Derek Sante - Review Nation

In the 18th century a man and his love are separated by death, only when he dies he comes back as a vampire. Tortured by grief and an evil witch Barnabas Collins (Johnny Depp) gets locked and buried under ground. That is until 1972 when he is needed by his family and the town his father founded, Collinsport. After two centuries he must make his way in a strange time to bring back the power that the Collins name once had.

While I could go on with the plot holes, acting issues and many more problems plaguing this movie. I will just say I wish it would have held more for me. Watching it, I couldn't help feeling that someone stopped caring midway through. It just doesn't feel up to the Tim Burton standard to me. In fact, it feels like leftover bits from every other Tim Burton movie. Though I must confess, I never watched the original soap opera, so if this film holds that vision true for fans, then please enjoy.

Grade: D+

Check out another review from Shelli Sonstein

A campy send-up to a tv show that was like no other in its day.

I was a HUGE fan of the original tv show- which was defiantly different , not only from any soap, but anything on tv . A soap opera involving a vampire and his descendants : a modern-day family??!!!   Unheard of!!

Tim Burton has  a much lighter touch than the tv show.  It’s campy  laughs all the way.  This is the 8^th collaboration for  Burton and Johnny Depp. The two make magic together . But I do think fans of the tv show will be much more appreciative than the uninitiated.

Among the modern day family members:   matriarch Michelle Pfeiffer and  Chloe Moretz (the “Kick-Ass” sassy kid plays her rebellious daughter) along with  Jonny Lee Miller  as Pfeiffer’s swinging 70’s widowed brother. Miller, by the way, was Angelina Jolie’s  first hubby. Helena Bonham Carter plays  a boozy shrink-in-residence and the wonderful Jackie Earle Haley is the drunken caretaker of the decaying family mansion.  The  pretty much unknown Eva Green is the  very horny witch  responsible for  all the madness.

The movie is gorgeous to watch: a goth fashion show. If nothing else, it’s a surefire award nominee for costuming.

As always, Johnny Depp makes this movie. He puts his own stamp on EVERYTHING he does . This is a no-brainer for both fans of Depp , Burton, and the original tv show. For everyone else: expect a  very quirky comedy.

3 stars

Rating: PG-13

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