Dark Shadows (2012)
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40% of critics liked it
(204 reviews) -
54% of users liked it
(79,470 ratings)
Barnabas (Johnny Depp) has the world at his feet-or at least the town of Collinsport, Maine. The master of Collinwood Manor, Barnabas is rich, powerful and an inveterate playboy...until he makes the grave mistake of breaking the heart of Angelique Bouchard (Eva Green). A witch, in every sense of the… More Barnabas (Johnny Depp) has the world at his feet-or at least the town of Collinsport, Maine. The master of Collinwood Manor, Barnabas is rich, powerful and an inveterate playboy...until he makes the grave mistake of breaking the heart of Angelique Bouchard (Eva Green). A witch, in every sense of the word, Angelique dooms him to a fate worse than death: turning him into a vampire, and then burying him alive. Two centuries later, Barnabas is inadvertently freed from his tomb and emerges into the very changed world of 1972. He returns to Collinwood Manor to find that his once-grand estate has fallen into ruin. The dysfunctional remnants of the Collins family have fared little better, each harboring their own dark secrets. -- (C) Warner Bros.
- Rating, Runtime
- PG-13, 1 hr. 53 min.
- Directed By
- Tim Burton
- Written By
- Dan Curtis
- Genres
- Drama, Horror, Mystery & Suspense
- In Theaters
- May 11, 2012 Wide
- Studio
- Warner Bros. Pictures
Critic Reviews
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Anthony Lane, New Yorker
This is not so much a coherent movie as it is a long, expensive joke in search of a purpose.
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Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post
Mostly Dark Shadows is silly when we're trained to expect slightly richer fun from Burton and Depp.
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Christopher Orr, The Atlantic
Fans of Depp's past collusions with Burton will find their rewards along the way. But there's a perfunctory vibe to the goings on, a weariness amid the weirdness.
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Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger
Clearly, they made the movie they wanted to make. It's just not the movie this "Dark Shadows" fan hoped to see.
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Stephen Cole, Globe and Mail
Dark Shadows' only meaningful relationship is between Depp and his audience. He's a persona now, no longer an actor.
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Tom Long, Detroit News
How bad is "Dark Shadows"? It makes you long for a "Twilight" movie. That's bad.
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Michael Dequina, TheMovieReport.com
Barely rates as a shadow of the franchise's previous lives.
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Betty Jo Tucker, ReelTalk Movie Reviews
I'm still in a state of shock over being bored while watching a Johnny Depp flick.
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Robert Denerstein, Movie Habit
Visually elaborate, but dramatically flat
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Jeffrey M. Anderson, San Francisco Examiner
Yet while seemingly comfortable with opera, [Burton] balks at the notion of melodrama, diluting it with silliness.
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Jackie K. Cooper, jackiekcooper.com
Johnny Depp and Tim Burton make a movie for each other and leave the audience waiting to be entertained.
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Bob Grimm, Reno News and Review
Burton and Depp have gotten into the practice of making boring and stupid movies lately. Hope that particular trend ends soon.
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Brian Juergens, AfterElton.com
By refusing to go either full-on melodrama or pure sendup, they've sentenced the original show's characters to an eternity of being upstaged by ugly lampshades.
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Tim Brayton, Antagony & Ecstasy
Does not feel as derivative and artificial as most of what [Burton] has done since 2001.
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Margot Harrison, Seven Days
Without a strong central conflict, the film ends up wobbling from set piece to set piece, as if Burton were continually yelling, "Hey, check this out!"
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David Stratton, At the Movies (Australia)
It certainly is magnificent to look at. I think where it falters a bit is in the dark romance.
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Margaret Pomeranz, At the Movies (Australia)
Pitching the film playfully between farce, with a knowing satiric edge, high action and high romance, Dark Shadows is a lot of fun.
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David Stratton, The Australian
Certainly delivers the goods on several levels without quite rising to the heights to which it aspires.
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Jeff Bayer, The Scorecard Review
It's filled with moments that don't really matter, especially when dealing with the fishing business.
