in particular the younger cast members. The refrains though and recurring themes feel tired though before movies end. There is much to appreicate in this movie. Yet however we see the characters relish diving into the characters and enjoy the novelty of such a story being told through song, the film too infrequently delivers on Burtons unique style or indeed a style that leaves an impact.