Non-Disney Entertainment
Topic: Sweeney Todd: Who's seen it?

#	Author	Message
21	christiemarsh88 Fri 12/21/2007 11:44p	Okay, I just got back from seeing Sweeney. jasmine7, they had a rat maze set up for Sweeney tonight, and the theatre was totally full. But everything was sold out--people were parking in the grass, and then when "Alvin and the Chipmunks" was sold out, I think a lot of those people just ducked into the film that started next. So Sweeney was pretty full. The movie: I have to say I was a little disappionted. But I think it was just because I had built it up so much in my mind--nothing could have lived up to what I had hoped for. Judged on its own merit, it was very very good, and certainly the most enjoyable film I've seen in a long time. I thought the violence was handled very tastefully, actually. There was *tons* of blood of course, but I wouldn't actually say the movie was gory--it was so stylized, that it was almost a reflection of how desensitized Todd himself had become. I particularly loved "By The Sea", though I wish they would've left in the line about doing the guest in. I felt that "A Little Priest" was a let down. The staging felt a little underplayed for the grandness of the music--this was the moment when it felt like Sweeney and Mrs. Lovett should really be letting go, but it was very restrained. This is my favorite number from the play, so I felt like this version didn't quite do it justice. I thought Burton, Depp, and Bonham Carter did a very good job squeezing every last bit of comedy from this story. To me, this story always felt more like a comedy with a tragic end than a tragedy with a few funny parts scattered throughout. So I was very glad that they let the story and songs retain their gleefully ghoulish nature. It was great to hear the audience roar with laughter through most of the movie--particularly when Mrs. Lovett tries to snap Sweeney back to reality after "Epiphany" and during "By The Sea." As I said, I was a little disappointed. But that mostly has to do with my hopes and expectations vs. what is humanly possible to deliver in a movie. I really thought this movie was very good and very cleverly adapted. I can't wait to see it again--maybe this time my expectations will get out of the way so I can enjoy the experience more.
22	TheRedhead Sat 12/22/2007 5:38a	"There are no interesting songs." Funniest sentence ever. If Sweeney Todd doesn't have interesting songs, what musical does!
23	DAR Sat 12/22/2007 7:55a	I can't comment on whether Sweeney Todd has interesting songs or not. But you know didn't have interesting songs...Rent. Hate that movie with a passion.
24	smeeeko Sat 12/22/2007 11:11a	^seasons of love?
25	DAR Sat 12/22/2007 11:30a	Yeah didn't like that film at all. But I don't want to derail the tread any further so I'll just leave it at that.
26	FerretAfros Sat 12/22/2007 1:33p	I would definately count myself in the surprisingly (IMO) small group of people who didn't like it. For starters, I will say that I'm not one for the traditional gory or creepy Burton style films, and I'm not a diehard Depp follower (I think he's fine, but amazing like some say). This really isn't my style of movie, other than being a musical, so I really don't think I was the target audience. For starters, the beginning of the film was painfully slow. I fell asleep for about 5 minutes near the beginning (I didn't miss much plot-wise that I couldn't figure out as the story went on). This might not seem that bad, but it was a 7:20 showing, which is hardly late (it was in east coast time, and my body is still on west coast time), and I slept until around 2:00 pm. Not a good start. The characters themselves all seemed like they had a ton of potential, but they were all very linear. Todd wanted to kill the judge, and then he did along with others along the way. Lovett wanted more customers. The judge wanted to get married. Nothing horribly surprising happened with anybody. They were all basically the exact same people when the story ended (state of living not included here) as when it began. The plot didn't fare much better, as they really didn't have any major conflicts or motivation to really get anything done. The only character who I found remotely likeable or relatable was the little boy, and he didn't really have that much of an impact on the story. As for songs, I found them entirely forgetable. Sure, Sondheim has some great scores out there. This just isn't one of them. The only two songs that even seemed to have somewhat of a melody (A Little Priest and At the Beach) stuck out because they were so much better than the rest of the score, but still don't compare to even some of his own works. The whole thing was a little too operatic for me (not enough just talking), and the tunes were not memorable. I wasn't expecting but show stopping ensemble songs, but maybe something a little more would have done well. The acting was average at best. Nobody seemed to have too much force behind their characters or real passion for it. Sure, it was done very well artistically, but I just didn't think the rest of the film held up to that standard. I really liked the use of color, but all that work seemed to be a waste when stuck into such subpar surroundings. I know I really wasn't who this movie was aimed at, but I can hardly find any redeming values to it. On the other hand, I saw August Rush earlier this week and really enjoyed it.
27	woody Sat 12/22/2007 1:37p	>>I think the "no interesting songs" comment is incredibly ignorant and narrow minded. I think this is easily one of the most complex and clever scores ever written<< A score is not a song. There's a difference. What song do you like? You don't say.
28	Spooky Ghost Sat 12/22/2007 3:51p	Yes but the score of Sweeeney Todd is made up of about 20 something songs, so my phrase was vallid. Which songs do I like? From Sweeney Todd? I like all of them but some of my favorites are "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd", "Poor Thing", "My Friends", "Ladies in the Sensitivites/Kiss Me", "Pretty Women", "A Little Preist", "God, Thats Good," "Not While I'm Around" and "Final Sequence"
29	TheRedhead Sat 12/22/2007 6:43p	"I think this is easily one of the most complex and clever scores ever written." Amen brother. With Sweeney Todd, Sondheim elevated musical theatre to a level usually reserved only for opera. And every song you listed could be used to teach a course on how to write a perfect song for the stage. Sondheim is a genius. He is not meant for the mainstream though, but such is life.
30	kennect Sat 12/22/2007 8:23p	Pretty Women...I have heard this song for years and never knew it was from this show...I know nothing more about Sweeney Todd other than what a friend of mine told me many years ago...He saw the original Broadway production and loved it....I tried to watch the PBS showing of the original show a million years ago but I wasn't mature enough to get it and turned it off quickly...Today, I feel I am a lot more savvy than before...This score is beautiful...Worst pies in London has to be one of the most fun songs ever written for a musical...But bottom line, Sondheim is genius...Here and with everything else he has ever done...Not all of his works will fit everyones taste but still from an objective prospective he can't be beat....I am so hoping that my local video store has a copy of that original production for me to rent so I can enjoy something I missed out on before....

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