MARAUDING FILMS

I didn’t want to see this movie mostly because I feel I’ve seen enough of Johnny Depp and enough Tim Burton and certainly enough of the two together. Because the theater was crowded I was forced up front into no man’s land and figured it would be over for me and my group early because I don’t usually enjoy these seats and avoid them at all costs. Figured I’d watch a few minutes and turn to my group and say. ” Oh well we tried, this sucks lets get out of here.” But I didn’t. I was transfixed by the beautiful picture that greeted me, it felt as though this movies was made with the person in the front row center in mind the whole time. I wasn’t uncomfortable, in fact I very comfortable pressed deep into my seat as watched a dreary but intriguing London unravel on the screen. I also found myself amazed by Depp’s makeup and face, it was as impressive and impressionable as the landscape, it was a story in itself. It really wasn’t until later that I was taken out of the story by the resemblance of Sweeny Todd to Edward Scissorhands in the scene where Todd raises his razors to the sky. Another quark about the story involves Sweeny’s motivations. In the first act his actions are just and your are with him wholeheartedly as he seeks his revenge, but when he and Mrs. Lovette decide to kill wanton to provide meat for her shop, you feel disconnected from the story and the characters as Sweeny coldly kills his victims in his killing chair. Also when the boy is locked below I have a problem believing that Mrs. Lovette would kill him but then she is the one cooked up this scheme in the first place, but when the boy snaps into one of Mrs. Lovette’s meat pies and spies a finger, well I was totally taken out of the movie. What has the young boy been eating? None of patrons have had similar experiences? The meat grinder is working sometimes? It just seemed like lazy story or showboating, I don’t know but the writer seemed to break his own rules in his kingdom thus pulling the audience out rudely.

Overall I like the movie and the above points were minor. The movie takes you to another world and lets you wander another time and for that it did a wonderful job.