Review of Dark Shadows

So here's my first movie review! This review is for the latest Tim Burton movie that hit cinema screens on Friday 11th May 2012. I was fortunate enough to attend the premiere and wait around in the cold for almost 12 hours, but it was worth it. I got to meet the legendary Tim Burton & his gorgeous partner and actress Helena Bonham Carter along with the likes of Jackie Earle Haley & Johnny Depp for the second time.

Anyway... moving on... I'm now going to rate the film... I would first like to give it a rating of 3 and half stars compared to other reviews I read 3 and half is a reasonable rating. Some may agree, some may disagree, everybody is different. I will try not to give too much away.

Let's start of this review with a character review... starting with Barnabas Collins portrayed by Johnny Depp. Depp is famous for his unusual roles and in my opinion has always played these characters extremely well. In the words of Tim Burton 'Depp is like a chameleon' and I have to agree. His role as Vampire Barnabas Collins is acted with precision. His character provides a comical side as he tries to adapt to life of the 1970's and adjusting to the modern life that his family leads. I have always found Depp an attractive man and brilliant actor, I have seen him in many films and he always pulls me into his character... I seem to forget this man playing different characters each time is real as he makes his characters feel real. I must say Depp as a reluctant vampire is sexy! (Not true blood sexy. Twilight is not sexy, sorry). Depp has always provided a excellent performance in al his roles to suit everybody's taste.
Depp's performance I rate 4 and half stars.

Up next Dr Julia Hoffman portrayed by Burton's other half, Helena Bonham Carter. I'm quite surprised that her character only has a small role... not the smallest but her character I found was quite short lived. I found that rather disappointing as I enjoyed her character very much. A drunk psychiatrist who always is hungover or has a whiskey or brandy in her hand. Bonham Carter plays Dr Hoffman beautifully providing character and fun to the film.

Bonham Carter's performance I rate 4 stars.

As a final single character review I'm going to focus on the delectable Eva Green who plays the role of Jealous Witch Angelique Bouchard.

I have mixed views on Green's performance some parts I found good and entertaining and some parts I found wooden. Like I said before everybody has different views and I'm not saying that Eva Green is a terrible actress. In fact the opposite, her role as Morgan in Camelot is very enjoyable and dark. So the role of a witch is perfect for her! It's just that not all her scenes were great. She also adds comedy to the film with her storyline with Barnabas and she defiantly plays 'bunny boiler' extremely well. I kind of felt sorry for her that Barnabas will never love her and she truly loved him... but boy was she a bitch to his family!
Green's performance I rate 4 stars.

The other characters in the movie didn't have much focus, but you could understand their roles in the family. Jonny Lee Miller's character Roger Collins to me is a creepy perverted character who is also a bit a thieving bastard! His role was small and to be quite honest I found that was good for me. Miller's acting performance I cannot deny was very good although I cannot compare him to other roles he has played in other movies. I would rate him 3 stars. Chloë Grace Moretz's character Carolyn Collins I have to say was not great. She seemed to pull the same face all the time... like she was continuously pissed off and well with her scene at the end... I was like what the fuck!? I'm sorry Chloë but your performance I can only rate a 2 and half stars. Not going into too much detail now... but Michelle Pfeiffer's performance was good. The matriarch role suits her perfectly. Pfeiffer's performance 4 stars. Last but not least Jackie Earle Haley's role as caretaker Willie Loomis was very comical. I find Haley's performance funny and well the drunk acting... hilarious! Going from being the evil Freddie Kreuger to a brave, helpful, funny drunk, proves that Jackie is good at adapting to a different role well. Haley's performance 3 and half stars.

The movie itself started off a little slow but quickly picked up the pace when Barnabas was dug up after 196 years of being locked up in a coffin. Then the comical value kicked in throughout with all the different storylines setting in. Like I said without giving to much away you can defiantly tell it's a Tim Burton film as it screams quirkiness with light non-scary horror. The only truly not sure how it fits in part of the movie was the end... you'd have to see it to know what I mean... but don't get me wrong, I truly enjoyed the film and would see it again but it's something I'm not sure if I'd crazily recommend going to see it unless it's something you want to watch. For those who do choose to watch it you'll have your own views on it and may disagree with entirely! I love Tim Burton's films and this one is defiantly one I like even if I have mixed views!
Hope you enjoy the movie!