New DVD Pick of the Week: 'Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street'

Slim pickins this week, no joke!, but at least there's one solid choice:

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
For some it's Stephen Sondheim's classic musical. For others, it's that super-sweet scene from Jersey Girl, and now, for many, it's the slicing and dicing Tim Burton adventure. Benjamin Barker (Johnny Depp) is an ex-convict who was wrongly imprisoned. After many years in a penal colony in Australia, he's back in London as Sweeney Todd -- all to get his revenge against Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman), the man who sent him away and ruined Barker's family. Teaming up with Mrs. Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter), he whips up some rather unique meat pies and prepares for revenge. It's just the sort of thing that Burton could bring to life on the big screen.

Sure, the film has the usual Burton players, but this is classic Burton material, and Depp and Bonham Carter know the score. (The same cannot be said for their singing, but sometimes, that can be forgiven.) With added helpings of Timothy Spall, Alan Rickman, and Sacha Baron Cohen, it's hard not to at least fall for the talents within the film.
In her review, Kim said of Depp and Bonham Carter's work in Sweeney Todd: "Depp and Bonham-Carter bring these desperately dark characters to life with reliably methodical performances." That's not surprising, considering each actor's roster, but the real question comes down to what a fan would think. Jette spoke of her own fandom in her review, and said: "Fortunately for me and any other fans of the musical, it turns out that the movie version of Sweeney Todd is quite charming in its dark and twisted way, although not without some flaws and odd choices."

But what about the DVD? Sure, you could get the barebones version, but why bother when there is the 2-disc extravaganza? The first disc shares the film along with a behind-the-scenes look at the cinematic combination of Burton, Depp, and Bonham Carter -- featuring rehearsal footage and recording sessions. The second disc has a whole lot more -- the history of the demon barber, the music of Sondheim's creation, Sweeney's London, the making of the film, "Grand Guignol: A Theatrical Tradition," designs, "a bloody business," and even the Moviefone Unscripted discussion between Burton and Depp.

Check out Kim Voynar's Review and Jette Kernion's Review | Buy the DVD

Other New DVD Releases (April 1)

Alvin and the Chipmunks
The Cutting Edge -- Chasing the Dream
The Good Night