Reviews of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street review

Posted : 2 weeks, 5 days ago on 8 December 2009 07:26 (A review of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street)

Sweeney Todd was definitely the most anticipating film of 2007 for me because I was looking forward to it so much and I knew it was going to be a very close favourite of mine even before I watched it. It is a very dark musical that in my opinion didn't disappoint at all. It was a bit of a risk because it is a dark film with a lot of blood and brutal killings and it is part of the light hearted genre: musicals. There have been very dark musicals in the past that haven't even been compared to Sweeney Todd; not even 2002 Oscar Best Picture winner Chicago. Before I saw Sweeney Todd I wasn't a massive Tim Burton film because I hadn't really been into his films until I saw Sweeney Todd. This film not only inspired me to watch more film from Tim Burton but also to watch dark films with dark stories and visual designs in which Sweeney Todd has. It is a kick-ass film in my opinion because it is just a deeply interesting story that follows through Sweeney's dark and brutal path of revenge. It is also the characters within the film that made it really special. This film is very dark and really tense but despite that it is quite a very thought provoking and emotional story as well. Sweeney Todd is a film that I have watched over and over again (about 100 times) and have loved it every single time I've watched it. It wasn't only how it was filmed that I really loved about it, it was also the songs and how they flowed with the film. I have always done and still do sing to the songs of Sweeney Todd even though I do consider myself to be a pretty bad singer. My favourite songs from the film are "A Little Priest", "Epiphany", "My Friends", "No Place Like London" and "Pretty Women". I bought the soundtrack for the film and I even bought the book about how the film was made and the possible history of Sweeney Todd himself. There is a twist in this film. Some people don't really think it's a twist, that its more like a revelation but it affects the story so, yes, it is a twist. It left me in great shock for hours and I couldn't believe it because it was so unexpected.


Johnny Depp's performance as Sweeney Todd/Benjamin Barker is a performance that only he can portray because he portrays the character in a very sinster, menacing, deadly and yet rather emotional way. The way Johnny expresses the audience's attention for the films he's in are always the same. For example "Wow! What a great film! He was bloody gorgeous!" I find that to be obviously understandable but rather silly in some places. Sweeney Todd's character was really interesting and very hard to watch on occasions because he always has something up his sleeve but sometimes suffers in silence while doing so especially when he's around Mrs. Lovett. Johnny's performance as Sweeney Todd is a slight taste of the types of characters in his other films in the past. For example, cool and entertaining: Captain Jack Sparrow and Ed Wood, emotional: Edward Scissorhands and Finding Neverland, villainous: Secret Window and Public Enemies. We see Johnny's darkest side towards his acting talent which is I think that everybody can appreciate because who doesn't love Johnny Depp? Johnny's singing in the songs was absolutely incredible! To be honest, I was actually surprised about how good he was. Now onto the character, before he became Sweeney Todd, a London barber called Benjamin Barker is married to his wife Lucy with whom he has a baby daughter Johanna. While out in the markets they are spotted by the evil Judge Turpin and because Barker's wife is blonde and beautiful, he gets Barker arrested and sent into exile across the other side of the world. After his 15 years in prison, he mysteriously comes back to London and becomes a whole new person again with the name of Sweeney Todd instead of Benjamin Barker. He doesn't say how he ends up back in London but he does. He goes back to Mrs. Lovett's Pie Shop with whom he was a neighbour of hers once with his wife and daughter. He learns the truth of what happened to his wife and daughter when he was away so he and Mrs. Lovett take their journey through Sweeney's path of revenge by him killing his victims and Mrs. Lovett stuffing their meat into the pies in her shop. Helena Bonham Carter's performance as Mrs. Lovett is a very unique and really cool performance. Both her and Depp are the only two actors who could have pulled off Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett and it is that simple. Helena looked too cool in this film. She made Mrs. Lovett like a gothic sort of character with the make-up, costumes, hair and even her voice as does Johnny as Sweeney Todd. Mrs. Lovett is a very mysterious woman because I think that she says she has love feelings for Todd even though he doesn't have any for her. Helena Bonham Carter has always be an actress portraying really unusual and odd characters but Mrs. Lovett is the oddest character she has played so far. Alan Rickman's performance as Judge Turpin was another incredible performance because he is typical Alan Rickman because Turpin is a really slimy, scheming character just like Snape but is a bit of a criminal and paedophile. Alan's performance should have earned him an Oscar nomination. Timothy Spall was really good alongside Alan Rickman in Sweeney Todd because those two are probably the only actors who can play really slimy, scheming and sinister characters in the films. Sacha Baron Cohen is really quite funny in this film but he is rather serious as well because he fakes his identity. His name isn't really Adolfo Pirelli and he isn't Italian either. Sacha's singing of "The Contest" was beyond me because Sacha is a British man and he has a great Italian accent. Him singing that song sort of brought Borat back again.


