by Isabella Jordan Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street Directed by Tim Burton. Starring Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham-Carter, Alan Rickman, Sascha Baron Cohen, and more. This movie had to have been a hard sell to studios at the beginning. You have a pure and simple horror classic -- and it's a musical -- in the hands of Tim Burton. That's enough to either make you rub your hands together in gleeful anticipation or run in fear. Then there is the fact that none of the leading actors cast here are known for their singing. Okay, so Johnny Depp could be completely tone def but we'd go anyway. But still...

This movie goer is very grateful the studios took a chance on one of the very best films of the year. This was a dark dream of a masterpiece that I would gladly go see at the theater again.

If you've seen the musical, you know the story. For those of you who haven't had the chance, I'll give you the basics. Benjamin Barker is a man with a beautiful wife and a small daughter in London. He's sent to Australia on vague criminal charges, we're never told what they are, and isn't freed for fifteen years. He returns as a different man bent on revenge. He now calls himself Sweeney Todd.

He forms a dark alliance with his fellow tenant, Mrs. Lovett. She's the one who tells him of the horrible fate of his family. The judge who sent him away raped his wife who subsequently killed herself. The judge holds his daughter, now a young woman, captive and plans to marry her.

Sweeney Todd opens a barber shop that specializes in the closest shaves and uses the shop as the vehicle for his revenge. He even creates a special chair that drops his victims straight from his barber's chair down the shoot to the basement where Mrs. Lovett makes them into meat pies that will become all the rage in London.

Don't worry, I didn't give the plot away by a long shot. There are still many twists and turns in this nightmare tale to keep you riveted to the screen for this horrific musical to the very surprising and shocking end.

The singing was surprisingly good. Johnny Depp can sing. Who knew? Some of the songs from the musical were cut in the interest of time but the melodies of most remained in the film even still through some amazing dramatic parts. The acting was superb, particularly in the lead roles. Depp's Sweeney Todd had a trace of Jack Sparrow's accent but after the first three seconds any thoughts of old Captain Jack are lost as you explore the world of Todd's lost soul.

Sascha Baron Cohen makes a very welcome cameo as a rival barber and I loved his work in this film. Helen Bonham-Carter was wonderful as Mrs. Lovett but then she's always been a favorite actress of mine since her beginnings in the Merchant and Ivory films.

This film earned an R rating for good reason. It's got slasher-film quality gore in it. The graphic scenes are infrequent but they are unapologetic and in your face when they happen. This film is not for the younger set no matter how much they want to see Johnny Depp. Sorry kiddies!

This film has already generated a lot of positive buzz and received many nominations and they are well earned. This is a rare film that I'll encourage those of appropriate age to see in the theater because the home experience couldn't equal it for most of us. If you've got the stomach for some bloody fun and a little song, don't miss this film!

Best lines:

Nellie Lovett: Since marine doesn't appeal to you, how about Rear Admiral?
Sweeney Todd: No, no. It's too salty. I prefer... General.
Nellie Lovett: With or without 'is privates? "With," is extra!

Isy