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James Kendrick, Q Network Film Desk
nostalgic music and digs at the bad aesthetic choices of a previous era, no matter how well executed, will only get you so far, and at some point we have to be invested in Barnabas's many plights, and we never are.
Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
Featured Audience Ratings
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Alexander D
Possibly the most disappointing and ultimately dysfunctional quality possessed by DARK SHADOWS, usually-impressive filmmaker Tim Burtonâ(TM)s latest piece, is that neither of its two main genres work. Anyone who has gone to the movies in the past three months has likely seen at least… More
Possibly the most disappointing and ultimately dysfunctional quality possessed by DARK SHADOWS, usually-impressive filmmaker Tim Burtonâ(TM)s latest piece, is that neither of its two main genres work. Anyone who has gone to the movies in the past three months has likely seen at least one of the trailers for this film. Every single one of those previews promises the same exact thing: a neat, ri-Drac-ulous, upbeat twist on the classic vampire tale. What we get at the theater when we go to see this is face value, with the best bits also included in the trailers. Rather than a fun laugh-fest, we get a fish-out-of-water comedy that can be appreciated best by those under the age of twelve who believe that the premise of an 18th century vampire appearing two centuries later to be met with rock music, paved roads, modern dialogue, and automobiles, can not only make them break out into agonizing laughter, but can also carry a nearly two-hour movie. Then thereâ(TM)s the horror genre. Director Tim Burton uses old, clichà (C)d tactics to try and make us jump, or even just cause a minute chill to run through our spines. We sometimes have to wonder if heâ(TM)s the (offscreen) vampire who needs to get used to modern society. Iâ(TM)ve gotten so tired of people appearing behind other people, random objects popping out around corners, and âominousâ? lines of dialogue, all of which are highlighted by spontaneous violin music, that my jumps and shakes are being replaced by sighs and unintended laughter. The end is the biggest failure with this cooperative genre. Within the last twenty to thirty minutes, the film becomes a loud, chaotic chain of âdeus ex machinaâ? galore. There is even an unexplained twist with embellished upon one of the filmâ(TM)s better characters that isnâ(TM)t once explained. Granted, these final sequences may work effectively with the under-twelve age group, as the comedy part did, but I canâ(TM)t imagine any adult or teenager losing sleep or even getting a few jumps from them. Though we have a few nice names that co-star in this film, the cast is generally hit-and-miss. Chloë Grace Moretz, as usual, is great in her role. She is used to portraying more kind, patient characters in her past roles. Just look at her characters in (500) DAYS OF SUMMER or last yearâ(TM)s HUGO. In this role, she is a carefree, disrespectful teenager with a biting attitude. Then there are the less memorable roles, such as Johnny Deppâ(TM)s. Itâ(TM)s a surprise someone who has claimed to have wanted to be Barnabas Collins, from the soap opera on which this is based, ever since he was a child, could perform so stiffly. His 1770s âlingoâ? is funny at first: you probably saw, in the trailer, a bit of the scene when Moretz asks him, âAre you stoned or something?â?, leading him to matter-of-factly reply, âThey tried stoning me, my dear. It did not work.â? It takes not very long for his lines to grow tiresome and utterly forgettable. Furthermore, Depp fails to appear as a believable vampire from the start. Throughout the film, he looks like an everyday man wearing an excessive amount of makeup. I usually stick to my philosophy that actors shouldnâ(TM)t sing and singers shouldnâ(TM)t act, but I can honestly imagine someone like Alice Cooper (who incidentally makes an extended cameo in this film) looking and performing much better than Depp did. -
Justin Y
Stemming from the television series by the same name, Tim Burton takes a bite out of the supernatural with <i>Dark Shadows</i>.<p>The concept behind the story screams of eccentric visuals and even outlandish characters and this is something that is in the realm of… More
