Review of Dark Shadows (2012) by Andrew M — 27 Jul 2017
Dull, uninspired work from Tim Burton, continuing a more lackluster era of his career. Burton sleepwalks through his typical directorial tropes - gothic atmosphere, kooky characters caked in makeup, an ensemble of eccentric characters - while not showing any signs of a strong connection to the material he's adapting.
Unsure of whether it wants to be horror, comedy, drama, or some sort of mix of two or all three, we slog through this inconsistent, unengaging narrative, packed with jokes that rarely land. Johnny Depp, once again buddying up with Burton, plays up his usual shtick, and eight collaborations with Burton into his career, this same wide-eyed quirkiness has become stale.
The whole cast, in fact, is given nothing great to do: Burton's other go-to actor Helena Bonham Carter is bland, Chloe Grace Moretz is horrendously monotone (whether her angst-ridden teen role calls for it or not), and Michelle Pfeiffer's talent is wasted.
The one standout is Eva Green, camping it up as a charismatic antagonist, the sole source of energy injected into a film that's otherwise dead on arrival. With her icy blue eyes and her wide smile, she's the kind of artistic muse right up Burton's alley: that is, old-school Burton's alley.
The Tim Burton we know and love that actually cares about his craft.
This review of Dark Shadows (2012) was written by Andrew M on 27 Jul 2017.
Dark Shadows has generally received mixed reviews.
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