Sweeney Todd

For my first “New Movie Monday” post, I shall be reviewing the work of Tim Burton, director of Sweeney Todd. 

What a way to kick off this part of the blog! I enjoy a good musical from time to time and have always heard that this is a grand one. And to an extent I agree, I just don’t do well with gruesome things. I guess I should have read the sub title on the cover a little better,“The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”. I suppose it would have told me a little more about the movie and I wouldn’t have gone in completely blind. 

Brief summary 

Todd and his friend, Anthony, are on their way back to London from a trip. Kicking off the movie with a catchy song, I was hooked. “

“There's a hole in the world like a great black pit and the vermin of the world inhabit it and its morals aren't worth what a pig could spit and it goes by the name of London.”

If you watch it, you’ll hear the catchiness. Promise. Anyways... Todd wonders into his old apartment where he meets “Mrs. Lovett, the owner of the shop below the apartment where he and his family use to live. There’s also a catchy song during this time. I loved it. Mrs. Lovett tells Mr. Todd that his wife took arsenic and his daughter is in the care of Judge Turpins’. Devastating news to Mr. Todd. Oh right, he’s a barber as well. which is very important to the story. Mr. Todd starts to come up with a plan to kill the man who is responsible for the loss of his wife and the absence of his daughter. The two new comrades go to the town square where there is a shave off between Mr. Todd and another barber. Mr. Todd wins due to having the best razors that one could ever wish for. And the plan is set into motion! The judges assistant is there and says that he will be seeing Mr. Todd on Fleet street before the week is over. Huzzah!! 

Oh snap! The barber he had a shave off with has come for a visit to Fleet Street. And he won’t be returning to his shop. Bum, bum, bum. Mrs. Lovett then has a ‘brilliant’ idea. It’s a man eat man world, so in order to pick up business, how about man eat man? Right. Because who doesn’t want a nice meat pie made of the local priest? At least it’s Holy. If you need a shave on Fleet street, you’re probably going to lose your neck for it. 

MEANWHILE. Anthony,you remember Anthony right, the jolly good friend that accompanied Mr. Todd on his way back to London? Well he has found a beautiful girl by the name of Johanna who has been locked away in a room. His mission is to rescue her from that room. Did you guess this part? Johanna is Mr. Todds long lost daughter!! 

So here’s the thing, if I tell you much more, it’ll be giving away the movie. And I’m not going to do that. Because if you want to watch it you should be just as surprised as I was. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Qq4bJvoQJM << Second catchy song. Hopefully the link works

Thoughts

This was a really great movie. I’m not a fan of the gore and the unnecessary killings. But since that’s the premise of the movie, ya get whatcha get. I admit that I had to pause it a few times in order to prep myself for what I knew was about to come. ...and I may have watched a few scenes through squinted eyes. But as I said,great. And with a very surprising twist. 

My favorite thing about the movie? Johnny Depp. I’m a fan. Big fan. He’s such a versatile actor. MTV did well with honoring him at the movie awards this year. I’ll pretty much watch anything with him in it. Second favorite things were all the supporting actors. Fun little fact. I’m a huge Harry Potter fan. And this movie had 3 HP actors in it. Snape played the Judge, Wormtail was the judges assistant and Bellatrix was none other than...Miss Lovett! Yippee! The even better thing is that all of these actors were also in Alice in Wonderland together. I love it when things like this happen. And did you know that all of the above could sing?? I sure didn’t. It was a delightful surprise. They’re great.

 That was my only fun fact that I could give. Im sorry if you were hoping for more. 

 The musical talent in the movie was awesome. I don’t know if actors to play characters could have been picked much better. I say that, but I think that Timothy Spalls character could have improved. His character didn’t develop into anything really, just played an awesome supporting role. And I wish that he didn’t have that gross hair. 

Well now I’m just getting picky. 

First New Movie Monday post, so I’m sure that they will get better. Bear with me, I’m also rushing through this one because, I failed to do my quiz and exam before starting it. And then the boys and I went to the pool. Time to cram and hopefully get a good grade.

Stay Tuned.

Shelby