Stemming from the television series by the same name, Tim Burton takes a bite out of the supernatural with <i>Dark Shadows</i>.<p>The concept behind the story screams of eccentric visuals and even outlandish characters and this is something that is in the realm of this director. With that said, Tim Burton keeps things in check and despite the fantasy components, this 110 minute film is more down to earth than it seems.</p><p>While this picture becomes more tolerable and easier to watch with the less than expected quirks, the humor also takes a dive. The laughs are far and few in between; however, that doesn't make <i>Dark Shadows</i> a complete bore because it does have entertainment value.</p><p>The screen belongs to Johnny Depp and it's hard to fault anything he does, but watch out for Eva Green. She is as much of a scene stealer as Depp. Both are worth the price of admission.</p><p><i>Dark Shadows</i> isn't perfect by any means, but it is still an entertaining sit through.</p> -
Drake T
Burton's latest live action instalment is more or less a disappointment of disjointed events. It's unfortunate really, as it had all the quirky characters and charming little scenes that you'd expect from the guy (It's silly and fun!) but it was built on none of… More
Burton's latest live action instalment is more or less a disappointment of disjointed events. It's unfortunate really, as it had all the quirky characters and charming little scenes that you'd expect from the guy (It's silly and fun!) but it was built on none of the poetic or dramatic finesse that made his other works so successful. I don't know, maybe he just got lazy but there were far too many inconsequential subplots and motives in play making for a lack of cohesion. The visuals and themes are undoubtedly there, the actors? All very well versed in their roles (especially Green!) and there's a moment where Tim manages to find an awkward happy place between sexy and hilarious. But yes, despite all these positives there's just too much not working out for this films overall framework of storytelling. -
Everett J
Johnny Depp has made a career out of playing odd ball characters. From Willy Wonka to Edward Scissorhands and Jack Sparrow, he has a knack for bringing the weird into the mainstream. Here he plays Barnabas Collins, a man who has been cursed for breaking the heart of Angelique(Eva… More
Johnny Depp has made a career out of playing odd ball characters. From Willy Wonka to Edward Scissorhands and Jack Sparrow, he has a knack for bringing the weird into the mainstream. Here he plays Barnabas Collins, a man who has been cursed for breaking the heart of Angelique(Eva Green). She cursed him by turning him into a vampire and burying him alive. After nearly two centuries lock in a coffin, he is freed and works to adjust to life in 1972 with the descendants of his family. He falls in love with the new family nanny Victoria(Bella Heathcote),and tries to figure out how to get Angelique(who is still alive) to release the curse. The acting is good from Depp, all the way through the supporting cast. Each performance is spot on and done very well. The issue with this movie is not in the story or performances, but in the direction. Tim Burton is a fantastic director, but here I got the sense that he had no idea what kind of movie he wanted to make. Part horror, part drama, and part comedy, makes for an interesting recipe that doesn't work very well. It's as if he made three movies and cut them together. It's just hard figuring out how to describe it, because it falls in all three categories. Not funny enough to be an outright comedy. Not scary enough for horror, and not nearly dramatic enough to be a drama. It's a decent movie, that warrants at least a watch. But, Depp and Burton have done much better, and will probably do much better in the future. -
KJ P
Never knowing where it wants to go, "Dark Shadows" is the type of movie that only die hard Tim Burton fans will love. The cast is fantastic as they always are in his films, but the story is very generic and almost feels like it steals from the rules of twilight sometimes.… More
Never knowing where it wants to go, "Dark Shadows" is the type of movie that only die hard Tim Burton fans will love. The cast is fantastic as they always are in his films, but the story is very generic and almost feels like it steals from the rules of twilight sometimes. Don't get me wrong, I did it enjoy some of it and there were a few awesome scenes, but if that is all that I enjoyed about it, then no, i didn't like it that much. When the movie ended, I wanted to yell at the screen, because this film starts with so much potential but never delivers. I hoped for so much more out of this film. "Dark Shadows" is among many of my 2012 shrugged shoulder films. I will mildly recommend this to any fans of Tim Burton, but other than that, you will probably hate it. "Dark Shadows" will be forgotten in the shadows of 2012. -
