Sweeney Todd (Blu-ray)
Steve Barton
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Reviewed by Uncle Creepy
Starring Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Edward Sanders, Timothy Spall, Jayne Wisener
Directed by Tim Burton
Distributed by Dreamworks Home Entertainment
Me? I’ve never been one for musicals. Though I must admit Tim Burton’s Sweeney Todd was one of the best damned times I have had at the theatre in forever. Everything fit — the sounds, Burton’s imagination behind the camera, the cast, and all that delicious gore and violence. This flick … simply put … is a veritable symphony of the macabre. Now, thanks to Blu-ray, it comes home looking and sounding better than ever!
I was a little worried though … here’s a movie with a palette of really dark and grimy colors. Blacks, browns, sepia tones, blues, reds, and purples are kind of hard colors to replicate without getting bleedy or even muddy. I’m happy to say that the 1080p AVC encoded 1.85:1 image looks fucking incredible. The level of detail captured here is breathtakingly magnificent. This is what Blu-ray was meant for! I know it sounds like I’m gushing, but you really need to see this in order to grasp the ghastly beauty of it all.
And what of the sound mix? While not perfect, it will still more than satisfy. The only problem to be found here is a minor one, and that is the film’s dialogue at times is way lower in its talky parts than it is when our stars are singing. This coupled, with the characters’ accents, can prove to be somewhat bothersome as some of the lines come off as more mumbled instead of being spoken clearly. Still, most of you probably won’t even notice so don’t let that dissuade you from enjoying this otherwise rock solid package.
On to the extras! Rejoice! Though there’s nothing new and exclusive to this Blu-ray release, every single thing from the stellar DVD from a few months ago is here, and better yet … it’s all presented in high definition. Well, everything except for the press conference featurette, but really, who cares?!? For an exact and in-depth rundown of what’s included and what you should expect, read my Sweeney Todd DVD review here.
Just like Depp and Carter, Burton and Blu-ray are the perfect couple. Whether you’re a fan of the movie or maybe you’re just looking for something to pick up so that you can get an idea of just how much of a difference there is between standard and high definition viewing, this is a package that should not be missed. If you’ve got the tech, don’t wait a second longer. Click the link below and let the slashing begin!
Special Features
5 out of 5
Special Features:
5 out of 5
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