I saw Tim Burton’s new gem, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street this weekend and thought I’d review it for ya’ll. The main thing I wanted to tell you was, Helena Bonham Carter wasn’t lying when she reminisced about her melon to tangarine chest during the movie. Her body really did change and then change back several times during Sweeney Todd. It was a hoot to watch.

About Sweeney Todd though, this was just like most other Tim Burton movies (and I don’t just mean psychotic)! Sweeney Todd was dark and gothic, enough going on to keep your interest, great acting (Johnny Depp of course!), musicallyish and had just enough laughs to keep you from crying like a little girl, but not too many to keep it from being odd and serious. Oh and it had hilarious blood, I really appreciated the blood.

Here’s the premise: Benjamin Barker (Depp) is a barber who is sentenced to 15 years in Australia on false charges by Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman), who lusted wife and daughter Johanna. He escapes and returns to London as Sweeney Todd. He takes up in his old house with the meat pie maker Mrs. Lovett’s (sadistic Helena Bohnam Carter) and has a barber shop up top. With the shop as a cover and his razors as his weapon he decides to exact revenge on those who took his life away, esp the Judge because it turns out his wife took poison and his daughter is a ward of the Judge now. Murder ensues.

The music was great, especially this scene where Sweeney Todd, Mrs. Lovett and her worker kid Toby are having a picnic in dank London and she starts singing a frilly song about how she wishes their future can be, with the beach and sunshine and pretty clothes and happy times, and they are showing you this scene as she sings and the whole time Sweeny Todd looks like a zombie with no reaction. . . maybe you had to be there, but it’s funny.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention Johnny Depp really can sing. That sexy sexy man should do it more often.

Sweeney Todd gets 3/5 LJ Stars, and yes I know Bailey is going to kill me for that. Give it a go but make your expectations kinda low.