Johnny Depp and Tim Burton join forces again in a big-screen adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's award-winning musical thriller "Sweeney Todd." Depp stars in the title role as a man unjustly sent to prison who vows revenge, not only for that cruel punishment, but for the devastating consequences of what happened to his wife and daughter. When he returns to reopen his barber shop, Sweeney Todd becomes the Demon Barber of Fleet Street who "shaved the heads of gentlemen who never thereafter were heard from again." Joining Depp is Helena Bonham Carter as Mrs. Lovett, Sweeney's amorous accomplice, who creates diabolical meat pies. The cast also includes Alan Rickman, who portrays the evil Judge Turpin, who sends Sweeney to prison and Timothy Spall as the Judge's wicked associate Beadle Bamford and Sacha Baron Cohen is a rival barber, the flamboyant Signor Adolfo Pirelli.

Sweeney Todd is one of those films that you will either absolutely love or hate as there is no real middle ground. For me personally I absolutely loved the film, as it was a dark and twisted tale of vengeance, revenge and the insanity of one man driven to the extreme. Some of the complaints I hear about the movie from people who disliked it is that it is to bloody and gory or they just couldn't get into it being a musical. That's where the love it or hate it relationship comes in the violence and the gore is very fitting to the character of Sweeney Todd who has almost become barren and no longer has a care for the world. The violence doesn't abhor him, the brutality of it all doesn't make him squeamish, he kills with a mirthless insanity as his character has been driven near the very edge of sanity and he doesn't care anymore. You have to accept it as that and maybe avert your eyes during the very worst of it as blood splatters the silver screen itself.

As far as it being a musical that is also very fitting. The music offsets the violence and the brutality, it gives the movie a little humanity and is almost humorous to see characters break out into song in between murders and deaths. By far the best part of the film is Helena Bonham Carter portrayal of the lovesick and haunted pie maker Mrs. Lovett that is so in love with Benjamin Barker and his alter ego Sweeney Todd that she grinds up the bodies of those he has murdered into meat pies to be sold at her shop. She is just as devious and has a touch of evil that doesn't exist in Sweeney Todd as his crimes are mirthless and for vengeance only but Carter finds away to profit from the madness and turn her pie shop into a very prosperous business once more. She pines for Sweeney Todd not realizing he can never be hers and she goes along with the madness and her character is what makes the movie as she adds the depth to what would have been just a simple revenge movie otherwise.

Tim Burton is the perfect director to bring this dark and disturbing play to film as he has the style that seems almost too perfect. The dark and menacing tones of London, the almost gothic feel to the movie fits the characters and the story. The city is wrapped in darkness and so our the characters, haunted and tortured eating away at each other and Tim Burton brings that out better than anyone else. The movie is dark and twisted, the characters are dark and twisted and everything seems as black as night and so fitting to the style of the film.

The cast is chock full of great performances from Johnny Depp’s understated and tortured turn as Sweeney Todd to Helena Bonham Carter lovesick and desperate pie maker to the rapturous Alan Rickman as the man that destroys everyone’s lives. By far the best performance is from Helena Bonham Carter who shows what an amazing actress she is. Even Sacha Baron Cohen puts in a good performance as the rival Barber who decides to blackmail Sweeney Todd. Like I said you will either love the film or hate it, if your not into musicals or gore then you should probably avoid the film but if you want a good tale of revenge and vengeance the movie is a must see.

Grade: A-