Ah, Sweeney Todd, the demon barber of Fleet street. The tale of Benjamin Barker (Johnny Depp), unjustly exiled for a crime he did not commit, who returns anew to seek revenge on the judge who stole his family. With the help of Mrs Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter) Todd takes to his old job with relish, guaranteeing his customers a closer shave than they’ve ever had before.

Director Tim Burton has already proven a talent for creating gothic worlds, but with this film I think he’s outdone himself. Old London town has never been so ghoulishly gruesome as through Burton’s eyes. The opening sequence brilliantly drops you into a world that’s dark and somber. A world were the likes of Sweeney Todd’s style of hairdressing and Mrs Lovett’s meat pie shop would surely flourish.

This version of Todd’s tale is an adaptation of Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler’s stage musical. Unfortunately, I’m not a big fan of musicals. If this hadn’t been directed by Burton I probably would have given it a miss. Still, every time one of the actors took a deep breath before bursting into song I tried not to follow suit. And, to be fair there are some fine numbers that I enjoyed. There were inevitably, a fair few where I just glazed over and looked at the scenery instead.

The acting doesn’t miss a step all the way through. Depp and Bonham Carter are perfect as the two lead characters, and they are more than ably matched by the supporting cast. Alan Rickman does an nicely understated Judge Turpin and Timothy Spall is truly odious as his sidekick Beadle, but it’s Edward Sanders who really is outstanding as the young gin drinking Toby.

The only thing I would say is if you’re not a fan of core I would probably give the second half of the movie a miss. Burton teases out a nightmare of blood as Todd’s blades begin to cut deeper, and the sickly red is a vivid contrast to the dark backdrop. After a couple of decades of desensitization, it’s probably a good thing that I can still be shocked by watching such graphic violence on the big screen .

After watching the movie I can’t imagine it being made without Burton’s hand in the mix. He has produced another gothic nightmare that shocks and twists nicely. I just wish it wasn’t a musical! Not for the faint hearted or squeamish, but a lot of fun and hugely enjoyable. Forget the popcorn and eat a meat pie instead.