Tim Burton's work on Sweeney Todd is a massive inspiration to me because he has created a dark story that I don't think he or anyone has made before. The one Tim Burton film that Sweeney Todd is slightly similar to is Sleepy Hollow because of the blood, dark settings, costumes and because they're both thrillers but Sweeney Todd is a musical and Sleepy Hollow is a fantasy. I always watched the exclusive interviews that Tim had about Sweeney Todd (the same with Johnny and Helena). By seeing Burton's artistic drawings of Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett, I thought and Burton said himself that "that is them. Johnny and Helena fit that couple for certain because they are so odd and unique." I was so fascinated by this film and Tim Burton's work towards it I couldn't stop watching how they made the film and the trailers and video clips. The script is adapted from the previous musical so it is the same as the musical play but that doesn't bother me in the slightest. Tim Burton has created his most creative film, his darkest film and his coolest film yet. Sweeney Todd is a film that we would be expecting Tim to do because its really dark just like Sleepy Hollow.


Sweeney Todd is one of the best films of all time in my opinion. Sweeney Todd is my favourite musical and probably always will be. It is both Johnny Depp's and Helena Bonham Carter's best film. Sweeney Todd has a confirmed and firmly sealed place at the best Tim Burton film. 2007 was a great year for cinema. It is probably the best year in cinema of the decade and I am proud to say that this is the best film of 2007 and I knew it even before I saw the film. It is an absolutely perfect film that I love in every single way. Masterpiece!!

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A tale of Revenge,yet flawed plot holes.

Posted : 10 months, 3 weeks ago on 3 February 2009 02:41 (A review of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street)

''There was a barber and his wife... And she was beautiful...A foolish barber and his wife...She was his reason and his life... And she was beautiful... And she was virtuous... And he was... naive.''

The infamous story of Benjamin Barker, a.k.a Sweeney Todd, who sets up a barber shop down in London which is the basis for a sinister partnership with his fellow tenant, Mrs. Lovett. Based on the hit Broadway musical.

Johnny Depp: Sweeney Todd

Stephen Sondheim's stage work has not, with one significant exception, fared well when transfered to the joys of cinema. The exception is, of course, energetic West Side Story, for which he is credited solely as lyricist. Gypsy, his other significant lyrics-only credit, is a magnificent show which became a mystifyingly mediocre transfer piece. Whatever cinematic virtues Richard Lester's version of A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum may have, it wasn't well received. And the movie of A Little Night Music vanished, almost without a flicker ofit's existence present, in spite of the appearance, in the cast of Elizabeth Taylor and Diana Rigg. As a composer-lyricist, Sondheim's most successful Hollywood outing has not occurred in an adaptation of a stage work, but as the songwriter for Warren Beatty's movie Dick Tracy, his contributions to which won him a bemusing Oscar.

Given the above, Tim Burton's Sweeney Todd is probably going to be the movie-going publics abiding view of Sondheim's peak of fame. In this respect, even with substantial cuts to the stage show's score, it serves the songs well. The original orchestrator and musical director were on hand to provide their considerable combined expertise, and in a big cinema with a state-of-the-art sound system, it's a terrific aural experience. At least as far as the instruments are concerned...

Vocally, it's another matter. I've heard people sneer at Johnny Depp's sound, but personally I think he's pretty good. For what Alan Rickman and Timothy Spall have to do, they get away with it, whereas Sacha Baron Cohen can'tdo wrong with Italian Operatic imitation, as are Jayne Wisener, Jamie Campbell Bower, wonderfully bouncy Ed Sanders, and, in a sadly reduced role, Laura Michelle Kelly. Helena Bonham Carter is, unfortunately, little short of a disaster on this front, although she sings in time and mostly in tune, the sound is dreary and lacking energy.

In fact, the main weakness in the movie for me is that Mrs Lovett is played so listlessly and paradoxically. I can kind of see where this might have come from: the woman is worn out keeping her business going etc. But her songs are full of life,full of hope and love. Tim Burton can evidently feel the exuberance in the greatest of them, The Worst Pies In London. The camera-work and the film editing are very sprightly during it. But Bonham Carter's wispy tone undermines the comedy.

