Sweeney Todd - The Demon Barber of Fleet Street | 
 enlarge | Director: Tim Burton
Actors: Helena Bonham Carter, Johnny Depp, Alan Rickman, Edward Sanders, Timothy Spall
Studio: Dreamworks Video
Category: DVD
List Price: $29.99
Buy Used: $4.95
You Save: $25.04 (83%)
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Rating:  351 reviews
Format: Ac-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, Dvd-video, Subtitled, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Dubbed), Spanish (Dubbed)
Rating: R (Restricted)
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 116 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.6
MPN: PARD350064D
UPC: 097363500643
EAN: 0097363500643
ASIN: B0013D8LOK
Theatrical Release Date: 2007
Release Date: April 1, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Studio: Paramount Home Video Release Date: 01/27/2009 Run time: 117 minutes Rating: R
Amazon.com
After years of rumors, it turns out that Tim Burton was the perfect visionary to film Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Stephen Sondheim's Broadway masterpiece, and the result is a macabre and moving musical movie as enthralling as anything Burton has ever done. The show's mix of gothic horror, Grand Guignol, very dark humor, and witty and beautiful music never was the stuff of traditional musical comedy, but it's a powerful work, and perhaps the richest of the late 20th century. In the movie, Burton's frequent collaborator, Johnny Depp, plays Todd, a wronged man whose lust for revenge drives him to murder (an 19th-century legend who has been traced to a real-life barber). Helena Bonham Carter, another Burton mainstay, is Mrs. Lovett, the barber's partner-in-unspeakable-crime. It's no surprise that Depp is an excellent choice to convey Todd's brooding intensity and volcanic rage, but he can also sing a score that is so challenging it has often played in opera houses (though not with the same style as the Broadway original, Len Cariou, and he occasionally lapses into pop style). Bonham Carter is small of voice and lacks the humor of the original Broadway Lovett, Angela Lansbury, but she sings on pitch, in rhythm, and in character at the same time, which is no small feat for a Sondheim show. Aficionados will regret the loss of certain musical passages--"The Ballad of Sweeney Todd" is just an instrumental overture and the chorus is gone altogether, among others--but the reassuring presence of orchestrator Jonathan Tunick and conductor Paul Gemignani ensures that the music feels right and sounds great. And the film's depiction of a Victorian London hellhole--with cinematography by Dariusz Wolski and costumes by Colleen Atwood--also looks and feels right. The excellent cast is filled out by Alan Rickman as the villainous Judge Turpin, Timothy Spall as his seedy Beadle, Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat) as a rival barber, Jamie Campbell Bower as the young lover Anthony, Jayne Wisener as his object of affection, and Ed Sanders as the young Toby. For fans of Tim Burton and Johnny Depp who don't think they like musicals, Sweeney Todd should be a revelation (though not for the squeamish, as the gore is intense and completely appropriate). For fans of Broadway and Sondheim, it's hard to imagine getting a better adaptation than this. The fact that there's no newly composed Oscar-bait song sung by a Josh Groban-type over the end credits only makes it better. --David Horiuchi
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| Customer Reviews: Read 346 more reviews...
A bloody good musical December 4, 2008
David Bonesteel (Fresno, CA United States)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Sweeney Todd (Johnny Depp), a barber embittered by the destruction of his family and his own unjust imprisonment, returns to London filled with bloodlust and anger, thirsting for revenge against the man responsible for his family's downfall (Alan Rickman). While waiting for his big chance, he slaughters scores of customers, who are then recycled into meat pies served by Todd's accomplice and would-be lover, Mrs. Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter).
Once again, director Tim Burton has found a fitting subject for his unique sensibility. His London is a dark, creepy warren of twisting back alleys and dank sewers. He does not compromise the basic savagery of this story, presenting a musical that features more blood than most slasher films. The reprehensible nature most of the characters is not prettied up for the screen; each of them is taken to their logical extreme and meets a richly deserved fate. I haven't seen the show as presented on stage, so I can't comment on how it compares to this compressed version, but I found the film to be quite satisfying in its own right (with the exception of one "surprise" that I saw coming from a mile away). The actors, who are not noted for their singing ability, acquit themselves well with Stephen Sondheim's excellent score.
 The Musical For Horror-Movie Fans December 1, 2008
Madeline R. (Chicago, IL USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
If you wish Lon Chaney were still alive and acting, or that he could have tried to sing a little bit when he was, this is the film for you. The sets and costumes are opulent, the casting is spot-on and the effects are dazzling. Most of all, the film owes its brilliance to the dark genius of Tim Burton. This is the film he was born to make! Oh, and don't fear the ghoulish aspects you might have heard about - this film offers plenty of humor.
