Tim Burton's 'Dark Shadows': Pros And Cons

Posted: 05/11/2012 1:17 pm Updated: 05/11/2012 1:19 pm

By now, you've probably heard about Tim Burton's new movie, "Dark Shadows." Based on the popular '70s soap opera, the adaptation stars Johnny Depp (of course) as Barnabas Collins, a vampire who seeks revenge on a jealous witch. Does "Shadows" breathe life into the director's recent crop of underwhelming films? Is the latest Depp-Burton collaboration in need of resuscitation? Will [INSERT THIRD CLICHED PUN ABOUT VAMPIRES]? Let's take a look in this week's Pro-Con.

PRO: The set design and costumes

One thing the movie nails: The 1970s aesthetic, with its lava lamps, music, clothes and cars.

CON: The script

Sure, the movie may be great to look at, but that doesn't matter when the script is in total shambles. "Dark Shadows" is filled with plot holes and unanswered questions.

PRO: The soundtrack

The film features a terrific selection of classic rock hits, from "Bang a Gong (Get It On)" by T.Rex to the Moody Blues' "Nights in White Satin" to (appropriately) "Season Of The Witch" by Donovan.

CON: The misuse of Danny Elfman

The legendary composer has worked on almost every Tim Burton movie. But here, his score is banished to the short intro and end credits.

PRO: Eva Green

Even with a bland script, the French actress succeeds at playing the menacing evil witch, Angelique Bouchard.

CON: Chloe Moretz

The 15-year-old actress has been deservedly praised for her roles in "Kick Ass" and "Let Me In." But her portrayal of the despondent (and stoned) Carolyn Stoddard is, for a lack of a better word, terrible.

PRO: Collinwood Manor

Along the same lines as the first "pro." The house is filled with secret passages, ancient artwork and an unbelievably cool caretaker played by Jackie Earle Haley.

CON: Collinwood Manor montage

Barnabas' arrival in 1972 was Burton's perfect excuse to film a cheesy montage at Collinwood Manor, filled with bad fish-out-of-water jokes.

PRO: Johnny Depp

The movie star is his usual reliable self in "Shadows," lurking around Tim Burton's gorgeously gothic sets as only Johnny Depp can do.

CON: Johnny Depp

Still, we've seen this role from Depp before; he's played the pasty-faced creeper in almost every one of Burton's films.

PRO: Jonathan Frid cameo

The original Barnabas Collins, who passed away last month at the age of 87, made his final film appearance in "Shadows." As Depp told the LA Times on set, Frid was "as elegant and magical as I had always imagined."

CON: Alice Cooper cameo

You know what's cool? Seeing Alice Cooper perform in 1972. You know what isn't? Watching a 64-year-old Alice Cooper perform in a film that's set in 1972.

PRO: This Mondo poster

CON: This photo at the "Dark Shadows" premiere, which would have been great ... in 1972.

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  • Richard Corliss, Time

    So why see Dark Shadows, on a weekend when The Avengers beckons you for a second look? Five reasons, and they're all females. <a href="http://entertainment.time.com/2012/05/10/johnny-depp-in-tim-burtons-dark-shadows-death-warmed-over/#ixzz1uU4LQC55" target="_hplink">Each of the actresses in the cast looks great and star-acts up a perfect storm</a>.

  • Manohla Dargis, NY Times

    Of all the morbid beauties in Tim Burton's work, the spooky goth girls and deathly pale boys, none wear their ghoulishness as lightly or winningly as Johnny Depp. And what a bewitching corpse he makes in "Dark Shadows," <a href="http://movies.nytimes.com/2012/05/11/movies/johnny-depp-stars-in-tim-burtons-dark-shadows.html?adxnnl=1&seid=auto&smid=tw-nytimesmovies&adxnnlx=1336665813-SzIQtbwa/XZYLznZab9L4Q" target="_hplink">Mr. Burton's most pleasurable film in years</a>.

