Dark Shadows
Yet another film by Tim Burton, starring his wife Helena Bonham Carter and Johnny Depp in make-up. I think he has inadvertently painted himself into a corner, making fantastical films with outlandish costumes, make-up and over-the-top acting.
Some say it’s his style. I say he’s a one-trick pony.
Johnny Depp is Barnabus Collins, a wealthy playboy in 1772. He has a fling with one of his servants, Angelique Bouchard (Eva Green) and then dumps her. Unbeknownst to him, she is a witch, and promptly proceeds to kill his parents, hypnotizes his lover to jump off a cliff, and curses him to be a vampire before burying him alive in a chained coffin.
Rescued 200 years later during a construction excavation, he kills the construction crew, drinks their blood and proceeds to return to his old manor.
Cue fish-out-of-water jokes and Depp looking awkwardly at new technology such as cars and television. With eye shadow.
Yeah, its Edward Scissorhands all over again.
Unfortunately, Angelique Bouchard, being the bitch witch that she is, has also survived the past 200 years, and is now the most powerful person in town. So its up to Barnabus and his ragtag bunch of family to stop her.
The best part of ‘Dark Shadows’ is really Eva Green’s portrayal of Angelique Bouchard. At once delightfully evil and wickedly sexy, her performance was what made the show a little better than it really should be.
Plus, no one says ‘no’ to Eva Green, witch or not.
Ratings: 5/10