"I Will Have Vengeance, I Will Have Salvation..." "Nothing's Gonna Harm You, Not While I'm Around..." Bloody Well Done. November 29, 2008
HAMLET
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Tim Burton's rendition of "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street" is bloody well done...and I mean it literally. While I'm not very familiar with this musical, I thought, "Just the cast makes me wanna see it." Long story short I finally saw it on DVD and pretended to be disgusted by the blood because my mom would've been horrified if I'd told her I liked it. I really loved the movie, especially the final scenes. I won't give it away. You'll be glued to your chair watching this well-executed tale of a man seeking revenge after years in prison on a false charge ("The Count Of Monte Cristo," anyone?). I admit, I was surprised that Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham-Carter (sorely underrated; see her magnificent performance in the classic "Mary Shelly's Frankenstein"), Timothy Spall & Sacha Baron Cohen (aka "Borat") could sing. This wonderful movie shouldn't have been rated R. Should've also gotten nominations for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Score and Best Cinematography. Rated PG-13 for some violence.
Arrived Quickly as described November 24, 2008
K. Brittenham (Orange County, Ca)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This movie arrived within 4 days of order placement and it was brand new in original packaging as described. Great deal for a spectacular movie.
A Good Introduction to Sondheim's Masterpiece November 18, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
There are two kinds of people who are going to see this movie, and they will have two differing opinions about it. Please skip to the appropriate portion of the review.
IF YOU HAVE NEVER SEEN THE STAGE VERSION OF "SWEENEY TODD:"
You will thoroughly enjoy this movie, as long as you can get over the fact that it's a musical (this is something they glossed over in the advertising, and is something you need to be aware of if you're going to enjoy the film). The story of the wronged barber Sweeney Todd, who returns from years in prison to find his wife dead and his daughter adopted by the corrupt judge who locked him away, is a fascinating study of one person's descent into madness. What begins as a quest for revenge eventually becomes a grisly tale of murder that involves the disturbing notion of killing someone and then baking them into meat pies.
As Todd, Johnny Depp brings his typical depth to a complex and challenging role. He manages the deceptively tough task of simultaneously acting and singing, doing an admirable job with Sondheim's notoriously difficult and haunting score. Helena Bohnam Carter plays his parter in crime, the scheming and amoral Mrs. Lovett, who does the dirty work of cooking the victims and serving them to unsuspecting customers. Both play their roles in such a way that while you may not like or agree with what they are doing, you will totally understand their motivations and even emphathize with them as their dreams spiral out of control.
There are also excellent turns by Alan Rickman as the corrupt Judge Turpin, the man Sweeney is ultimately after, and Timothy Spall as the seedy Beadle Bamford. Tim Burton's trademark style is a perfect fit for this incredibly dark tale, and the art direction is exquisite. The movie is never boring, always well executed, and one of the boldest artistic statements to come out of Hollywood in quite some time.
IF YOU KNOW AND LOVE THE STAGE VERSION:
You will be angry. You will lament the fact that the movie removes all of the gloriously complex ensemble music, leaving us with only an instrumental version of the thrilling "Ballad of Sweeney Todd" and a rendition of "God That's Good" that's butchered more than Sweeney's victims. You will likely be so busy complaining about these omissions that you will fail to realize that the only way the producers could get non-fans to take this seriously is to cute down on the large groups of people bursting into song and focusing on the core characters and plot points.
You will at best tolerate Depp as Sweeney, and at worst complain that his thin-voiced singing robs the music of its guttural impact. You will think Helena Bohnam Carter totally mishandles her opening number "Worst Pies in London," and if you're really familiar with the stage show you'll notice Mrs. Lovett is the only character not to have a note of music cut, and then wonder if this is because Carter is sleeping with the director. You will contend that Sondheim's approval of the movie is motivated by money and obligation, and that when he goes home at night the famed composer despises the movie adaptation as much as you do. In short, you will hate this movie, and probably want to run home and listen to the original cast recording to remind yourself how the show is supposed to be done.
As for myself, I fall in between the two camps. I love the stage version (it is my favorite musical of all time), and acknowledge the truth behind many of the flaws my fellow thespians see in this film. However, I think this adaptation manages to convey the heart and spirit of the stage version, and is probably the best way to transfer such an inherently theatrical piece to the big screen. I think Depp and Carter do an admirable job in their roles, although I wish they had better voices and think Carter is unaware of the enormous amount of fun to be had with the character of Lovett. Burton goes overboard with the blood, and the movie is so devoid of color that when the bright blues of the "By the Sea" sequence show up it is truly jarring.
I think (and I would argue that the objective theatre fan would agree) that this "Sweeney Todd" is as good a movie as we were likely to get, but ultimately Sweeney and Lovett belong on the stage. It is the mark of a work of art that it can only truly work in its chosen medium, and the stage version of "Sweeney" is unequivocally a work of art.
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