Carlos M
Even with spectacular visuals and an enjoyable performance by Depp, it is frustrating to see a promising first half give place to a meandering second half that is so unfunny and disjointed, with many unnecessary elements thrown in for no reason and a horrible ending. -
Lorenzo v
<i>"Every Family Has Its Demons"</i> An imprisoned vampire, Barnabas Collins, is set free and returns to his ancestral home, where his dysfunctional descendants are in need of his protection. <center><font size=+2 face="Century… More
<i>"Every Family Has Its Demons"</i> An imprisoned vampire, Barnabas Collins, is set free and returns to his ancestral home, where his dysfunctional descendants are in need of his protection. <center><font size=+2 face="Century Schoolbook"><b><u>REVIEW</u></b></font></center> Camp piled on camp would be over the top for the best cinema satirists except maybe David Lynch and the durable Tim Burton. The latter has taken on the campy '70's TV program, Dark Shadows, enlisted his usual suspects, Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter, and made a comedy that holds up for laughs and wit, the latter being the province of the gifted Depp. Barnabas Collins returning to Maine after sleeping for over 200 years, finds his dysfunctional family, well, still dysfunctional. His saving their fortune and indulging his enduring playboy inclinations, puts him fang to fang again with witch Angelique, played deliciously over the top by blonde barracuda, Eva Green. Lurking in these shadows is Depp, who plays Collins with such uncharacteristic restraint that he captures his seductiveness and his menace in every turn of his smacking lips. Burton and Depp have been together eight times starting in 1990 with Edward Scissorhands. Given the lack of financial success in Dark Shadows, it may be time to bury the relationship and resurrect it at a time when, like Collins, they can feed a nostalgic craze for them rather than noticeable box office yawns. -
Pedro H
The legend bites back Bite me? this movie sucks No vampire pun intention but this movie sucks. I did not like any second of the movie, and now Tim Burton and Johnny Depp are starting to get on my nerves. This horrible and repetitive movie is a Burton (lets make thinks corky and… More
The legend bites back Bite me? this movie sucks No vampire pun intention but this movie sucks. I did not like any second of the movie, and now Tim Burton and Johnny Depp are starting to get on my nerves. This horrible and repetitive movie is a Burton (lets make thinks corky and dark) film that has no significant plot either than, Barnabas Collins (Depp) a vampire who returns from two centuries later after being cursed by a witch to revive his families buisness and discover the secrets that have been kept from him. As much as this movie is considered to be a comedy it is not funny at all. I didn't laugh one second. I am starting to give less credibility to Depp because he just plays crazy goofy characters. Tim Burton's style has been overplayed and he is starting to lack originality. Overall a bad movie. Skip this one, because there is genuinely one billion things better to do than watch this. Barnabas Collins: What kind of sorcery is this? Reveal yourself, you tiny songstress! -
moon r
The old television series is only the starting point in Burton's kitschy swipe at the 1970's that plays more like a Mad magazine send-up, only w/o heart, tainted with ennui. There are creepy shadows but not so much. Only Helena Bonham Carter (playing a middle aged American… More
The old television series is only the starting point in Burton's kitschy swipe at the 1970's that plays more like a Mad magazine send-up, only w/o heart, tainted with ennui. There are creepy shadows but not so much. Only Helena Bonham Carter (playing a middle aged American frump, against type) surpasses expectation and her's is but a supporting part. Similiarly all the interesting parts of the movie float on the sidelines and never take center stage, as if Burton refused to play hardball. Pfeiffer is completely wasted, and Depp hardly seems to care. CGI abounds. -
Nate Z
Dark Shadows was a daytime soap that aired for only a brief period of time as far as soaps are concerned, 1966-1971, but it was enough to make a lasting impression. The supernatural soap featured vampires, werewolves, and other creatures of the night, entangled in high-stakes drama… More
