Dark Shadows

A film directed by Tim Burton isn’t difficult to spot in terms of its style, who’s scoring it and who’s starring in it. The problem that’s developed over his last few films though is that despite different subject matter they all feel like the same film, just with a different title. Dark Shadows doesn’t buck this trend. Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Danny Elfman et al. The gangs all here. What are they all up to this time then? Starting in the 18th century we pick up on Barnabas Collins (Depp), a port worker in a US fishing town who, following some affairs of the heart, finds himself cursed by a witch (Eva Green), turned into an immortal vampire and buried alive. 200 years later he is accidentally dug up by construction workers, escapes and makes his way back to the old family mansion where he meets his relatives. Then things get a bit messy script wise (duties being performed here by Seth Grahame-Smith, yep he of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter “fame”) as the story doesn’t really know where to go. There’s some fish out of water antics mixed in with a bizarre rivalry concerning the fish canning industry, but with few memorable characters (and even less character development) it never really catches the imagination. It’s not all bad though. The time traveller out of touch with his surroundings is an old staple, but Burton still manages to get some decent laughs out of it (Barnabas on seeing Alice Cooper: “That’s the ugliest woman I’ve ever seen”) and the scene were Depp is unearthed is surprisingly brutal. This also has all the usual visual flair that you’d expect from a Burton flick aided by some impressive special effects. The gothic look of the film complemented by Burton’s decision pre shooting to show cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel 1970’s vampire movies in order to get a feel for the angles of such productions. Depp is good value (this is actually his pet project so no surprise there), but Burton’s never been an actor’s director and that’s reflected here in the mainly lacklustre performances from the rest of the cast. The fact this has made a bit of coin is surely due to Depp’s continued pull (or at least pull when he’s playing “wacky”) as the TV Series is, with the exception of Americans of a certain age, unheard of to most. As mentioned above (and despite appearances) a Burton film is fairly easy to pin down. With Dark Shadows though it’s hard to get a feel for what’s going on as it never really settles on a certain genre and seeing Bonham Carter (but she auditions, remember?) in all of her partners films is fast becoming old hat indeed.

The OC Film Sting Final Verdict
For Burton completists only. Rating: 6/10.