There really once was a time that Tim Burton just could do no wrong by
me. I loved his unique style and visions but his more recent movies
have been nothing but disappointing. His style feels more like a
gimmick now days and he doesn't seem to be interested in telling a good
story, with intriguing enough characters in it.
And this movie ultimately is also a very shallow one. It does a poor
job at handling its characters. Most never get developed properly
enough, so you don't feel any involvement with any of them and it makes
the movie vague and confusing about the motivations of the different
characters.
Seemed like the movie had plenty of ideas in it. Too many perhaps. It
occasionally picks up a plot line but then completely drops it for
another one. It makes this movie feel like a underdeveloped one, that
never sets up anything properly. Instead it makes the movie feel like
it's being all over the place with its story. When you think that the
movie will be heading into a certain direction with its story, it
suddenly takes a completely different approach and abandons all of its
initial ideas. Seemed at first that the movie would be about Barnabas
Collins trying to reclaim his family position. It then seemed like it
was going to be a love-story and finally the movie suddenly started to
involve a villainous plot, that worked out as something far too forced.
No, it really isn't a very natural feeling or flowing movie, which also
truly prevents it from ever becoming anything fun because it's also so
terribly uninvolved and shallow to watch all. This especially goes for
the movie its final 30 minutes or so, which just was one big mess, in
my opinion. I literally had no idea what was going on anymore, simply
because I had also lost all interest at that point and stopped trying
to like and understand the movie.
The movie does has its stronger points though. It remains a great
looking movie, with all of its sets, costumes and makeup and I also
liked the collaboration between director Tim Burton and composer Danny
Elfman, which was something that seemed to be lacking the last couple
of years but it seems like they have really found each other again with
this movie, which is also one that feels a bit more into tone with
Burton's earliest work, such as for instance "Beetlejuice".
I also really liked Johnny Depp, even though his character remained
terribly shallow and not very interesting throughout the entire movie.
He still manages to put a lot into his role and still give some life
and fun to this movie. I also really liked Eva Green as the evil
villain but everything else in this movie was interchangeable really.
Most characters don't even seem to have a real purpose for the movie at
all and actors such as Michelle Pfeiffer, Helena Bonham Carter, Jackie
Earle Haley, Jonny Lee Miller and Chloë Grace Moretz all remain
terribly underused.
The first half of the movie remains pretty amusing, I give the movie
that but I just can't forgive it for its second half and other
weaknesses. It makes this far from a great or recommendable movie.
5/10
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