User reviews

Tim Burton is probably one of the best choices to direct a Dark Shadows movie. He's always good at making Dark, Gothic films and everyone's expecting it to be something like Sweeney Todd and Sleepy Hollow. Instead, it has a hybrid of Corpse Bride and Beetlejuice. It begins with decent gloominess but the rest is scattered with groovy soundtrack and colorful images. But that may not be the problem. It's actually pretty good at recapturing the 70's. The main problem is the plot development. It's fun but also disappointing.

It looks promising in the beginning. Tim Burton uses his campy directing style which made the intro intriguing. It get silly when Barnabas returns from his grave. Exploring the changes of his town. It's quite funny and delightful. There's a good character development in this that made it entertaining. Johnny Depp gives a delightful performance as Barnabas Collins. Eva Green is quite menacing as Angelique. Jackie Earle Haley and Helena Bonham Carter are the extra comic relief. Chloë Moretz is always good at bad girl roles.

There's a lot of fun going on, but in the end, the experience feels like something's missing. It could have been an interesting story but it ends pretty lazy. There are couple of senseless twists that aren't consistent. At least there is something good in the filmmaking. The production design is quite decent and sometimes unlikely colorful. Postmodern music are played often which made Danny Elfman's music score hard to notice. But these merits can't fix the film's storytelling.

Dark Shadows is undeniably entertaining and nothing else. There are things that could have been better. I don't think the colorful groovy look is the problem. It just needs a better ending that gives consistency to the story. People can still give it a try for its camp. There's a true vampire here that is nothing like our modern vampires. Dark Shadows is not bad. It's just unsatisfying. It has the color, life, and all but what's missing is a proper plot development.

Barnabas (Johnny Depp) is a successful man in 1770s town of Collinsport, Maine. He makes the mistake of breaking the heart of a powerful witch Angelique Bouchard (Eva Green). She in turn dooms him into a vampire, and then buries him alive. Two centuries later, Barnabas is accidentally released into the world of 1972. His Collinwood Manor has fallen into disrepair. The dysfunctional remnants of the Collins family have fared little better.

This has the great Gothic look of Tim Burton. He is able to have both a 70s look and an old Gothic look. However it is very difficult to root for Barnabas who is essentially a killing monster. It is not fun. And it is not funny. Although there is a monster sex scene that produced a few smiles.

Dark Shadows offers stunning visuals, a delightfully dark atmosphere, quirky humor, and a talented cast in spite of an inconsistent story and a lack of narrative focus

In 1760, the Collins family moves from Liverpool to the Maine to expand the family empire and dedicate to fishing business. One year later, they are successful and the city of Collinsport is raised in the place. Then, for fifteen years, Joshua and Naomi Collins build their Collinswood mansion. Their servant Angelique Bouchard (Eva Green) has an unrequited love for their son Barnabas (Johnny Depp) that actually loves Josette DuPres (Bella Heathcote). But Angelique is a powerful witch that curses Barnabas and his family, killing his parents, Josette and turning him into a vampire. Then she brings the locals that lock him in a coffin and bury him for the eternity.

In 1972, the young Victoria Winters (Bella Heathcote) comes to the decadent Collinswood to be the tutor of the young David Collins (Gulliver McGrath), who lost his mother two years ago. She finds a dysfunctional family composed by the devoted matriarch Elizabeth Collins Stoddard (Michelle Pfeiffer) ahead of the family business that is near bankruptcy; her rebel daughter Carolyn Stoddard (Chloë Grace Moretz); her brother and David's father Roger Collins (Jonny Lee Miller); the psychiatrist Dr. Julia Hoffman (Helena Bonham Carter) that takes car of David; and the servants Willie Loomis (Jackie Earle Haley) and Mrs. Johnson (Ray Shirley).

When eleven workers release and awake Barnabas, he drinks their blood and returns to Collinswood. He meets Elizabeth and she tells that the family has been cursed, and Barnabas shows a hidden room with a treasure in side and he promises to protect them and assume the business. When he sees Victoria, he rekindles his love for her. But the witch Angie is still alive and is prominent in the town and she has not forgotten Barnabas.

