Review: "Dark Shadows" is Tim Burton and Johnny Depp's entertaining return to form
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Film Rating: B+ You’re either going to love Tim Burton’s “Dark Shadows” or you’re going to hate it; I can’t imagine much of a middle ground on this one. Burton aims for a very specific, pulp-flavored tone and narrative style, and it would be hard to deny that the end result is exactly what he set out to make: a confident and energetic soap opera completely unapologetic of its own trashy style, made with a massive budget, filled with movie stars, and devilishly self-aware at all times. It’s not a deep movie, nor a particularly ‘good’ one by most critical standards, but if you’re tuned into the same pulpy wavelength Burton’s operating on, the film is a tremendous amount of fun. If not, you’ll be alienated from the get-go, and “Dark Shadows” will no doubt be a thoroughly miserable experience. I can only speak for myself, of course, but I absolutely adore where Burton took this film, and though it’s certainly not a significant work by any stretch of the imagination, I found it wildly entertaining on just about every level.
Review: "Dark Shadows" is Tim Burton and Johnny Depp's entertaining return to form
Review: "Dark Shadows" is Tim Burton and…
Review: "Dark Shadows" is Tim Burton and Johnny Depp's entertaining return to form
Film Rating: B+ You’re either going to love Tim Burton’s “Dark Shadows” or you’re going to hate it; I can’t imagine much of a middle ground on this one. Burton aims for a very specific, pulp-flavored tone and narrative style, and it would be hard to deny that the end result is exactly what he set out to make: a confident and energetic soap opera completely unapologetic of its own trashy style, made with a massive budget, filled with movie stars, and devilishly self-aware at all times. It’s not a deep movie, nor a particularly ‘good’ one by most critical standards, but if you’re tuned into the same pulpy wavelength Burton’s operating on, the film is a tremendous amount of fun. If not, you’ll be alienated from the get-go, and “Dark Shadows” will no doubt be a thoroughly miserable experience. I can only speak for myself, of course, but I absolutely adore where Burton took this film, and though it’s certainly not a significant work by any stretch of the imagination, I found it wildly entertaining on just about every level.