Reviews, Interviews , News, Commentaries, My Top 5 Movies, Best-Of Lists, Filmmakers of Faith, Film ForumDark Shadows
Remember when Tim Burton used to make great movies? You know, fun and original stuff like Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands and, shoot, even Mars Attacks! Well, with a few exceptions, that old Tim Burton no longer exists. The new Tim Burton cares little about innovation and imagination. As Dark Shadows confirms, he really only cares about his own brand, a business now devoted to middling remakes.
That's not say the Burton brand isn't better than most Hollywood junk—it clearly comes from the mind of a seasoned auteur. It just means that it's not totally realized and, alas, repeated with the same silly shenanigans, like an eccentric protagonist played by Johnny Depp. It also means that it's likely a revision of something that came before, from Roald Dahl's 1964 children's book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to Lewis Carroll's 1865 fairy tale Alice in Wonderland.
Dark Shadows, derived from a 1960s gothic soap opera of the same name, epitomizes the essence of the Burton brand. Depp's not the film's only weird figure; there are a slew of other quintessential Burton quirks, including pale-skinned characters, cartoonish landscapes, elaborate costumes, and, naturally, Helena Bonham Carter in her usual role of insane adversary. The film hinges on such gimmicks; instead of creating something new, or at least fooling us into thinking he's created something new, Burton provides the bare minimum, and that's it.
These necessities certainly have their charm. Who doesn't enjoy watching Depp in weirdo mode, prancing around, dropping sarcastic one-liners? Playing Barnabas Collins, an 18th century vampire who awakens in the 20th (1972, to be exact), Depp shines brightly despite lurking in the dark. Though now ...
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diane h
i though it was interesting except for the sex scene with clothes on, It looked disgusting.
Mark E
I used to look forward to a Tim Burton film, but no more. Since he wimped out with Sleepy Hollow and turned what could have been a great, creepy film into a campy Scooby Doo episode, he has continued to do the same for over a decade. Taking what could have been remakes with real potential, he squandered each opportunity.
Kevin King
I found this movie very entertaining-- much more so than the recent Burton films you refer to like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Alice in Wonderland. There's a warmth and laugh out loud humor-- I actually laughed, smiled and felt good at the end. You compliment the film throughout, but make the point that is falls short because it doesn't stand up to Burton's BEST work; his masterpieces. Most artists do not create timeless work every time; Hitchcock (for example) has many more mediocre films than timeless masterworks. But any Hitchcock film is better than most. Always interesting. And I'd say the same for Mr. Burton, though his career is far from over. I applaud him for doing such great work-- and much really good work. As you say, his work is always more interesting and better than much that comes out of Hollywood. I think you sell him and this film short. It's better than your summation gives it credit for. You compliment it throughout but undermine it overall. Puzzling.