Bonham Carter is not by any means a bad actress: her scenes with Ed Sanders are grounded and real, and she successfully conveys, in the midst of all the gore, Mrs Lovett's adoration of Sweeney Todd. But she is, essentially, and unfortunately, miscast.

On the other hand, the romantic couple, on stage generally too old (and mostly deadly dull), benefit here from appropriate casting, generous close-ups, and the tightening up of their story (at one point inexplicably: when Anthony Hope comes bounding in to tell Mr Todd of his discovery of Joanna, we have no sense of how Anthony knows where to find Todd, since we haven't seen them re-bond since they went their ways at the start of the movie, Todd giving Anthony only the vaguest idea of his future whereabouts).

Todd himself is the real center of the movie that bears his name, which is also a welcome shift from what happens in the theatre. On stage, the sheer energy of Mrs Lovett's material works to favour her. It is no accident that while she has been successfully portrayed by a number of first-rate actresses, only journeyman George Hearn came near to making Todd his own. Johnny Depp has now stamped his indelible mark on the role. He is, as we all know, a fine actor. Although here he doesn't actually appear to have to stretch his acting muscles unduly, he is such a star presence that any film he's in will revolve effortlessly around him. The Burton/Depp partnership has given us at least two dazzlers - Edward Scissorhands and Ed Wood. Sweeney Todd is in the same boat.

In my view, the stage show is simply a piece of fun with Grand Guignol conventions. It's apparent dourness may stem from the political gloss on the Todd story in the play version by Chris Bond, which Sondheim took as his source material. Although Bond's play is anything but solemn, the somberness of Sondheim's music undoubtedly darkened its tone, which has made mining the rich humour in it rather more difficult. The fact is that Sweeney Todd is not a work that requires much dwelling upon, in fact there are countless loop holes of unexplained happenings, such as Turpin unable to recognize the Barber's residence. Attempts to burden it with significance merely serve to show up its simple basis as an entertainment. It has been taken up by opera houses, where the fun has been duly taken out of it, and its musical limitations mercilessly exposed.

Tim Burton goes some way to reinstating the dark humour of the piece with his nimble camera. I can certainly see why the material would appeal to him. It's the Burton Empire of Nightmare Before Christmas, The Corpse Bride, and even Mars Attacks. Whether Sondheim aficionados will be delighted, I somehow doubt. Never mind: they can always go back to the video of the stage show, which features the great Angela Lansbury in one of her showpiece roles, giving some insight into what is missing here.

''They all deserve to die.''

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Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street review

Posted : 1 year, 5 months ago on 2 July 2008 01:34 (A review of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street)

I expected more of this movie, it's a bit strange and boore to me. perhaps 'cause i don't like musical movies much 8D buuut, Depp is Depp XDD anyway the photography is great, as all Burton's movies :D

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Sweeney Todd Review

Posted : 1 year, 7 months ago on 6 May 2008 09:54 (A review of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street)

Who knew a musical about a serial killer could be so bloody GREAT?!?!?!
LOVED IT. IT IS THE ABSOLUTE BEST FILM I'VE EVER SEEN. The viuals are STUNNING, the acting SUPERB, and Johhny Depp REALLY CAN sing!

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Epitome of Burton's filmmaking!

Posted : 1 year, 8 months ago on 21 April 2008 04:06 (A review of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street)

"There was a barber and his wife...and she was beautiful..."

Tim Burton is unquestionably one of my favourite directors, if not my absolute favourite director. It's a fact that no matter what the film or the subject matter, I will view a film helmed by Tim Burton (at the time of writing this review, I have seen all of Burton's work and own all his films). The partnership of Tim Burton and Johnny Depp will forever be a movie occasion to treasure, be it Ed Wood or Edward Scissorhands among an enormous number of others. It was the end of 2006 when Dreamworks fast-tracked Burton's latest collaboration with Johnny Depp...and I initially discovered Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. The plan was to transform the lucrative Broadway musical into the world of live action cinema. The best part is that Burton promised a full-on musical to maintain a sense of fidelity to Steven Sondheim's brilliant Broadway production. Before the announcement of Burton's cinematic version of the musical, I hadn't possessed any prior knowledge of the source material. I had no idea what the film was about until my interest suddenly flared and research followed.

