movie review: Sweeney Todd

[lyssie]

I'm having the hardest time figuring out what I think of this.

Non-spoilery: I really don't like musicals.

Or maybe I just don't like them when it seems to be every major conversation is sung rather than spoken. I don't know. All I know is that, while it was vaguely entertaining, I... didn't really think it was all that good.

Even the visuals, after the first ten minutes, weren't all that stunning.

I just.

I felt like I was watching random people wander in and out and sing a little, I never felt any sort of connection to any of them--Mrs. Miggins Lovett was very practical, at times, but her Obsession for Sweeney was. eh. Sweeney was obsessed with being obsessed and noticed nothing else. Toby was a ten year old alcoholic.

The young lovers were boring and sang far too high for my ears. ugh.

It's not often that I honestly think a trailer showed the entire movie and did a better job of conveying things than the movie itself, but--

The thing is, I went in determined that I would enjoy it and love it and halfway through, I was going, "God, shut the fuck up and just kill people already!" Because, seriously. I know there needed to be setup, but the interminable singing just needed to end end end end END.

Which brings me back to: I don't like musicals. I've seen Sound of Music and a few others live, and had no problems with them. I love the Buffy musical episode. I love Rocky Horror. I just didn't see the point in all of the damned songs. And they weren't just quick things. They went on and on and on, past the point where I had gotten it already. Sheesh.

Except for the cannibalism song, anyway. And that one wasn't particularly entertaining. I wanted manic glee and got... er... I'm not sure what.

I would note, however, that Sweeney/Judge whatsit was the SLASHIEST thing I've seen in a long long while. Seriously. Singing about girls and being all sexy at each other. I guess you can take the Depp out of the Pirate, but you can't take the omnisexual out of the Depp? (I'm not getting my Captain Jacks mixed up, BOTH of them are omnisexual)

Again, the visuals, acting, singing, all top-notch. Just not my kind of movie.

Comments

[foible.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I know what you mean. The movie just kinda leaves you sitting there. Can't say I liked it. Can't say I didn't. It's just how a couple of hours of my life passed. Strange. I, too, entered the theater prepared to be wowed, ready to love it. But I just didn't.

[dreagoddess.livejournal.com]

Oh good, it wasn't just me! I thought it dragged on and was a bit pointless far too often. I agree about the slash scene, though! *giggles*

[cheekygal.livejournal.com]

It was interesting, and I do like musicals. But Antonio and Joanna... meh. After a while I was thinking, "Ok, steal her then, but would both of you stop singing about it?"

Seriously, they saw each other through a window, and now want to live happily ever after?