"Dark Shadows" is a film by Tim Burton that has a promising beginning but the development is lost between comedy and horror. As usual, the dark cinematography is awesome and the music score is spectacular, with hits from the 70's. This film is certainly not among the best films by Tim Burton, but is entertaining. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Sombras da Noite" ("Night Shadows")

I love Johnny Depp and I love Tim Burton. Together they can be sublime. Look at "Ed Wood" and "Sweeney Todd" Here, well here they seem kind of lost. Everything is in over the top tones without getting to the root of anything. The performances are shrill and disconnected with the exception of the wonderful Helena Bonham Carter. The script is underwritten and the story is tired and unconvincing but in the present film going landscape it is more enjoyable than most others. I'm tempted to advise Mr. Burton and Mr.Depp to be a bit more daring in their intentions. We're all aware of Burton's visual wizardry and of Depp's remarkable beauty and talent, why not put all that at the service of something meaningful?

Few director-star collaborations have been as fruitful as that of Tim Burton and Johnny Depp, or for that matter quite so deliciously eccentric, and their eighth time together proves no different.

Never mind if you haven't any inkling of the cult '70s daytime soap opera on which this is based- a swiftly told prologue recalls the setup by telling of the Collins' voyage to America, their instrumental role in the founding of the Maine seaside town called Collinsport by starting up a successful fishery business, and most importantly, of their heir Barnabas' unfortunate run-in with a jealous witch Angelique (Eva Green). Spurned by Barnabas for another named Josette (Bella Heathcote), Angelique hypnotises her to throw herself off a cliff while turning Barnabas into a vampire and imprisoning him in a coffin.

It will be nearly two centuries later by the time some construction workers inadvertently free him, awakening Barnabas to an unfamiliar era where he promptly mistakes the golden arches of a McDonald's for Mephistopheles. That's not the end of the fish-out-of-water jokes that passes as humour- other than the anachronistic values about women and childbirth that Barnabas still clings to, he is just as out of step in front of a TV playing a Karen Carpenter show or among a bunch of hippies.

Fans of the original series may object to the deliberately campy tone that Burton and his screenwriter Seth Grahame-Smith (with an extra story credit to Burton's frequent writing partner John August) adopt for the movie, but those less bound by expectations will lap up Johnny Depp's delightfully quirky rendition of Barnabas. As always, Depp is a master at facial reactions, with every twitch and raised eyebrow perfectly calibrated to elicit maximum hilarity. Depp and Burton are fully aware of the campiness, but both embrace it so wholeheartedly that you can't quite help but be won by their fidelity.

There is also much more than just Barnabas' anachronism of course, with Smith giving the film its due weight in Barnabas' mission of restoring the former Collinwood empire to its former glory. Since locking Barnabas away, Angelique has spent her time building up her own booming fishing business. In the meantime, the Collins have been content to let their lives fall into decay like their sprawling mansion- among the dysfunctional members the matriarch Elizabeth (Michelle Pfeiffer), her dissolute brother Roger (Jonny Lee Miller), her impudent teenage daughter Carolyn (Chloe Grace Moretz) and Roger's disturbed young son David (Gully McGrath).

However kooky they may be, Barnabas regards them one and all as family- and as Depp's opening voice-over emphasises, blood is indeed thicker than water. Burton-Depp's collaborations have always demonstrated a tremendous amount of heart for peculiar characters, and this latest reaffirms their love for characters of different quirks and idiosyncrasies.

Restoring the empire to its former lustre earns the ire of none other than Angelique itself, the ensuing love-hate relationship between the pair giving the film a mildly sexual edge as well as a thrilling climax which culminates in a visually sumptuous showdown. Admittedly the pace does amble on with little narrative tension for most of the movie, but Burton eventually satiates the thirst for bombast in summer audiences with an extended ending made with most of the film's inflated budget unheard of in the days of the TV series' miniscule own.

To be fair, some of that has obviously gone into the ornate sets by production designer Rick Heinrichs as well as the elaborate costumes designed by Colleen Atwood. As is Burton's signature, the imagery stands out as much as the characters do, and the finale is a perfect example of the visual richness of Burton's warped imagination brought to life with CGI. But Burton is not foolish enough to rely simply on these modern-day devices, relying too on good-old fashioned casting to ensure that his film is also a rapturous delight.

