I've always heard of the original 1966 TV series Dark Shadows, but I never saw it, so I have no idea how it compares with this film. At the very least, I always thought it was weird that they'd make a movie out of this after more than forty years of the TV show's premier.
On its own merits, the film has its moments. Tim Burton's typical gothic aesthetic is applied pretty generously, so the film does have its fair share of darkly fantastic imagery, wicked monsters, and imaginative special effects. There are also occasional moments of amusing comedy. In fact, it comes pretty close to achieving the same effect as the film adaptations of The Addams Family or The Brady Bunch, since all these films took the characters of the original shows and plopped them into modern times to create some really funny scenes. The Dark Shadows film sets out to do the same, and it is successful at times. The problem is, it's never constant, so the film tends to drag in between the funny scenes and the more eventful scenes.
The story for this is not too bad. I've heard that the film crams in entire seasons of the show into its short runtime; fortunately, the film is never rushed, but it feels as though a number of scenes, subplots, and characters are presented without any direct bearing on the main story. Regardless, the film does a fine job of keeping all the plots and characters straight and presentable for the audience. Characters are pretty interesting all around, even if some of them are one-sided or undercooked. A running theme of family helps tie it all together.
The film looks good and slick, with good photography and editing. Acting is not bad; I enjoyed Johnny Depp's eccentricities, and I loved Eva Green's performance. Writing is alright. A good amount of quality sets, props, costumes, and special effects were dispensed effectively. Music is pretty groovy.
I recommend it as a rental.
3.5/5 (Entertainment: Pretty Good | Story: Pretty Good | Film: Pretty Good)
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