Sweeney Todd was very good. The following is a rundown of points that caught my eye/ear, for better or for worse.
- It always pleases me when a film does something interesting with the opening credits. They had a thin trail of blood following the path of one of Sweeney's victims while the music to the Ballad of Sweeney Todd played. There were no lyrics in the film version, but one generally wouldn't expect lyrics during the credits.
- Come to think of it, the chorus was done away with in general. Too bad.
- Alan Rickman as the judge (well cast and well played) didn't have his first song about lusting after Johanna. Can't say I was wedded to the song, but I didn't see any reason to cut it. On the other hand, Burton added some dialogue between Turpin and Antony that I though fit quite well.
- Toby has a nice voice for a kid his age when he's not trying to belt.
- You could tell this already from the R rating, but Burton didn't shy away from the throat-slitting. The blood was a little too bright red to be entirely believeable, but it worked very well for Lucy and Todd's deaths, which were more stylized in their flow (in both senses of the word).
- They cut Todd's last line to the beadle: "I am entirely at your disposal." Important? No, but it was a nice line.
- Uh...yow. Sweeney really doesn't like Turpin. You'll see what I mean.
- Applause to Helena Bonham Carter for her performance, particularly when it comes to the deadpan humor.
- Oh, come on. There is no way that Turpin would still be alive after the slashity-slash and a twenty-foot drop on his head.
- Todd's bleeding onto the face of his wife reminded me of a bit from Antigone. I'll have to point that out to my Classical Worlds teacher.
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