Any actor besides Depp would probably be upstaged by the fine female cast, each of whom shine not simply because of Atwood's colourful costumes. The standout would probably be Green, who plays Angelique with bewitching aplomb, projecting sass and menace with razor-sharp precision and setting off dangerous sparks with Depp as ex-lovers. With Green's showy performance, it's easy to ignore Pfeiffer's more understated but no less loopy own, the actress who once played Catwoman in Burton's 'Batman Returns' clearly relishing one of her best roles in recent years. Bonham Carter unfortunately gets sidelined in this film, her act as a neurotic shrink underwritten and quite out-of-place amidst the other unfolding plot lines.

Amidst the new faces, Burton also pays homage to the original actors of the TV series by inviting four of them- Jonathan Frid, Lara Parker, Kathryn Leigh Scott and David Selby- to appear briefly in the film, as well as the era's definitive musician Alice Cooper for an extended cameo. Despite his irreverent take on the material, Burton is clearly in love with the artefacts of the '70s, and the film's awesome soundtrack with the likes of Moody Blues and the Carpenters is testament to that.

So yes, fans of the TV series will have to accept that this big-screen adaptation is a reimagining of the original. Yet for those without that historical baggage, it is with any of the Burton-Depp collaborations that have come before it a thoroughly enjoyable visual feast filled with offbeat characters that turn out ghoulishly endearing. This is clearly a passion project for both Depp and Burton, and 'Dark Shadows' as its deliberately idiosyncratic title suggests is an unusual summer season offering that packs its own unique brand of kooky appeal.

Oh the possibilities that were missed here. Except for the character names and a similar architecture in the house this film bares very little resemblance to DARK SHADOWS. The movie starts out beautifully and then goes off in so many awkward directions that it never finds what kind of movie it's trying to be. A few scattered laughs here and there do not compensate for a poorly conceived story that meanders itself to the point of being dull and confusing. What can you say about a movie that only comes to life in it's montages set to a pop songs from the early 1970's? Depp doesn't even attempt to capture any of the guilt ridden angst of Barnabas Collins. His Barnabas is a trick or treat Pirates of the Caribbean, very much like a kid playing dress up on Halloween and with two emotions, upset and more upset. Film has some nice set pieces but Burton doesn't bring any true Gothic feeling or sense of dread to the surroundings. The script has that throw everything up against the wall and see what sticks feel to it. Burtons direction comes off in a conveyor belt "okay, let's shoot this one" tone with interest only in visuals, which are striking. He's really more of a visual artist than he is a film director. Indeed, one gets the feeling that this film would never have been made if not for Johnny Depp and his love for the original series which is evident here. It's unfortunate that he relies too heavily on make up to carry his performance. Helean Bonham Carter has no interest in being in the film and it shows, doing it only as a favor to her husband. Eva Green is the type of actress Tim Burton is attracted to and loves to cast in his films, but she possesses little of Angelique's spellbinding jealousy. The only one in the cast that has a hint of what these surroundings should be played like is Michelle Pfeiffer. She is the Grande dame of Dark Shadows capturing both the Gothic feel of the original story and the magnificence of the character.

I will be honest - off all the Tim Burton projects during the last decade this was the one I had little to no interest. I didn't seen the original soap opera and "Burton is making a vampire movie" didn't sounded like left-over idea. All reviews I hear where bad and I only went to see this out of principal "Ok, I can't talk bad about this movie until I seen it"

And to be honest - At first It was a pleasant surprise! The first 40 minutes did a excellent job of introducing the world as well building up the dark atmosphere. There was so humor now and then but overall it was pretty good.

But then the movie got a bit flat and what I really hated was the love story! They spent like 20 minutes introducing Victoria character but after that there is little to no of here in the movie, and she has only like two scenes with Barnabas so it's hard to buy the whole romance between the two. The only thing that was making movie good was Eva Green character which was totally Psyco (and Deep as well)

But then the movie reach the climax and... It got cool again! The entire final fight was so dark and insane but campy at the same time it was hard not to enjoy it!

