DIRECTOR Tim Burton WRITER John August; Seth Grahame-Smith; Dan Curtis (TV series) STARS Johnny Depp; Michelle Pfeiffer; Eva Green CINEMA 11 May
At first glance, Dark Shadows is fun. Distracted by charming set-piece and some lovely lighting, it’s certainly watchable. But repeat viewings? Absolutely not. There is very little to revisit, the overall feeling that of wasted opportunity. There is simply little story to be had.
The cast as a whole is good — the only real exception Eva Green, not possessing the charisma to complement her wicked witch of centuries-old irresistibility — however they feel stunted, reined in by a script that relies on just the one joke: Barnabas’ misplacement of time period. Said actors in fact appear bored, Depp unable to resist sliding in the campiness he has become known for. But Dark Shadows‘ main issue is some confusion regards its audience; the balance of 12A content with more adult material just doesn’t quite gel.
