But it's Depp's show all the way - along with superb star turns by Sacha Baron Cohen (Pirelli) and Alan Rickman (Judge Turpin). As Darrell notes above, ST devotees will note many cuts, but they are inoffensive cuts and the film moves along in a suitably tragic pace.

The word "opera" scares many moviegoers, but Burton makes no apology for easily moving his characters into song - and it simply f--king works. Sondheim-ophiles who loved the original stage production should love this film.

The SIFF theatre at 1030 Sunday morning was packed, most of whom were Sweeney Todd junkies because there were so few gasps at the grisliness. But Judge Turpin's denouement surpassed anything ever staged and oh, how much he deserved it. Never forget. Never forgive.

Prepare your Oscar speech, Mr. Depp.

I spent my birthday (last year? year before?) at the Fifth Ave's production and we were all pissed at the abysmal production values.

It was a great film. Fun for the whole family!

That said, you might want to skip eating meat pies or hamburger after seeing the movie, cause it was a teensy bit bloody.

Definitely a must see movie!

Other things I loved: sets, costumes, make-up, cinematography, a great use of CGI to showcase Victorian London; Sacha Baron Cohen was very good, though it's a bit annoying that he always has to act with his crotch.

Things I wasn't so crazy about: I though Alan Rickman underplayed a bit much; the young lovers were boring, but they were boring in the stage production, too; they're nothing more than a plot device. And the Beggar Woman should have been used more throughout the course of the film. In the stage production, she's always around hovering on the edges of things, (for obvious reasons, if you're familiar with the plot), but Burton didn't do that enough in the film.

Things I despised: the little boy who played Toby could sing like an angel, but was a dreadful actor; absolutely no expression on his face or in his eyes. Mrs Lovett's demise was WAAAAAAAAY too gruesome; this is NOT a film for kids or the faint hearted. And the ending was a bit of a letdown; apparently they filmed the last song, the last reprise of "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd" but it didn't 'work' in the context of the film.

A lot of people liked it at SIFF, but I also heard several people grumble about it but they acted like they weren't musical fans or Sondheim fans so I'm not really sure why the hell they were there...

And I'll give HBC some belated props, she was really great in the movie, and her, uh, fate is the most horrifying moment in the movie.

And it IS a bit creepy when you consider that her BF is the one who came up with and filmed such a horrific fate for his lady love...

I mean, come on, michael, I thought it was obvious.

burning up in an oven: pricelessly painful and not so quick.

Is it a we-won't-advertise-with-you-if sort of thing?

I'm scratching my head here...

Though, it's interesting that a lot of journalists have already leaked their reviews which the studios don't really mind that much if it's a positive sneak review.

i know. I've seen the stage production. I'm objecting to the lingering nature of the death. I have no problem with scary shit, but it just seemed kind of mean and unnecessarily gross and disturbing.