  • Andrew O'Hehir, Salon

    As the door to Collinwood creaks open... we glimpse a powerful, almost Proustian totem leaning against the front porch: A Schwinn kids' bicycle, with a banana seat. I had already suspected I was going to love "Dark Shadows," even before that moment. <a href="http://www.salon.com/2012/05/10/johnny_depps_delirious_dark_shadows/" target="_hplink">But that's when I knew it for sure</a>.

  • Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune

    Some of director Tim Burton's costume parties are livelier than others, and the new "Dark Shadows" -- from the man who gave us "Edward Scissorhands," "Sweeney Todd," "Alice in Wonderland" and other chalkface-makeup spectaculars starring Johnny Depp -- <a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/movies/sc-mov-0508-dark-shadows-20120510,0,4747332.column" target="_hplink">feels like a place-holder, a meandering first draft of an adaptation of the supernatural soap opera that ran on ABC-TV from 1966 to 1971</a>.

  • Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

    Tim Burton's "Dark Shadows" is all dressed up with nowhere to go, an elegant production without a central drive. It offers wonderful things, but they aren't what's important. <a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120509/REVIEWS/120509983" target="_hplink">It's as if Burton directed at arm's length, unwilling to find juice in the story</a>.

  • Peter Bradshaw, The Gaurdian

    The film delivers precisely the satisfaction a sympathetic audience could expect from its director, not one degree above or below. The audience is whelmed. <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2012/may/10/dark-shadows-review" target="_hplink">It's a whelmer</a>.

  • James Verniere, Boston Herald

    Burton's greatest strength remains his visual artistry. "Dark Shadows" obviously springs from the same brilliantly ma-cabre imagination that has given us such works as "Beetlejuice," "Sleepy Hollow" and "Corpse Bride." But when the script is as weak as this "Munsters"-level pastiche by John August ("Big Fish") and Emerson graduate Seth Grahame-Smith, <a href="http://www.bostonherald.com/entertainment/movies/reviews/view/20220510fumbling_in_the_dark_depps_vampire_flick_a_bit_lifeless/srvc=home&position=7" target="_hplink">Burton is helpless</a>.

FOLLOW MOVIEFONE

'FONE FINDS
By now, you've probably heard about Tim Burton's new movie, "Dark Shadows." Based on the popular '70s soap opera, the adaptation stars Johnny Depp (of course) as Barnabas Collins, a vampire who seeks ...
By now, you've probably heard about Tim Burton's new movie, "Dark Shadows." Based on the popular '70s soap opera, the adaptation stars Johnny Depp (of course) as Barnabas Collins, a vampire who seeks ...
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05:24 PM on 03/15/2013
Up until Barnabas' awakening in 1972, the film was pretty good and looked like Burton was going to do an honest homage to the original. And then it just totally, completely, sucked the life out of the source material... If THIS is what Burton and Depp do to material they're supposedly "fans" of, I don't ever want to see them take a shot at something they hate.
03:58 AM on 06/30/2012
I just found this link - so better late than never. I really LOVED the Dark Shadows movie. I was one of those kids who ran home from school in the 60's to watch the show on t.v. and was nuts over Jonathan Frid as Barnabas Collins. People who expected Tim Burton's movie to be a scene by scene, word by word repeat of the t.v. show naturally would be disappointed. I loved how Johnny portrayed Barnabas' confusion with things in 1972 (asphalt roads ... what is this substance? The headlights of an oncoming car at night - can you blame him for thinking they were "eyes from hell"? He'd never seen a car before). And I just LOVED the ending of the movie ... Barnabas gets a second chance at happiness! :)
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12:26 PM on 05/31/2012
If Depp is in a movie....it's worth seeing. No matter the film, Depp is a remarkable talent and true artist.
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Maleesa Paige
12:51 AM on 05/29/2012
dept and burton should DIVORCE! saw the original Dark Shadows...not even close! same theme with these two only under a different title...YAWN!
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08:51 AM on 05/25/2012
I used to watch Dark Shadows in the 90's (I cant remember if it was on video or reran on tv during that time). I didn't realize that this movie was based on it. However, it now makes sense to me now.

