When you see this movie, you know that it's Tim Burton. From the sets, the characters, the effects, the source material, everything. There's Tim Burton basically written on the walls. This is Burton and Johnny Depp's ninth movie collaboration, and is a very loose adaptation of the cult 1960's T.V. "soap opera" of the same name. We follow Barnabas Collins, played by the wonderful Johnny Depp, who is the heir of the Collins Seafood Company fortune and business in the 1800's in Collinsport, Maine. He has a fling with a maid named Angelique, who also happens to be a crazy witch. Barnabas eventually falls in love, only to have his intended lured to her death by Angelique, and being turned into a vampire by her. He is chained in a coffin and buried, only to be discovered by a (very unfortunate) construction crew a few (hundred) years later. He is now in the 1970's, his seafood business is in shambles, and his beloved mansion CollinWood is rundown and overlooked by quite a bizarre array of characters, headed by Elizabeth Collin Stoddard, played by the fantastic Michelle Pfeiffer. He is also joined by her daughter, Carolyn, (Chloe Grace-Moretz), her brother, Roger, (Johnny Lee Miller), her nephew, David, the groundskeeper, Willie, and Davids psychiatrist, Dr. Julia Hoffman, played by the lovely Helena Bonham Carter. Each of the supporting characters have their own supernatural secrets, most of which are disappointingly kept secret until the near end of the movie. Angelique is still living in Collinsport, and is the seafood business that has kept the Collins out of business. She is still bent on revenge, and does everything in her power to stop Barnabas from ever finding true love again. The ending is satisfying, yet ends with the viewer wondering what will happen next.
Overall, the movie had a terrific look, with many relics from the '70's present, such as lava lamps and music from the era. It is often interspersed with humor, sometimes a little too much humor, but nonetheless providing some relief from the dark story line. The plot drags quite a bit, especially near the middle of the movie. Barnabas trying to get used to the new era is quite funny, and shows off the acting skills of Johnny Depp. Not the best Depp/Burton collaboration (that has to go to Sweeney Todd), it's still a very entertaining, good looking, and well directed and acted movie, despite the various problems in the plot and script.
Rating: B
Carolyn: "Are you stoned?"
Barnabas: "They tried stoning me, my dear. It did not work."
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