Dark Shadows was a daytime soap that aired for only a brief period of time as far as soaps are concerned, 1966-1971, but it was enough to make a lasting impression. The supernatural soap featured vampires, werewolves, and other creatures of the night, entangled in high-stakes drama and romantic excursions - it was the Twilight of its day. Director Tim Burton and his attached-at-the-hip collaborator, actor Johnny Depp, were fans as children and have kicked around a big-budget big screen version for years. Now that Dark Shadows hits theaters, you'll be left wondering whether they really ever liked the original show or secretly despised it. In the 1770s, Barnabus Collins (Depp) is the son of fishing and canning magnate in colonial Maine. He has a fling with Angelique (Eva Green), one of his family's servant girls, and unfortunately for him, the gal is also a witch in her spare time. She curses the Collins family, killing Barnabus' mother, father, and the woman he loves. She then turns him into a vampire, riles the villagers into mob mode, and Barnabus gets trapped in a coffin and buried for good. Two hundred years later, a construction crew unearths an old coffin and out pops Barnabus from his prison. The world is a very different place. Elizabeth Collins Stoddard (Michelle Pfeiffer) is running the Collins family manor and canning company, which has fallen on hard times. A rival canning company is snapping up fisherman contracts, and this company is led by none other than the same ageless Angelique. Elizabeth tries to conceal her distant relative's unique "condition" from the rest of her family, her brother Roger (Johnny Lee Miller), and his son David (Gulliver McGrath), grieving the loss of his mother, moody 15-year-old daughter Carolyn (Chloe Grace Moretz), and caretaker, Willie Loomis (Jackie Earle Haley). The Collins family also has a new hire, Victoria Winters (Bella Heathcote), who looks strikingly like Barnabus' lost love from 200 years ago. He becomes smitten with the new lass, who may be the reincarnation of his lost love. That's enough to rev up Angelique's wild sense of jealousy, as she tries to get her long-desired man and destroy anyone that stands in her way. Is this ever one ghoulish mess of a movie. It never settles on a tone; is it supposed to be a larky tongue-in-cheek send-up, a Gothic melodrama, a dysfunctional oddball family comedy? What is this supposed to be, because whatever it is, it isn't entertaining. Oh sure, it's entertaining in a, "Where the hell is this going?" kind of way, but so is being kidnapped by a drifter. The movie feels like it has a box filled with ideas, and every so often it just shakes up that box, reaches inside, grabs one and says, "Let's give this a try." The screenplay, credited to author Seth Grahame-Smith (Abe Lincoln: Vampire Hunter), is awash with half-baked ideas and poorly developed characters. The live-in doctor, played by the second stalwart of the Burton Repertory Players, Helena Bonham Carter, is a hoot. Carter (The King's Speech) has got an edge to her and an interesting dynamic with Barnabus, but sadly her storyline is tied up far too quickly. The character of Victoria is a rather interesting one, a girl who could communicate with her ghostly former relatives, who happen to look just like her. The gal was sent to a mental asylum by her parents and escaped, compelled to come to the Collins mansion. Why in the world wasn't she the movie's protagonist? That is a far more compelling perspective than a goofy vampire who speaks all old timey. Seriously, the Barnabus stuff is your basic fish-out-of-water comedy, lazily commenting on the times. There is no joke that is too obvious for this movie (Barnabus inquires why Carolyn has no husband; Barnabus is fascinated by a lava lamp; Barnabus thinks Alice Cooper is an ugly woman - sigh). A lot of the shapeless narrative would be forgivable if the movie was just funnier. Barnabus is just not that fun of a character. His anachronistic verbiage gets dull when you discover that seems to be the movie's one joke. You may start tuning him out like I did. The movie feels like a collection of subplots and no main storyline to gather traction. We're told that the youngest Collins, little David, is enamored with Barnabus, though considering we've only seen the two together in like one previous scene, this seems like quite a leap. Unless David has gotten particularly skilled at hiding behind rocks, we haven't seen any of this. The entire character of David and his sleazy father could be eliminated and they would only minimally affect the story. And then there's the late revelation that one of our characters has a hidden secret identity, a revelation that fostered no setup. When the character looks into the camera to explain and ends with a curt, "Deal with it," it's like Grahame-Smith