Overall one of weakest of Burton films but it has it moments. Some of the characters are fun (especially Eva Green) and I LOVE visuals during the final scene, to be honest worth of the ticket price.

I am a Johnny Depp and Tim Burton fan girl!!!!! That being said...

The intro excited me, but the rest of the movie made me regret buying the tickets. The movie is a downward spiral of awkward acting and bad jokes.

Burton's visuals are wonderful as always. His colors and scenes make you believe you are where he wants you to be, but the dialogue is simply horrendous for most of the movie. You get rewarded by a few funny jokes for not walking out of the theater once Collins reaches the house, but otherwise are left feeling underwhelmed.

I wont spoil it with details (not that there is much to spoil), but I will say this: Leave your lofty expectations at the theater door so you don't get pushed off cloud nine only to land on 100 degree cement... barefoot.

My overall opinion is not negative but I feel like the idea is wasted a bit. The movie started pretty good. But after twenty minutes, everything became predictable. It was not boring but it was not very entertaining either. I don't even think this movie is comedy. There are very few jokes. Overall acting was kind of OK but Depp is becoming a very one dimensional actor by playing always similar characters. The scenery was pretty good and I must say, visuals were quite good as well. At the end, I wouldn't watch this movie once more but at least I didn't regret paying for it. If you didn't like the other Depp and Burton movies, don't even think watching this one.

Captivating and attractive tale with a very charming character nicely played by Johnny Depp . In the year 1752, Joshua and Naomi Collins , with young son Barnabas , set sail from Liverpool, England to start a new life in America . But even an ocean was not enough to escape the mysterious curse that has plagued their family . Two decades pass and Barnabas (Johnny Depp) has the world at his feet-or at least the town of Collinsport , Maine . The master of Collinwood Manor , Barnabas is rich, powerful and an inveterate playboy...until he makes the grave mistake of breaking the heart of Angelique Bouchard (Eva Green) . A witch, in every sense of the word , Angelique dooms him to a fate worse than death : turning him into a vampire, and then burying him alive. Two centuries later , Barnabas is inadvertently freed from his tomb and emerges into the very changed world of 1972 . He returns to Collinwood Manor to find that his once-grand estate has fallen into ruin. The dysfunctional remnants of the Collins family have fared little better . Matriarch Elizabeth Collins Stoddard (Michelle Pfeiffer) has called upon live-in psychiatrist , Dr. Julia Hoffman (Helena Bonham Carter) , to help with her family troubles. This fine film revolving around Johnny Depp who plays a vampire who goes back from beyond . He awakes and meets the rich Collins family of Collinsport , Maine is tormented by strange occurrences . Eventually, the Collins' "cousin from England", Barnabas Collins , arrives and takes the show in a new direction ; his vampire curse introduces a new history of the Collins family and each of the members of this maladjusted family hides dark secrets . Part of this revised history is the popular character of the witch Angelique whose jealously led to the tragic death of Barnabas' great love Josette (Bella Heathcote in a double role as Victoria Winters/Josette DuPres) and who placed the curse upon Barnabas . Every Family Has Its Demons !. Strange Is Relative !. The legend bites back.

Visually competent film with plenty of brilliant images , thrills , a little bit of humor and emotion . Based on the TV series (1966-1971) created by Dan Curtis , the story of Dark Shadows begins with newly hired governess with mysterious origins named Victoria Winters arriving at Collinwood , the Collins' estate in Collinsport, Maine in search of a job , she soon is caught up in the strange events and mysteries that seem to surround the Collins family , each harboring their own dark secrets ; then an imprisoned vampire , Barnabas Collins, is set free and returns to his ancestral home , where his dysfunctional descendants are in need of his protection . Dark Shadows is fundamentally an entertaining and bemusing movie that has a large number of agreeable and stunning moments . It contains breathtaking production design and brilliant cinematography along with attractive soundtrack. Tim Burton adapts this vintage television series from the sixties to the big screen in which the usual creatures of the world of terror appearing here and there , such as : ghosts , zombies, vampires, werewolves or witches . Burton delves back into a story in a comedy starring an all-star cast and in which classic horror movies such as Christopher Lee and even singer Alice Cooper play himself . Johhny Depp is terrific as the ingenuous , rare vampire get into problem , as well as Eva Green as the nasty , scheming witch Angelique Bouchard . Accompanied by veteran Michelle Pfeiffer as Elizabeth Collins , Helena Bonham Carter as Dr. Julia Hoffman , Bella Heathcote as Victoria Winters / Josette DuPres , Jackie Earle Haley , Jonny Lee Miller , Chloë Grace Moretz. And including short appearances from other secondaries as Josephine Butler , William Hope , Shane Rimmer , Michael Shannon and cameos of the original actors who played the classic TV series as Jonathan Frid , David Selby , Lara Parker , Kathryn Leigh Scott .

