Sweeney Todd - Der teuflische Barbier aus der Fleet Street

Ich habe mir diesen Film noch einmal angeschaut und bleibe doch bei der Drei-Sterne-Bewertung. Sweeney Todd hat einfach kein Herz und ein geistreiches Ende kann ihn in dieser Hinsicht nicht retten. Die Gewalt ist hier kalt und feindselig, es fehlt ihr die Märchen-Poetik von Burton (siehe Sleepy Hollow). Todds Entscheidung, ein Massenmörder zu werden, ist unbegründet und unsinnig. Der singende Johnny Depp war meiner Meinung nach keine ideale Wahl. Die anderen Schauspieler*innen wurden aber hervorragend ausgesucht, die Ausstattung und die Musik sind ausgezeichnet. (30.01.2008)

I think the result would have been just as impressive without the overly explicit violence (it doesn't sit well with Burton), but otherwise I'm satisfied. Burton rocks again, with lots of his typical cynicism (here bordering on the absurd) and his unmistakable visual style, things I never get tired of. And while the music is lacking any significant melodic motif to hum along to after the film, it was a fine listen. Just like Depp's singing, which proves that you don’t need to master the range of octaves and intonation flawlessly if you have the "gift to impress" and a pleasant colour of voice, and Johnny fulfils this without fail. But the star here is someone else, the wonderful Bonham-Carter, whose cynically pragmatic Mrs Lovett was delectable. (10.02.2008)

Burton's aesthetic of dark sets and faded camera filters got old a long time ago. The promise of live water in the form of musical numbers, however, only adds to the overall withering in the end. Burton is absolutely inept when it comes to the singing performances, lacking any choreography or at least a hint thereof, meaning that both Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter try very unsuccessfully, even though they are otherwise really excellent. For two hours I felt a kind of unspoken reverence for the original (even Burton's right-hand man Danny Elfman is nowhere to be found), but to be honest, even Kevin Smith did better in Jersey Girl. (18.02.2008)

Der leckere Brocken Fleisch aus den früheren Burton-Filmen wurde hier zu Brei zermahlen und mit visuellen Gewürzen aromatisiert, denen es leider an Schärfe und Überraschung von Tims Höhepunkten fehlt. In der ersten Hälfte haben wir es mit einem monoton Musical zu tun, in der zweiten Hälfte kommt endlich ein endlich das packende Porträt eines Monsters, welches inmitten von Litern an Blut für einen Moment eine Reflexion dessen erblickt, was es früher war. Ausgezeichnete Leistung von Depp und Carter. Aber für einen Burton gibt´s hier sehr wenig Inhalt unter einer geschärften Form. Die Enttäuschung des Jahres, da habe ich keinen Zweifel. [7/10] (08.02.2008)

"Attend the tale of Sweeney Todd, his skin was pale and his eye was odd..."... thus begins the stage version of Sweeney. However, like many other songs, you won’t hear this one because it was cut from the movie. Which wouldn’t have mattered. But what Tim Burton gets up to really does matter. You couldn’t even call this copying your own ideas. But you either have to grin and bear it, or join in with his game. In terms of acting, no objections, but in terms of singing, I have a couple. I certainly wouldn’t say that Depp can’t sing (the only one I could claim that about is maybe that tragically ridiculous Spall). He proved on a few occasions that he can handle that discipline too. But the problem is that the role of the close-shaving barber is considered in musical circles to be the most difficult of all. And it can be painfully visible in the result, like it or not. Sometimes it shows a lot. Especially if you have ever seen a professional production of Sweeney. The tragedy of this character lies in the fact that he stands at the beginning of the autumn of his life. Unfortunately, the “whippersnapper" Depp can’t act this convincingly. And that applies to the entire cast, in fact. With the exception of Helena Bonham Carter and some supporting roles. Thanks to insensitive cutting, at the beginning it is a little disjointed, about nothing and almost boring. A change in the wind in favor of quality starts around the song Epiphany about half way through. Then the final twenty minutes drag the musical Burton back into the waters of solid above-average. Only just, but he’s there. (08.02.2008)

Depp is not a flawless singer, the almost incessant barrage of songs is a bit of a shame and the eternal depression may be a bit too desired, but still a weight has been lifted off my chest. Burton took on a huge challenge that could have caught him off guard many times - to navigate through it with great bravura. And that's despite working with very unambiguous characters like a vengeful barber or a wicked judge. The master of charming oddities has decided to discard issues of accessibility and lets blood splatter, razors fly, and characters die in slums. And the increasingly tragic taste of it leaves feelings so enjoyable and stirring that I would push Tim towards another art immediately. Because handling it with the heart like this is something only a few can do. (24.02.2008)