If you're familiar with the Broadway musical, you'll be aware of the dark humour and gothic style that is such a prominent feature. Sweeney Todd is a story intended for Tim Burton. The director possesses a distinctive superiority when it comes to the macabre and gothic tones. With the completion of creepy period films such as the wondrous Sleepy Hollow, director Burton demonstrated a special ability to deliver dark humour and elegant visuals. Burton is a director who can bring flawed and unusual characters to life. He is the master of darkness and has adapted a penchant for tossing a little blood around his sets in an exaggerated, albeit entertaining manner. Since the beginning of his career, stunning gothic visuals and extravagant production design has been his forte. Sweeney Todd is a film regarding a central character who is a sorrowful, vengeful and formerly caring individual. This character finds redemption for crimes against him and his family by slashing the throats of the innocents of London while hoping to one day slash the throat of the man who stole his wife and daughter from him. What better plot and central character could possibly be better suited for Tim Burton to bring to life?

2007 was a year that beared the release of several great films, but the year also saw its fair share of bad films (in my opinion, there were more bad films than good films throughout the year). Tim Burton's cinematic vision of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is a masterpiece of epic proportions, and ultimately ended up being the best film of 2007 without question or debate. After mentioning so much about Burton's brilliant work, I must admit I was a little worried because Burton's last movie, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, was disappointing to say the least. With this film, however, Burton patches up the scars. Like I previously mentioned, I didn't know much about the source material before walking into the cinema and had no idea that this film was going to be so good. Within the first few seconds of the titles commencing, I was completely enthralled in Burton's universe.

The film is so poetic, stylish, beautiful and so incredibly emotional at times as well. Every shot has been conceived beautifully, and every line delivered remarkably. This is a musical of course, so naturally the songs being interesting is a vitality. All the songs are utterly stunning and are crafted beautifully. Combine the witty lyrics of Steven Sondheim with the musical stylings of a successful Hollywood composer...suddenly things are looking interesting. The songs are both memorable and remarkable. I purchased the soundtrack CD immediately and now it's my default channel.

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is the story of a man named Benjamin Barker (Depp) who once had everything; a wife, a child and a successful career as a barber. For Barker, life could not be better. But a false conviction of a crime he did not commit destroys his happiness and his life, causing him to suffer through a massive, heart-breaking emotional trauma. Upon Barker's London homecoming by boat 15 years later to right the wrongs against him, he comes home to nothing. His family has been ripped apart. He forms an unlikely partnership with Mrs. Lovett (Carter), a creepy old woman who owns a pie shop. Benjamin Barker, who now goes by the name of Sweeney Todd, wants revenge on crooked Judge Turpin (Rickman) who convicted him out of sheer jealously. Sweeney re-opens a barber shop on Fleet Street, with the intention of getting sweet revenge on Turpin if he comes in for a shave. Sweeney uses his sharp silver blades to slash the throats of the innocent London public that come in for a shave, before destroying the evidence of his crimes by allowing the troubled Mrs. Lovett to cook the human corpses into her pies.

From start to finish, I was completely hooked. I literally couldn't tear my eyes away from the screen. Its combination of a superb cast, excellent music, exquisite production design and gorgeous cinematography creates a flawless movie. I remember goose-bumps literally covering my body as soon as the music commenced at the start of the opening credits...the outstanding organ music that successfully creates the desired atmosphere and tone for what is about to come.

Burton's unique colour scheme depicts the grimy streets of London with extremely drained colour that predominantly makes use of grey a black among other dark colours. The sky is always dark, with never a ray of bright sunshine poking through. This is the depressing, gothic mood that the director aimed to achieve. During the flashbacks that depict the events of the past, the colour scheme has been changed to show an array of bright colours as the sun lights the cheery streets. This symbolises Barker's emotions, so to speak. When Barker is happy with his life the colours are bright and joyous. Then when he returns to London and the life he once lived has been destroyed...his depression is reflected in the gloomy visuals.

Johnny Depp, playing the demon barber, is absolutely remarkable. Before this film Depp had never displayed his singing abilities on film. Before he was an actor he played guitar in a band with never an attempt to handle any vocals. If it weren't for his close friend Tim Burton asking him to consider a singing role, he would have gone through his whole career without singing a note. Thankfully, Depp's former career in the music industry allowed him to sing a brilliant tune. Before the film's release, Depp singing was a big question mark. As the film was not marketed as a musical from the previews, we were therefore never given the opportunity to witness the actor handling a song. When I first viewed the film in the cinema (on opening day) I sat in complete awe at the beauty of Johnny Depp's breathtaking singing. The actor was recognised with a Golden Globe win and an Oscar nomination for Best Actor (I still believe he wholly deserved to win). Helena Bonham Carter was the only member of the cast I was reluctant about, but my fears were soon alleviated by her stunning acting skills. She is able to carry on a brilliant duet with co-star Depp. Her singing is amazing. Alan Rickman is brilliant here, as are the rest of the supporting cast. This includes Timothy Spall, Sacha Baron Cohen (whose singing is quite incredible), Jamie Campbell Bower, Laura Michelle Kelly, Jayne Wisener and Ed Sanders. Every member of the cast can sing to perfection.