himself is speaking directly to the audience, mocking it for hoping that the movie would actually do a good job of setting up and paying off character development and relationships. Stupid audience. Why can't you just be happy with all that neat Tim Burton set design? The final melee between the Collins family and Angelique keeps reminding you of the dashed promise of the flick. Angelique, in her witchy withiness, summons dark forces to make statues come alive. Well, sort of. They flail their arms a tad. And then she makes the walls bleed. Well, sort of. The dripping blood stops after just a few inches from where it began. If you're going to make the house bleed, I want Shining-level torrents of the red stuff. The tonal inconsistency, matched with the muddled plot and scant character work, makes for a pretty frustrating bore of a movie. You could usually count on Depp (Alice in Wonderland) for at least committing himself to another bravura weird performance, but the material fails him. He's caked with alabaster makeup, given claw-like hands thanks to additional knuckles (why...?), and he's trying his best to transform a list of peculiarities into a character, but like most things concerning the movie, it does not coalesce properly. I actually think the most entertaining actor in the movie is Green (Casino Royale). Part of that might be my hormones revved up from her frequent cleavage-baring outfits as the vampy villainous (no pun intended). There's not much to her role but at least she has fun with it, bringing an admirable level of energy while her peers remain laconic, content to submerge into the 70s scenery. She shows a nice flair for comedy heretofore unseen. Strangely, Green adopts a slightly raspy voice that sounded like an imitation of, none other than, Helena Bonham Carter. If Burton's note to his film's young, frisky, sexy antagonist was, "Sound more like my wife doing an American accent," then I think we've butted into something personal best left between husband and wife. Ultimately, I have no idea who this movie is going to appeal to. The fans of the original soap will surely not be pleased with the jokey, tongue-in-cheek manner that Dark Shadows treats its source material. Fans of Burton's stylized, dreamy, Gothic fairy tale visuals will find the film tedious and a poor waste of the man's talents. Even the casual Depp fan will probably find the movie mostly unfunny, weird, and boring. The tonal whiplash never settles down, and the plot is replete with half-developed characters, ideas, and plot points. It just seems to throw everything at the wall to see what sticks, but that's not the best way to tell a story. Not even Burton's visuals or Depp's performance can save this movie. Dark Shadows is unquestionably amongst Burton's worst films (2001's Planet of the Apes debacle takes the crown), made all the more inexplicable by the fact that Burton and Depp are self-described fans of the TV show. Maybe we all have different definitions of "fan" that I am not privy to. This movie deserves a quick death. Nate's Grade: C -
Directors C
[img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/user/icons/icon14.gif[/img] This is not in line with Burton's best work, there isn't a bigger example of him doing set piece over storytelling than what he does with Dark Shadows. But I still quite liked watching it,… More
[img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/user/icons/icon14.gif[/img] This is not in line with Burton's best work, there isn't a bigger example of him doing set piece over storytelling than what he does with Dark Shadows. But I still quite liked watching it, Depp's Barnabus Collins isn't as crazy as his Raoul Duke but he still makes an often funny character out of him. Bonham Carter on the other hand isn't very comedic but the film is kind of cute, and most of the time fun. Despite it's lack of a consistent tone and muddled narrative. It's miles away from his greatest weirdest work, it's more of an inbetween project to seperate Frankenweenie from Sweeney Todd, but it's got enough moments of eccentric laughs that make it feel more watchable than Burton's weak take on Alice in Wonderland. It's none other than a visual masterpiece but flimsy by Burton's incredibly high standards. -
Mark H
Tim Burton has been responsible for misfires before (Planet of the Apes), but at least they were still interesting on some creative level. For the first time he has directed a virtually unwatchable film. The expository intro unfolds like an entire TV season condensed into 15 minutes.… More