So close to a fourth star. Unfortunately though, blood and human flesh is not my thing, so I just can't give it. It certainly has Burton's weirdness, spookiness, and strangeness. The musical aspect is more than excellent. Johnny gives an incredibly good performance, Helena Bonham Carter perhaps even better. But the second half was too much for me. (27.06.2011)

Cruel and sadistic, which is why it will appeal to the era of today. It's just that sometimes I don't fit into the era of today, so I guess that's why I wasn't as impressed with Sweeney as I thought I’d be. And I was looking forward to it so much. I was expecting something different, which is fine, my ideas are always "romantic". I guess what disappointed me the most was that the story was so readable, his actions so predictable. Such a pity. But even my favorite actors and their performances didn't can’t make me give more stars... Sometimes love is cruel, but why prove it with a razor and forget it? (21.03.2008)

One star is for the artistic execution, which shines the most at the very beginning in the opening credits and then plays a smaller and smaller role. It is necessary to realize that this is too little for Burton, who is capable of much more and can provide a much more intense experience than in this film. The second star is for the central acting duo, where surprisingly Helena Bonham Carter takes the lead as the cynical and pragmatic Mrs. Lovett. The problem is that this time, the traditional Burton-style game is subordinate to the director's effort to be part of both the musical and dark thriller genres, while Burton is traditionally stronger in the comedic and poetic aspects. As a musical, Sweeney Todd completely failed in my eyes, and in terms of music, it is a completely forgettable affair that only deserves 2 stars. There is not a single melody or text that would bring me joy. In terms of drama, this film didn't evoke any strong emotions in me. Neither sorrow nor fear. It just doesn't work. A completely small film with the same theme, which has a completely average rating on FilmBooster, specifically The Tale of Sweeney Todd, made a greater impression on me despite its modest production design. Overall impression: 45%. (17.09.2012)

Musicals aren't exactly my cup of tea but this was a different cup of coffee (or maybe, slice of pie? :)). Burton obviously filmed from the heart, and spares no blood or love. And what does a quality film need besides those ingredients? Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter and Alan Rickman were all amazing. Maybe the five stars are a little too many, but I just haven't had my fill of Burton's visions yet. (13.03.2008)

Tim Burton, Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, geschüttelt, nicht gerührt. Goth-Babys, die feiern und vor Wonne quietschen. Aber es gab ein Happy End. Praktisch niemand hat überlebt, und sie waren alle so pseudo-viktorianisch cool und abwaschbar. Wenn Baron und Rickman nicht gewesen wären, hätte ich auch gequietscht. Auch weil der Soundtrack zuweilen liebenswert ist. Friends... (30.08.2010)

Praising Tim Burton's captivating visual element and gloomy set design is pointless, it’s always the same and not innovative in any way. So we have to focus on the things that the film lacks, and there is where we find something new: something that would lift the audience from their seats, something that has not been done before. Burton keeps playing the same tune, and even though it is very good and enjoyable to listen to, even the best song gets repetitive, and it is time for a change – almost too late for Sweeney Todd. This film couldn’t be any colder; watching Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter singing sends shivers down my spine, and the tomato juice is so artificial that it hurts. Probably the most boring and least effective Burton film I have had the opportunity to see. And, of course, the worst. (07.09.2008)

Weak four stars. I had fun, but I expected something juicier from Burton. The best scene of the entire film is the bloodless daydreaming of Todd and Mrs. Lovett. (18.10.2009)

Sweeney Todd ist zweifelsohne Tim Burtons sangesträchtigster und blutigster Film - was seine Vor- und Nachteile hat. Die musikalischen Passagen haben mir überhaupt nicht gefallen, und ehrlich gesagt ist mir kein einziges Lied im Gedächtnis geblieben. Was die vieldiskutierte Gewalt angeht, so hat sie mich persönlich im Film nicht gestört, vielleicht würde ich nur das unnötige Aufschlitzen von Kunden wie am Fließband kritisieren - ich fand es verstörend und sinnlos. Auch das Ende des Films war in dieser Hinsicht etwas wilder, fast wie eine (blutigere) Version einer Shakespeare-Tragödie, bei der im Idealfall niemand das Ende erleben würde. Allerdings muss ich das ansprechende Produktionsdesign, auch wenn es anfangs zu künstlich wirkte, und die Leistung von Helena Bonham Carter loben, die in der Tat liebenswert morbide war. Johnny Depp hat mich dieses Mal nicht beeindruckt, ebenso wenig wie die anderen Schauspieler. Ein Pluspunkt für den kleineren Plot Twist mit der Bettlerin. Bessere drei Sterne! (05.01.2022)

Although I liked the movie a lot on the first watch, I am not as enthusiastic the second time. In fact, it is a very dragged-out journey of revenge, which is unbelievably straightforward and offers nothing innovative, except for the fact that it is a musical. The actors are excellent, and with Depp, I had the feeling that he was still acting back then and not just pretending. (23.12.2015)