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is a brilliant mix of dark humour, horror, romance, drama and tragedy. The ending is very sad, but very poetic at the same time. As the credits start to roll (with every screening I watch) I am a complete mess. Usually tears are escaping my eyes...I'm left speechless and stunned. The film is very violent, and when the exaggerated bloodshed begins it is very relentless and there is no stopping it. With Burton's direction the violence is very stylish and extraordinarily beautiful. Of course Burton's direction is the icing on the cake here. The man is a visionary and a wizard of filmmaking. His films are simply close to unbeatable. I am not a fan of the musical genre (interestingly enough, neither is Burton); however a musical of this superiority is a rare event. With each new screening I am always captivated.

Tim Burton's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is a modern masterpiece. It's an acquired taste and will not be liked by all of course, so you're welcome to disagree. Every aspect of the filmmaking is absolutely stunning. Without argument or question, this is the best movie of 2007. Since first watching this film, I cannot prevent myself from indulging in repeated screenings. To date, this is Burton's finest hour. Winner of 2 Golden Globes including Best Picture (Comedy or Musical) and Best Actor (for Johnny Depp).

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Sweeney Todd review

Posted : 1 year, 10 months ago on 29 February 2008 04:54 (A review of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street)

I travelled 55 kilometres and had to beg my parents to give me a ride just so I could see this movie on its official premiere day (Feb 29) here in Finland — can you believe we had to wait all this time? — and let me tell you, it was so worth the trouble!

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is absolutely brilliant. I've heard so many people complain about it being a musical (I'm not terribly fond of musicals either) but I rather liked how the singing and the story worked together! Ranging from adoring to murderous, the music helped to create the different atmospheres needed for each scene. I also think all the actors did a really good job at singing, I don't care if anyone else says otherwise.

Sweeney Todd is dark — certainly the darkest movie I have ever seen — in a very Tim Burton-y way but it also has lighter moments and touches of humour here and there. There is also a lot of (fake-looking) blood all over the place but it works really well. Even I thought it looked good and I can't really watch splatter films or anything too gory without getting annoyed at all the blood that is sprayed around. In this movie the great story and the well-played characters helped to keep the balance.

Full marks to all the actors and the director. This movie will definitely stay at the top of my list of favourite movies for a long, long time.

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Sweeney Todd

Posted : 1 year, 11 months ago on 25 January 2008 09:12 (A review of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street)

This has to be one of my favourite films ever, no doubt about that. When I first walked into the cinema to see this, I knew I was going to love it.. but I had no idea I would enjoy this film as much as I did. It had that distinctive Tim Burton 'style' to it. Dark, mysterious, eerie, bloody and humorous. You could call this a mixture of genres.. obviously it is a musical, but it's just as much of a horror movie as it is a comedy.

Johnny Depp is Sweeney Todd.. the demon barber of Fleet Street. A dark character that comes across as a revenge-seeking, sinister person. All you need to know about this plot is that Sweeney Todd was once locked away from his wife and daughter, and came back to London to seek revenge. After his first killing Mrs Lovett, played by Helena Bonham Carter, suggests using the flesh in meat pies. From then the story unfolds in itself, creating some unexpected plot turns and an outstanding end to this masterpiece. Tim Burton directs one of the greatest movies ever made, making it really his own. Another reason to see this is if you absolutely love Tim's style of movies, you will love Sweeney Todd.

Johnny Depp showed yet again how he is one of the best actors of his generation, and has proved to me why he is my all-time favourite actor. This was something completely different for him.. singing. I personally thought he was brilliant, the perfect actor with the perfect voice for Sweeney Todd. Seeing Helena Bonham Carter in this movie has made me admire her a lot more as an actress, she made her character certainly a lot more entertaining than I can imagine anyone else doing. She really made another stand-out performance for me. Alan Rickman was everything you would imagine his character to be, but as for his singing.. I can't really comment because to me it was more like just talking compared to other actors.. but it still blended in well with everything. Sacha Baron Cohen provided a couple of entertaining scenes, while Timothy Spall was as disgusting as you would imagine him to be.

I can't express in words how much I loved this film, but I tried. I would strongly recommend this to anyone, just be prepared that this is a musical. Other than that... enjoy!

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