Carter, however, is a joy to watch; she adds an incredible amount of humor and depth to the role. The rest of the cast too are up to their task, particularly Rickman who is, at turns, both befuddled and strong-minded as Judge Turpin. Equally fun to watch is Timothy Spall as Beadle, who is something of a villainous right-hand man to Turpin.
Unfortunately, with the lead being such a let down, little can be done to bolster the rest of the piece. Burton does try his best however, and the film, particularly in Blu-ray, looks visually stunning. Done mainly in dark hues (save the incredibly red splatters of blood), the film fits perfectly into the Burton pantheon. The film vividly depicts a small little corner of London, England. The set design, green screen work, and general mise en scène is not only fully realized, but appears spectacular on Blu-ray.
The extras included on the Blu-ray are nearly all done in HD, and explore not just behind-the-scenes goings-on for this particular version of the Todd story, but its antecedents as well. Depp, Burton, Zanuck, Carter, and others all get screen time as they discuss their experiences making the film. One of the more interesting featurettes is "Sweeney's London" which is a look at the historical time in London when the story takes place. It examines the different classes of people that lived in the city and the direction of society as a whole. As interesting as the background is, as is the case with so many featurettes on DVDs and Blu-ray, it (and the rest of the featurettes present) is certainly not worth purchasing the disc for.
In the end, there is much to like about Tim Burton's version of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. The tale, the music, the design, and direction are all wonderful. It is a fully realized motion picture. It did, however, need someone who could sing in the lead. Even in this role, Depp exudes charisma and charm, but that's not quite enough to carry a musical lead.
Article comments
1 - vermontfudge
Well lots of movie goers and critics loved Depp's singing. For example, the New York Times music critic, who usually reviews opera, really admired his singing.
Depp is always self deprecatory, don't read anything into that. Seems like the more familiar people were with this musical and the degree of difficulty involved in the role, the more they appreciated Depp's singing.
2 - mombot
I agree with vermontfudge. The critics for the most part said Depp sang very well; most had less praise for Helena Bonham Carter's singing. I liked both leads, myself. She made Mrs. Lovett more sympathetic than is usually the case with that role.
Musicals on screen haven't been all that good in recent years in spite of good singers, to put it mildly. This one is wonderful and the moment I can get my hands on a Blu-ray (and the right tv to go with it) I'm buying this film to play on it first.