Set in the late 1880s in London, barber Benjamin Barker was living happily with his beautiful wife, Lucy, and his newborn daughter, Johanna. But another, Judge Turpin, loved Lucy and had his associate, Beadle Bamford, send Barker to prison on false charges. Many years later, Barker “dies” and Sweeney Todd returns “and he will have his revenge.”

Re-establishing his barber shop above Mrs. Lovett’s Meat Pie Shop, he waits with his “friends,” a set of shiny silver shaving razors, for the day Judge Turpin will need a shave. But in the meanwhile, Mrs. Lovett could use some “meat” for her pies, and when you live in a “hole in the world like a great black pit and it’s filled with people who are filled with s--- and all the vermin inhabit it,” there are some people who need a shave and will not be missed.

When I first saw this movie, I realized it was going to be a dark and sinister one. Director Tim Burton manages to take this beloved Broadway show and bring it to the big screen in a new way that will make you laugh, cry, scream, and cringe all in the same two hours.

Johnny Depp fills the role of Todd perfectly – a quiet chap who dreams of nothing but righting his wrongs with a simple shaving razor. And who knew that Depp had such a singing voice? He has a great range that you must hear to believe. Helena Bonham Carter does an excellent job as Mrs. Lovett, a down-in-the-dumps baker who has trouble making meat pies, but who is more than glad to assist Mr. T in whatever he needs, with a voice to go along with it.

Alan Rickman makes a fine Judge Turpin. He’s not sinister by any means, but rather jealous and selfish. I believe this is the first movie in six years where I did not see him playing Professor Snape (in one of the Harry Potter films). It’s quite a welcome change. If you’re looking for sinister or “evil,” you’ll find that in Beadle Bamford (Timothy Spall), an associate of Turpin who does all of his dirty work.

The songs are quite nice. From the opening to the closing you will hum what you can remember for the next week. All in all, this movie is on my top-five list of musicals for this year and also on my list for being the most graphic and bloody. Yes, this has got to be the bloodiest Tim Burton film, or any musical.