While watching the movie - I found it ironic that Tim Burton put in the movie these things that made you long for things gone by. When Angela says to Barnabus about how no one spoke like him anymore and she missed that. When the movie highlighted how things had changed so much since Barnabus was last in the world. When Barnabus admires the craftsmenship of the house. etc.

I found myself longing to see an old black and white film with depth, intelligence, good writing, etc. And his movie was a in your face reminder that things of our generation are lacking so much.

I almost wonder if it was the message Tim Burton was trying to send. Or just ironic.

Oh, and Alice Cooper was a brilliant choice for this particular movie. There was no one better suited. Alice Cooper is campy horror rock. I was so bored with the story and the Alice Cooper segment grabbed me back into the story.

Either way though, I agree that the movie was lacking at certain parts and yet I still was able to take away something from it. In fact, it makes me even more desiring to watch the original Dark Shadows again.
07:48 PM on 05/13/2012
Whatever its cons, Alice Cooper wasn't one of them. I fan-girled *so* much when he made his appearance.
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nychaseter
No 1 needs big govt...til they need it
06:20 PM on 05/13/2012
Came very close to walking out of this film. It was AWFUL.
05:01 PM on 05/13/2012
Watch This Movie Online at M. O V I E S. 2 7 . C O M
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Joan Bogorae
11:19 AM on 05/13/2012
the original Dark Shadows was not a comedy....so why this time?
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Cycoblitz
Love one another. How hard is that?
06:35 PM on 05/13/2012
Well, it had some comedy, but so did "The Avengers." but it wasn't a comedy. It was true Tim Burton.
11:12 AM on 05/13/2012
So disappointing, on nearly every level. As a child fan of the original TV series (I made sure I was home from school, and on time) it's a total let down. Could Burton or Elfman not even be smart enough to update the actual "Dark Shadows" Theme music and filler tracks? Those, in and of themselves, gave me chills as a kid. I even bought the lp recording which contained some dialogue from the series.A comedy and not a drama? There's nothing remotely dark or eerie about this movie that remotely resembles the original nor captures the imagination as the series did back then. I mean, big deal, Johnny Depp right out of "Edward," "Alice" and "Willy." Any of those personas could be substituted for Barnabas, except maybe "Jack." The guy is becoming stereotyped. The only saving grace was Jonathan Frid's cameo.I don't know, the entire movie's a moot point. Rating: 0 stars.
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mgo4at
09:36 AM on 05/13/2012
Depp/Burton movies. I love them but they are getting redundant. Something new PLEASE!!!!
09:13 AM on 05/13/2012
I can most certainly agree that this film looks nice, but it looks a lot like many of Burton's movies. There can be no doubting that the guy has style, but he keeps making films with less and less substance. Zany comedy is fine, but it does not fit in Dark Shadows. If he had tried to make it the serious film that it should be, then it could have been awesome. Tim Burton can do legitimately emotional, as he did with Edward Scissor Hands, but instead chooses annoying comedy and goofy junk.

http://www.videodetective.com/movies/dark-shadows/325805

I felt embarrassed for the everyone in the trailer.
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Maleesa Paige
12:52 AM on 05/29/2012
me too!
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MarkBoston
it's gonna take more than lipstick
04:09 AM on 05/13/2012
somebody got up on the wrong side of the bed Me thinks ... I saw the film last night and being a Dark Shadows fan from the 60's and something of a film critic myself . I happen to think it's one of Burtons best films since Edward Scissorhands . I liked how he kept the DS essence in tact and only adding comedy to pace the momentum ... Yeah Depp did the same kind of role before .. but it was entertaining and clever. The music was really wonderful as well . I left the theater very satisfied ( un like what I thought of Alice in Wonderland . that was possibly the worst film I have seen in years )
12:46 AM on 05/13/2012
That white face makeup is awful...not Barnabas at all. By the way Dark Shadows was not a comedy!!
thebigbike
ran away to be a cowboy
09:08 PM on 05/12/2012
so.. how long has it been since johnny depp did a movie where he did NOT use extreme eye makeup and whiteface?
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Maleesa Paige
12:53 AM on 05/29/2012
i am thinking of just one...Gilbert Grape