Dark Shadows 6/10
Director: Tim Burton
Starring: Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Eva Green
Plot: a vampire called Barnabas Collins returns and visits his dysfunctional family.
Tim Burton has seen gigantic box office success recently with Alice in Wonderland, which grossed over $1 billion; whilst receiving lacklustre reviews. Dark Shadows, similarly to Alice, is a blockbuster with impressive visuals. However, Dark Shadows isn’t as safe as Alice, and proves to be a strange mix.
The genre of the film seems to consistently change; it’s horror one minute, then comedy, then action the next. Usually Burton pulls off a mix such as this, however in this film it comes across as chaotic at times. In all, the plot doesn’t go very far at all. In addition to this, the abundance of characters feels cluttered, with only a few in strong focus. I think that if the film had focussed on Barnabas’ journey more, and perhaps more family back story, it could’ve been a little more consistent.
Director: Tim Burton
Starring: Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Eva Green
Plot: a vampire called Barnabas Collins returns and visits his dysfunctional family.
Tim Burton has seen gigantic box office success recently with Alice in Wonderland, which grossed over $1 billion; whilst receiving lacklustre reviews. Dark Shadows, similarly to Alice, is a blockbuster with impressive visuals. However, Dark Shadows isn’t as safe as Alice, and proves to be a strange mix.
The genre of the film seems to consistently change; it’s horror one minute, then comedy, then action the next. Usually Burton pulls off a mix such as this, however in this film it comes across as chaotic at times. In all, the plot doesn’t go very far at all. In addition to this, the abundance of characters feels cluttered, with only a few in strong focus. I think that if the film had focussed on Barnabas’ journey more, and perhaps more family back story, it could’ve been a little more consistent.
Whilst the plot is a little sketchy, the characters and
acting is fantastic; Johnny Depp doesn’t surprise yet doesn’t falter. Michelle
Pfeiffer plays Elizabeth Collins perfectly, wielding a shotgun to cinematic
perfection. Eva Green as Angelique is not only stunning but beautifully evil. A
particularly raunchy scene between Green and Depp is executed well and very
funny. Helena Bonham Carter plays a mad person, a role familiar to her and one
she does well with her usual skill.
In Conclusion: Dark Shadows is a bizarre film which feels a little too long; yet it is redeemed by its fantasy action, intelligent laughs and interesting characters.
In Conclusion: Dark Shadows is a bizarre film which feels a little too long; yet it is redeemed by its fantasy action, intelligent laughs and interesting characters.
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