I still haven't entirely gotten over my disappointment that Tim Burton cut the lyrics from the "Ballad of Sweeney Todd" opening, but other than that I'm pretty much sold on his adaptation of the Stephen Sondheim musical. A few critics have criticized Johnny Depp's singing voice; I think it was Anthony Lane who said it sounds too much like a Bowie impression. And while Depp's singing did make me wonder what late '80s Bowie might have done with the part, overall his take on "Mr. T" worked for me; it's not "big," but I felt there was just enough of a naturalistic undercurrent to make his characterizatin believable within the context of a screen version built largely on close-ups as opposed to a stage presentation. Helena Bonham Carter can hold her own musically in scenes with Depp, but she's less effective in the "Not While I'm Around" duet with young Ed Sanders as Toby; on the other hand, her acting is strong enough to cover any vocal deficiencies.

(Actually, you know who would probably make an awesome Sweeney Todd, if he can sing? Richard E. Grant.)

The good folks at Oxford University Press, who are publishing the official movie tie-in edition of the source novel, were kind enough to get me into the sneak preview, and I was able to study up by reading The Wonderful and Surprising History of Sweeney Todd, an academic study of all the different versions of the legends that have built up around Todd by Robert L. Mack (who also prepared the novel for publication), which gave me some additional insights into the original stage productions of the Sondheim. But no amount of book learning could've prepared me for all the blood. Oh, yeah, Burton didn't scrimp on the blood budget, that's for sure. Although none of the carnage seemed gratuitous—rather, each killing has a distinct, and essential, dramatic effect. Well, okay, we could argue about the "Johanna"/"City on Fire" number. Somebody else might well find those throat slittings grautitious; I'm of the opinion that getting the audience used to seeing Sweeney Todd slicing away on strangers is a necessary set-up for the truly jarring effects of the climactic deaths to come.

Anyway, I guess what I'm saying is: Go. It's Sondheim, and the fact that it's on film actually underscores the influence that Bernard Herrmann had on Sondheim's composition technique, and the production values are lavish, and did I mention it's Sondheim? Go already.