Rating of
2.5/4
"Dark Shadows" by Yojimbo
Yojimbo - wrote on 09/13/15
An 18th century aristocrat is cursed by a spurned lover and awakens as a vampire in the 1970s. Tim Burton returns to his familiar formula with his usual ensemble collaborators in a film that draws very much from the teen Goth playbook. Based upon a TV series I have personally never heard of, Dark Shadows is a reasonably entertaining time jump comedy with many of the usual stranger in a strange land gags shamefully plundered. As is always the case with Burton's films, it is a treat to look at and the tone is suitably playful and irreverent. The script, although always mildly entertaining, is never really laugh out loud funny and relies too much on cliche and jokes that feel a little tired to anyone familiar with this style of film. The romantic element also doesn't really work and although the climax is suitably visually impressive, it reminds a little too much of Death Becomes Her, serving only to remind that it was a funnier film. Johnny Depp's ever reliable performance does save the day however, and his dialogue and delivery provides the majority of the laughs. Always mildly amusing but never anything more, Dark Shadows feels like what it actually is; an artist somewhat past his sell-by date rehashing old glories in the hope of recapturing their former magic.
