Johnny Depp has played a handful of memorable characters in film history, with Sweeny Todd being one of them. I can openly admit I have only enjoyed watching Depp in a handful of roles and really can’t stand his more iconic ones, like Jack Sparrow. Much to the surprise of my wife, I had never seen Sweeney Todd because the movie didn’t seem to be something I would enjoy.
We agreed during quarantine that it was time for me to watch this movie, and we did. When all the singing and bloodshed was done, I neither liked nor disliked the film.
The story and its dark characters all had good moments and bad moments. I could have gone with a handful of people not singing, sorry Alan Rickman, because their voices weren’t that good. Either that or the songs they were meant to sing were the problem. It’s tough to have that argument when both sides could be right.
The highlight of the project had to be Helena Bonham Carter’s character. I’ve always admired how deep she gets invested in her characters, this one was no exception. She can actually sing, which was one of the films only bright spots.
The majority of people love Depp and his performances as specific characters. I can see from reviews that Sweeney Todd is one of his best roles since the film is rated 7.3 on IMDb and has an 85% rating on RottenTomatoes.
I enjoyed the darkness of the film, and by that, I don’t mean all the killing. I mean, how dark and twisted everything was. The consistent dark overcast served as an excellent canvas for Sweeny to splash red all over it. There was a lot to like and dislike about the story. I can see why it would be so loved, and I know some of you can understand where I come from. To keep things neutral, I’m putting my rating right down the middle. 5/10
Ten Stars or Less 