Dark Shadows - Tim Burton

After reading the less than complimentary reviews of 'Dark Shadows', the latest film by one of my all time favourite directors, Tim Burton, I felt very apprehensive going to see it last night. The critics all seem to feel that Tim Burton has become too comfortable and complacent in his style of film making. I understand where they're coming from but in my opinion, Burton's use of beautiful gothic cinematography and wicked humour, the casting of Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter and the incredible music scores composed by Danny Elfman are what make his more recent films brilliant (Sweeney Todd, Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, Alice in Wonderland, Corpse Bride anyone?). I may be a little biased but that's just how I feel.

'Dark Shadows' is based on the 1960's television series of the same name and tells the story of the cursed Barnabas Collins (played by the ever consistent Johnny Depp) and his family. As a young boy, in the middle of the eighteenth century, Barnabas and his parents emigrate to America in order to begin a new life. Joshua Collins, his father, establishes an extremely successful fishing port in Maine, which he names Collinsport.  Over the next twenty years, Barnabas grows up to be a handsome and successful young man, with the world at his feet. He lives in a beautiful mansion with his loving parents and plans to marry the love of his life, Josette. Everything is going to plan until Barnabas makes the biggest mistake of his life in misusing one of the family servants, Angelique (Eva Green). She is a witch and an extremely resentful and bitter one at that. She stops at nothing to destroy Barnabas, killing first his parents and then forcing Josette to leap to her death from Widow's Hill. In a fit of despair, Barnabas plunges after Josette and is then turned into a vampire. Angelique leads an angry mob against him and buries him alive. In 1972, Barnabas is accidentally released by a team of construction workers. He returns to his family home only to find it in complete disrepair and decline. The four remaining members of the Collins family are quirky, dysfunctional and unsuccessful, as their fishing business has been overrun by Angelique's (now Angie). They include the age defying Michelle Pfeiffer as Elizabeth Collins Stoddard, Chloe Grace Moretz as Carolyn, her moody and rebellious teenage daughter,  Johnny Lee Miller as Elizabeth's idiotic and thoughtless brother, Roger, and the adorable Gulliver McGrath as Roger's disturbed son, David. Helena Bonham Carter plays Dr. Julia Hoffman, David's psychologist and Bella Heathcote plays Vicky, David's tutor, who bears an eerie resemblance to Josette. Barnabas' sense of familial pride is instantly wounded and he vows to restore the Collins' honour and wealth.

A heartwarming tale ensues, filled with snappy one liners, a great soundtrack (including Nights In White Satin by The Moody Blues, good choice, Elfman, good choice) and cameos from the likes of Alice Cooper, Christopher Lee and Skins' Hannah Murray. The gothic atmosphere isn't altogether as strong and forceful as it could be (although Josette's ghost was delightfully spooky and haunting), the romance between Barnabas and Vicky is a tad to Twilightesque and though I can't really fault her acting, Chloe Moretz just irritates me. Other than that, I thoroughly enjoyed Dark Shadows, as perhaps, I was always determined to! Seriously though, if like me you can't get enough of Tim Burton and Johnny Depp you'll love it and I can certainly see this film becoming a Halloween classic.