This is a mildly diverting take on the Sweeney Todd tale with good performances by Ben Kingsley in the title role, and Joanna Lumley as an enterprising Mrs. Lovett with rotten teeth. Those of you who have seen the recent Depp movie and/or the Broadway version will find that the back story has been changed completely. Not wanting to give anything away, I will only say that the Swiftian social satire element of the original Sondheim version has pretty much fallen by the wayside. Users here comment on the convincing 19th century atmosphere, but judging by the costumes and wigs, the setting is clearly late 18th century London and not 19th century Dublin although the movie was filmed there. There is even a small reference to the French Revolution so I would place it in about the 1790s. Having said that, costume, street scenes and general filth look very true to the late 1700s. Unfortunately, the anemic musical score is not a good one and it actually detracts from the horror and ghoulishness of the film. On the other hand, the film is a good deal less gory than the 2007 version which may make it more appealing to the squeamish.

This movie includes at least two exceptional actors in Ben Kingsley and Campbell Scott but together they cannot pull this period horror story beyond the doldrums of an unsurprising 18th century slash/horror flick. It's lame, slow, unsurprising and bland. It takes place in unjolly olde London of course, with Kingsley playing the nefarious Sweeney Todd and Campbell Scott, (son of George C. Scott) hot on his trail. Mr Todd is the famous barber that chops up people into hamburger after slitting their throats and selling said hamburg to a local meat pie shoppe.Some of the sets and street scenes seem solid and true to the period but the whole mess is overall (forgive me) ham-handed.

I do not know if the story of Sweeney Todd is based upon fact, but it sure makes for an interesting blend of horror and comedy.One of the criticisms I have heard of the new Johnny Depp version is that you never really know why he becomes a mass murderer. Well, there is no mystery here and, if you take the time to find this film, you will know everything.John Schlesinger, who gave us Cold Comfort Farm, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Darling and Oscar winner Midnight Cowboy, does a great job of keeping us interested in the case of the missing businessman.Campbell Scott was riveting as the American come to London to find the property of his employers; property in the possession of said businessman when he disappeared.You will be fascinated in the streets of London, the costuming, the atmosphere, and you will see why someone could lose their heads for a few rings.Ben Kingsley is fabulous as the serial killer, and blends humor and horror into a role that has been described as one of the better versions of a half dozen that have been done. I think it will be hard to beat this one, but I am looking forward to examining the rest.Excellent support by Joanna Lumley ("Absolutely Fabulous") and Selina Boyack in her first film.

Okay. Okay. I know the general STORY of Sweeney Todd is a tad bizarre. However, it's not the STORY to which my summary line above applies, but to this 1998, perverted Hollywood treatment of it. The 1982 filming of the Stephen Sondheim Broadway musical of this story was classy and a classic. THIS version, on the other hand, nauseated me - not by the nature of the plan the Mrs. Lovett and Mr. Todd cooked up (pardon the pun) to dispose of the bodies of the people Mr. Todd murdered, but because of the way it was presented to the viewers. In addition, the darkly humorous element of the play seemed absent. Unfortunately (or, perhaps, fortunately), it was more than a year ago that I saw this, and I cannot recall specific examples. Suffice it to say, fans of the Broadway version will probably be very disappointed with this version.