Dark Shadows

Sci-Fi, Comedy
4 stars
Loved it! Johnny Depp and Tim Burton bring back to life an old soap opera featuring vampire Barnabas Collins who awakens after being buried for 200 years. This is for fans of Burton & Depp, lovers of vampires, and those nostalgic for the old soap; though many changes have been made to the original characters and storylines (I Netflixed the original soap; FYI: Barnabas doesn’t appear until episode 210). The most fun is in watching Depp attempting to acclimate to 1972. Younger viewers need to keep in mind the film is based on a soap, so the characters behave accordingly (i.e. stiff and mysterious) and quite hilariously. The “dramatic” climax seemed a bit overdone, but it was still fun to watch. Co-stars include Michelle Pfeiffer, Chloe Moretz and Johnnie Lee Miller as members of the Collins family, Bella Heathcote as Depp’s love interest, and Eva Green as the slutty witch who is so fun to watch. Fun film.