I’m not generally a fan of musicals, but I’m going to make a special exception next month. If you’ve never heard of Sweeney Todd, I highly suggest you check out the almighty Wiki. In short, Sweeney Todd is the quintessential villain/anti-hero. This is essentially a character which you know is wrong yet you cheer them on anyways. In the original story that this is based on, our anti-hero is a wrongfully imprisoned barber named Benjamin Barker who returns under the name Sweeney Todd to London after fifteen years in Australia only to find that the judge responsible for his imprisonment has raped and murdered his young wife, adopted his daughter and intends on marrying her. He swears revenge, but instead he begins to slash the throats of his customers. Sounds like fun? Here’s what’s going to make this movie incredible.

Tim Burton is directing. Every movie that Tim touches usually turns out to be obscenely twisted gold (Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood, etc.). You can be guaranteed a few all-important things in a Tim Burton movie: the casting will be perfect, the music will be perfect and the execution will be perfect. As eccentric as ol’ Tim is, he wouldn’t sign his name to a movie that wasn’t quality. It’s like an unspoken guarantee.

Johnny Depp is starring. Even the Depp haters can’t argue with his talent. It’s infectious and he brings that to every movie. Who got tired of Cap’n Jack? Not I. And neither did you. Depp’s habits of exerting his influence into every movie continues. The whole white-streak-in-the-hair-thing? Yeah. His idea. It helps him develop his character and is precisely what’s needed to play this lead role.

The supporting cast includes Helena Bonham Carter (Burton’s real-life lady) and Alan Rickman (think Professor Snape), two of the finest and understated actors around. We all know that Rickman can play the villain, and we’re well aware that Bonham Carter can play the accomplice/temptress. There are other notables amongst the cast, but I’ll leave that for you to figure out. Hit up the website at SweeneyToddMovie.Com, or…

If you know what’s good for you, you’ll check out the trailer. Sweeney Todd: Demon Barber of Fleet Street will hit theaters December 25th, 2007.