Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

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Fifteen years after he's wrongfully imprisoned, barber Benjamin Barker (Johnny Depp) returns to London as alter ego Sweeney Todd. This much more deranged version of Barker thirsts for revenge against conniving judge Turpin (Alan Rickman), who sent him away, caused Barker's wife to poison herself and raised Barker's daughter as his own. Sacha Baron Cohen plays Todd's barber rival, and Helena Bonham Carter is Mrs. Lovett, who swoons over Sweeney and realizes her pies actually taste better after she bakes the murderous barber's victims into them.

Big question: Can director Tim Burton ("Corpse Bride") prove that he was the right person to adapt the Stephen Sondheim musical?

Catch it: There aren't any great vocal performances, but there's a delicious coldness to the way that "Sweeney Todd" mixes love and death. It's sure to make you nervous to get a haircut, even if the subplot involving a young man's affection for Barker's daughter leaves little impression, and London comes off as the world's most oblivious city. (If everyone who sees a particular barber winds up dead, maybe you should find another one.)

Skip it: If you've done anything even slightly wrong recently and don't want to draw attention to yourself. Turpin believes that everyone has done something to "warrant a hanging," and you probably shouldn't cross his path.

Bottom line: This tale of bloody revenge is irresistible even for people who don't like musicals -- I should know -- though Burton's well-realized adaptation isn't as darkly funny or memorable as you'd expect. The songs stick with you, but that might be it.

Bonus: If you're searching for a new barber, avoid hiring anyone like Todd who sings his way down the street, madly inquiring if you want a shave as he puts a blade to your neck. But, hey, we don't want to tell you what to do.

mpais@tribune.com

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