Dark Shadows (2012)
Directed by Tim Burton
Starring Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer and Eva Green
Cursed by a witch to be a vampire, Barnabus Collins wakes after being trapped for 200 years to find a world he is not use to and a family who have given up on the family business that he helped create. They need some help and he is there to provide it for them.
Depp, as he does in most Burton films, plays the main character, a vampire called Barnabus Collins who is still aching for his one true love 200 years after losing her to a spell from a witch. Not only has this happened but he needs to bring back the wealth and success of his family to the town of Collinsport away from the evil witch that put the curse on him in the first place. This leads to a few laughs and some lacklustre set pieces that fail to blow you away even with the big name cast that’s present on screen.
Whether you are aware of Tim Burton or not you would easily recognise one of his films. You get lots of blacks, whites and greys that are offset with bright colours to bring some life to an otherwise dull looking scene. The quirkiness of his characters is less obvious here and even Depp’s vampire seems to be quite underperformed considering his usual acting styles. Helena Bonham Carter is the only real quirky character that comes through but only in blips.
Recommendation
The film as a whole was ok and it gives you your typical dark Tim Burton film. However the film lacked that oomph that made me think “that was fantastic”. A good fun monster movie by Burton that unfortunately lacked the monsters. The best thing about Burtons version of a vampire was the classic burning in sunlight and no reflection, how a vampire should be perceived. I would say yes you should see this film but don’t expect to come away thinking wow.
Film Fact
The original Dracula himself Christopher Lee makes a cameo appearance in the film
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