REVIEW: Dark Shadows

As you may or may not know, this week Tim Burton's new film 'Dark Shadows' was released. As a loyal Burton fan, I went to see it on May 10th, the day after the avant-première.


At first sight the film didn't really promise to be innovative; the choice of actors like Johnny Depp or Helena Bonham Carter wasn't exactly surprising and the atmosphere seemed to be spooky yet colourful; typically Burton. Even after having read a couple of bad reviews, I was still excited about 'Dark Shadows', as a Burton film has never really disappointed me.

"An imprisoned vampire, Barnabas Collins, is set free and returns to his ancestral home, where his dysfunctional descendants are in need of his protection."
Source: IMDB

Barnabas' story lends itself perfectly to a dramatic prologue in which his cruel fate is explained. His sad story gets contrasted strongly with the 1970's atmosphere in which the rest of the film takes place. The vampire's lack of knowledge of the 20th century causes some delightful and hilarious moments and this naivety makes the viewer sympathise with him from the very start.
As per usual, Burton has managed to create fantastic characters, interesting dialogues and beautiful sceneries in his own spooky way. However, the plot of 'Dark Shadows' doesn't seem to be thought out well and the action scenes appear a bit odd. The final end was not too satisfying either, but all in all, it didn't really bother me much. The characters and humourous dialogues made the film extremely enjoyable, while the plot seemed to be secondary.

So if you're expecting a deep, innovative plot and refreshing storylines, I suspect you won't like 'Dark Shadows'. However, if you're looking for some light hearted snickering and endearing characters, do not hesitate; you will enjoy Burton's latest creation.


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