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MauritiusToday.com - Shopping Mall - Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street [Blu-ray]
![Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street [Blu-ray]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51xQW8TezGL._SL160_.jpg)
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List Price: $39.99
Our Price: $27.99
Your Save: $ 12.00 ( 30% )
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Dreamworks Video
Starring: Helena Bonham Carter, Johnny Depp, Alan Rickman, Edward Sanders, Timothy Spall
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Binding: Blu-ray
Brand: Paramount
EAN: 0097361386140
Format: AC-3
Label: Dreamworks Video
Manufacturer: Dreamworks Video
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Dreamworks Video
Release Date: 2008-10-21
Running Time: 116
Studio: Dreamworks Video
Theatrical Release Date: 2007
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Editorial Reviews:
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Studio: Paramount Home Video Release Date: 10/21/2008 Run time: 116 minutes Rating: R
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: A bloody good musical
Comment: 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.
Customer Rating:
Summary: The Musical For Horror-Movie Fans
Comment: 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.
Customer Rating:
Summary: "I Will Have Vengeance, I Will Have Salvation..." "Nothing's Gonna Harm You, Not While I'm Around..." Bloody Well Done.
Comment: 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.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Arrived Quickly as described
Comment: 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.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A Good Introduction to Sondheim's Masterpiece
Comment: 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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