It packs a gorgeous cinematography full of light and colour and with plenty of shades by French cameraman Bruno Delbonnel . As well as enjoyable and rousing musical score by Danny Elffman, Burton's regular. The motion picture was well directed by Tim Burton in his usual style . Burton is deemed to be a master of the dark fairytale and the grotesque . His films often have a Gothic feel to them , often including Christmas and/or Halloween scenes. Burton's plots often focuse around a misunderstood outcast and frequently uses composer Danny Elfman . In 2001, he began his relationship with actress Helena Bonham Carter, whom he met while filming Planet of the Apes (2001), and she has appeared in all of his subsequent films. Tim has written, produced and directed pretty good movies , such as : ¨Beetle Juice¨, ¨Batman¨, ¨Batman returns¨, ¨Ed Wood¨, ¨Mars attacks¨, ¨Sleepy Hollow¨, ¨Planet of apes¨, ¨Big Fish¨, ¨Charlie and the Chocolate Factory¨, ¨Corpse bride¨, ¨Sweeney Todd¨, among others . Rating 6.5/10 . Better than average. The flick will appeal to Johnny Depp and Eva Green fans , being essential and indispensable watching for horror/comedy aficionados . Well worth seeing.

I am a huge fan of the old Dark Shadows shows. I liked the old series, bloopers and all. I liked the films House of Dark Shadows and to a lesser degree Night of Dark Shadows. I liked the 1991 revival series of Dark Shadows. This new Tim Burton/Johnny Depp version has some good elements in it, like the costumes, soundtrack and special effects, but the problem here lies in the written word. The script relies too much on gags, some funny and some rather lame. The basic characters are mostly here with the exception of the melding of Maggie Evans into Victoria Winters, and the actor playing Willie Loomis does a better job with the character than did the one from the 1991 revival, who chose (or was directed) to play the role as a half-wit.(The one element I disliked about the revival). The 1970s music, cars, costumes and hairdos are spot-on and add to the comfy 1970s feel of the piece. The climax is all special effects and one "revelation" of the plot is so absurdly done here that it is (unintentionally) laughable. In all, I would say that this film may appeal more to those who never saw any of the original versions of this than the fans of them. I didn't hate this film, I just didn't love it either.

The film Dark Shadows opened to an eagerly awaiting audience of both Tim Burton and Johnny Depp fans. Based on the ABC daytime show which aired during the late 1960s which generated a cult following, what was taken seriously in the late 60s / early 70s comes across as comedy today. The majority of the movie is set in 1972 and incorporates music from the Moody Blues (Nights in White Satin) with appearances by Karen Carpenter in a TV scene, a cameo appearance by Alice Cooper and appearances by four of the original Dark Shadows actors including Jonathan Frid who passed away shortly after filming. Rated PG-13 for comic horror violence, sexual content , drug use, language and smoking, one of our 14-year-old critics, Raven Devanney rated it 6 out of 5 stars for ages 13 and up. Here's her take: Dark Shadows Reviewed by Raven Devanney http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2NE6UPSLcM Dark Shadows is a hilarious movie about a man named Barnibus Collins, who is cursed by an evil witch when he refuses to give her his love. Turned into a vampire, Barnibus is locked away in a coffin for two centuries. Now, freed by unsuspecting construction workers, Barnibus finds that his home town of Collins Port has drastically changed. He must learn to fit into the 70s while protecting his family, restoring Collins Port to its former glory and riding himself of the evil witch, Angelique, who cursed him to be a creature forced to hide in dark shadows. I absolutely loved this movie. Johnny Depp, who plays Barnibus Collins, did fantastic! Johnny is one of my all time favorite actors and when he teams up with director Tim Burton, you know it's a film worth seeing. The cinematography was great because of the gloominess that you will often find in Tim Burton's films, but they found a flawless way to thrown in the bright colors of the 70's. The special effects were great too, especially in the end when Angelique's skin started to crack; she really looked as if she was made out of porcelain. Something that did bother me about the visuals was that the blood in the film looked way to fake considering that it is a vampire movie. My favorite character would have to be that daughter of the Collins family played by Chloe Moretz. One; she is my favorite young actress, two; she played a moody, mellow dramatic, angsty teenager perfectly. The acting in this film was priceless because there was a lot of over- acting, but not in a cheesy way, it was done very purposefully and it gave a wonderful comedic feel to dramatic situations. I suggest this film for ages 13 and up because of sexual situations, mild drug use and language. I would give this film 6 out of 5 stars because it far surpassed my expectations!