Tim Burton has been responsible for misfires before (Planet of the Apes), but at least they were still interesting on some creative level. For the first time he has directed a virtually unwatchable film. The expository intro unfolds like an entire TV season condensed into 15 minutes. In rapid fire succession we're introduced to the Collins family, their colossal 200-room mansion called Collinswood and a headache inducing backstory that has more twists and turns than the subsequent movie that follows. Yes all this precedes the opening credits. Once the actual drama begins it grows tiresome. Oh there's a few jokes - most of them having to do with an 18th century vampire who views the modern conveniences of the 1970s as satanic magic. That might have been amusing had we not already seen all of those bits in the trailer. What remains, is a lot of boring conversation serving what basically amounts to an unfunny SNL skit. There is no depth to these individuals, just hollow shells designed to recite campy dialogue and nothing more. By the time the climatic battle arrives as a stale rewrite of the fight scene from Death Becomes Her, I had already checked out. -
Aaron N
Barnabas Collins: How soon can the horses be ready? Elizabeth Collins Stoddard: We don't have horses, we have a Chevy. Dark Shadows is a movie that has everything it needs to be a lot of fun, but ends up being too hit or miss to fully succeed in the end. The film has a… More
Barnabas Collins: How soon can the horses be ready? Elizabeth Collins Stoddard: We don't have horses, we have a Chevy. Dark Shadows is a movie that has everything it needs to be a lot of fun, but ends up being too hit or miss to fully succeed in the end. The film has a great cast, some very impressive production values (fitting for a Tim Burton film), and an initial setup for a story that could have lead to some interesting places. The setup is strong, yes, but the film ends up being too messy in regards to handling all of its many subplots and characters. This would not be all too bad a thing if the film was at least constantly entertaining, but unfortunately, there are also various problems with how well established the characters are and how well the comedy works. Johnny Depp certainly tries hard, but the film is too messy and unfocused to really amount to much more than a forgettable, gothic jaunt. read the whole review at thecodeiszeek.com -
Chris M
If it weren't for Johnny Depp I would have probably already forgot this movie completely. Dark Shadows has that signature Tim Burton style. You know like gothic, gloomy and dark. But that style is so overplayed, it doesn't make the movie stand out visually. Johnny Depp was… More
If it weren't for Johnny Depp I would have probably already forgot this movie completely. Dark Shadows has that signature Tim Burton style. You know like gothic, gloomy and dark. But that style is so overplayed, it doesn't make the movie stand out visually. Johnny Depp was great in this movie though. But thats like saying there is fish in the sea. The rest of cast never rose to Johnny Depp's superiority. I just thought the rest of them came off as either annoying or flat. I couldn't really get into this movie either. I zoned out of the movie a couple times (which is actually rare for me). Overall, it was a movie that came across as a generic Tim Burton film and if it didn't feature Johnny Depp it would have been completely lost among the shadows. -
Randy T
Nice Tim Burton visuals with commendable performances and a somewhat convoluted storyline. Sort of an <i>Alice in Wonderland</i> with fangs. -
vieras e
Much better than what the trailer would let you believe. -
Thomas B
Funny and cool with Burton's fingerprints everywhere but very definitely lacking a good plot. Full review later. -
William D
Johnny Depp's performance is a lot of fun, the parody of the 1970s is consistently funny, and the movie does hang together. But one's blood never quite gets pumping in Tim Burton's "Dark Shadows." As is most often the case with a Burton film, the story is… More
Johnny Depp's performance is a lot of fun, the parody of the 1970s is consistently funny, and the movie does hang together. But one's blood never quite gets pumping in Tim Burton's "Dark Shadows." As is most often the case with a Burton film, the story is woefully under-developed. It also has to be pointed out that the film bears almost no connection to the 1960s TV series upon which it is based. The characters have the same names, and some of the basic facts are the same (Barnabas is a vampire here). But other than that, Burton and the screenwriters completely go off in their own direction. And it's mostly comedy that they have on their minds. The TV show, by contrast, was never comedic. I have no objection to film adaptations that make sharp left turns away from their original story source. But I long for a contemporary adaptation of this gothic TV show that is in keeping with its seriousness. Parodies of horror always leave me fairly uninspired. I like my horror real. -
