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Dark Shadows (2012)

Director: Tim Burton

Time Out rating

Average user rating

53 reviews

Movie review

From Time Out London

Tim Burton proves conclusively that there is really only one string to his bow with this creepy, kooky, spooky, largely tedious tale of vampires, werewolves, witches and movie stars in far too much eyeliner.

A remake of a 1970s US TV series, the film sees eighteenth-century vampire Barnabas Collins (Johnny Depp – surprise!) entombed for 200 years by evil sorceress Angelique (Eva Green). Freed in swinging 1972, Barnabas is introduced to his surviving descendants – matriarch Elizabeth (Michelle Pfeiffer), sultry teen Carolyn (Chloe Grace Moretz) and eerie ten-year-old David (Gulliver McGrath) and attempts to get the family back on track by reviving their ailing fish canning business.

The idea of a louche Georgian vampire running a fish cannery in 1970s New England has a certain offbeat charm, but leave it to Burton to go completely overboard in the wackiness stakes, dragging ghosts, hippies, angry mobs and even poor Alice Cooper into an already overloaded (and seriously overlong) story. The haphazard plotting and tonal inconsistency reach their zenith in a scene in which one character outs herself, inexplicably, as a werewolf. But, by that point, any sane audience will have stopped caring. Perhaps it’s high time that Burton put down that Edward Gorey annual, switched off the Vincent Price movies, mothballed those Bauhaus records, got out in the fresh air and found something new to say.

Author: Tom Huddleston

Time Out London Issue 2177: May 10-17, 2012

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User reviews of this film

Dougie Elliott said...

Posted on May 28 2012 14:51 Sort of expected more coming from the pedigree of a fine show, but did this film fail to entertain, not very funny neither.

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philsee said...

Posted on May 28 2012 14:12 Try harder next time.

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philsee said...

Posted on May 28 2012 14:11 Disappointing.

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scrumpyjack said...

Posted on May 20 2012 10:13 Even with unlimited card, finally decided I cant face this stinker. Joins SATC 2, Transformers 3 and Chip Monks....THAT unappealing.

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Mark Williams said...

Posted on May 19 2012 23:49 Wow, nowhere near a 5 star film, Must be one man with many people inside his head to wrte all this rubbish below. TO sort it!

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K.Flyer said...

Posted on May 19 2012 21:11 Bit of a fun movie, not to be taken too serious. 3 stars.
By The Way...
It is so obvious that most of the previous 5 star comments have all come from the same person. Checking the grammer gives it away. LOL

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Simon D said...

Posted on May 19 2012 19:51 barnabas said... So much for not caring about my opinion, haha too funny! you're ruled by your impulsive immature emotions, love it ;) and the film doesn't improve, even with multiple personalities pumping the film's rating up. As if anyone takes such an open to abuse rating system seriously haha! highly entertaining, unlike the film.

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cm said...

Posted on May 19 2012 14:25 people dont throw balls any more stupid. they throw happenings

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william said...

Posted on May 19 2012 14:23 i enjoyed it

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joanna said...

Posted on May 19 2012 14:22 cool film

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angelbay said...

Posted on May 19 2012 14:21 WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!

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angelique said...

Posted on May 19 2012 14:20 LOCKED IN A BOX FOR 200 YEARS!

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trevor said...

Posted on May 19 2012 14:19 woof

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moretzlover said...

Posted on May 19 2012 14:18 im a werewolf okay. lets not make a big deal out of it

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miranda said...

Posted on May 19 2012 14:17 youre way too weird

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