Let's leave it all at the door here. I loved Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, and Batman. Hated Batman Returns, Alice in Wonderland, and Willy Wonka. Could care less about Nightmare before Christmas and Sweeney Todd. Okay, so I'm not a Tim Burton hater. I'm not a huge Tim Burton fan. I think in this situation, I'm as close as you get to the average movie goer. No agenda, no attachments. That being said, this film is terrible. Burton spent so much effort and time worrying about making this film Gothic and off pace, stuffing his favorite actors into the film even though half of their parts were pointless, he forgot he was making a film. It's a simple and fun idea but it feels like ego and "showiness" kept them from making the plot even make sense. We get it Tim! You are weird! Don't ruin a good performance by Depp and a fun idea for a film because you have to live up to your own Gothic standards. Grow up. So much talent is wasted on these films having the same look, cast, and feel to them. Take that talent and make something fresh! Stretch yourself just a tad out of that Hot Topic comfort zone will ya? This movie was long, boring, and ruined. All of the funny scenes were in the trailer. By the way.... wasn't this supposed to be the 70's? Other than a shot or two of trees and a hippie van it was just like the set of Sweeney Todd. The whole film felt like London in the 40's. That's bad film making whether your name is Tim Burton or not.

Based on all the previews, one would think that this was a remake of Love at First Bite - a fish-out-of-water comedy, with Barnabas coming to terms with 1972. These trailer scenes probably make up 80% of those jokes for the movie. It is not a comedy that the trailers would leave you to believe.

Overall it is a quirky retelling of some of the elements from the original series. I did enjoy it for what it was. You do have to go in with the expectation that this is a Burton/Depp film. Johnny seems to play one character for Burton - pauses in his speech, some weird walking movements, and lots of hand waving. A little more of a darker side would have fit this film perfectly.

While the rest of the cast does a good job (Michelle is great as a matriarch) the biggest problem I had is that characters appear when needed and then go away for long spells. I had almost forgotten that Victoria was a role she was off screen so much. Same with a few of the other supporting characters.

Don't expect anything super serious or super funny.

I saw every Tim Burton film since Mars Attacks! at the cinema. Until this came along. I had had enough of Burton's subpar efforts over the years and Alice In Wonderland was his last chance as far as I was concerned. Finally saw this and I'm glad I waited. This is simply awful. Based on a soap opera, Burton doesn't seem to know what to do. It changes tone dramatically from obvious humour involving Depp's character waking up after 200 years of being buried and being confused by things such as television. To grisly kills where he takes out innocent victims. There are a whole cast of characters, each one is given their own story, but none of them are given enough time to develop. Miller, Carter, Heathcote are all wasted as are their stories. I didn't even get the point of Miller, which is a shame because he was great with what he had. Entire scenes have no place in the film, or are needlessly long and repetitive. The main plot seems to have Eva Green asking Depp to be hers and him rejecting her, over and over and over again. It really does feel like snippets from a soap opera condensed down. This is really just a clip show. By the end it starts pulling things out of its backside. Couldn't care for anybody in this film and think the original property should have just been left alone.