Kevin C
From a director heralded and trademarked for his imagination comes a picture absolutely devoid of it. Dark Shadows is one of the few films that almost put me to sleep whilst sitting in the theater; it looks nice, some of the ideas are kind of cool, but, my god, are the story and… More
From a director heralded and trademarked for his imagination comes a picture absolutely devoid of it. Dark Shadows is one of the few films that almost put me to sleep whilst sitting in the theater; it looks nice, some of the ideas are kind of cool, but, my god, are the story and character development lazy. -
Kyle F
From its opening, Dark Shadows appears to be a pitch- perfect Burton slam-dunk. The visuals, style, and timing are marvelous, and the story is quite fascinating, but as the movie draws on, each scene feels longer than the last, the story becomes a jumble, and the tone seems to shift… More
From its opening, Dark Shadows appears to be a pitch- perfect Burton slam-dunk. The visuals, style, and timing are marvelous, and the story is quite fascinating, but as the movie draws on, each scene feels longer than the last, the story becomes a jumble, and the tone seems to shift back and forth from a clever soap opera parody to an actual soap opera. There are a great deal of brilliant laughs and perfect moments, and the whole movie is well done, but by the time the film is over, it has become too tiresome to view as an overall success, and the climax is an absolute mess. Johnny Depp manages to be hilarious and enthralling at the same time. His character choices aren't exactly new, in fact, we've seen most of them before, but the performance is quite delicious, and you can manage to suck joy out of it even when the rest of the film falters. Eva Green is confusing as Angelique, and it's unclear what effect she was going for. Michelle Pfeiffer commits, perhaps a bit too much, to the melodramatic tones of the movie. Jackie Earle Haley, Jonny Lee Miller, and Gulliver McGrath are amusing in small supporting roles.
Cast
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Johnny Deppas Barnabas Collins -
Michelle Pfeifferas Elizabeth Collins Stoddard -
Bella Heathcoteas Victoria Winters
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Eva Greenas Angelique -
Chloe Moretzas Carolyn Stoddard -
Helena Bonham Carteras Dr. Julia Hoffman
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Gulliver McGrathas David Collins -
Jackie Earle Haleyas Willie Loomis -
Jonny Lee Milleras Roger Collins
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Gully McGrathas David Collins -
Ray Shirleyas Mrs. Johnson -
Thomas McDonellas Barnabas Collins (young)
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Christopher Leeas Clarney -
Ivan Kayeas Joshua Collins -
Justin Tracyas Young Barnabas - Age 6
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Susanna Cappellaroas Naomi Collins -
Josephine Butleras David's Mother -
William Hopeas Sheriff
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Shane Rimmeras Board Member 1 -
Michael J. Shannonas Board Member 2 -
Harry Tayloras Henchman
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Glen Mextedas Captain Rubberpants -
Guy Flanaganas Bearded Hippie -
Nigel Whitmeyas Hard Hat 1
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Philip Bulcockas Hard Hat 2 -
Sophie Kennedy Clarkas Hippie Chick 1 -
Hannah Murrayas Hippie Chick 2
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Victoria Bewickas Hippie Chick 3 -
Sean Mahonas Collinsport Cop -
Alexia Osborneas Young Victoria
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Richard Hollisas Vicky's Father -
Felicity Branganas Vicky's Mother -
Michael Anthony Brownas Windcliff Doctor
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Charlotte Spenceras Coat Check Girl -
Gabriel Freilichas Hippie 3 -
Thomas Grubeas Construction Worker 1
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Jeff Mashas Construction Worker 2 -
Raffey Cassidyas Young Angelique -
Janine Craigas Go Go Dancer 1
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Adelle Youngas Go Go Dancer 2 -
Dominica Van Santenas Go Go Dancer 3 -
Josephine McGrailas Go Go Dancer 4
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Alice Cooperas Alice Cooper
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