Tim Burton’s “Dark Shadows” entertains but is easily forgettable

By Isaac Siegmund-Broka
Staff Writer

When an eccentric death-infusedJohnny Depp movie hits the theaters, there’s only one thing to think: Tim Burton. Burton is at it again with “Dark Shadows,” the darkly comedic tale of Barnabas Collins, an 18th-century vampire propelled into the wildly different world of 1972.

While riddled with hokey missteps,“Dark Shadows” is saved from disaster by an entertaining plot and the irresistible intrigue of Burton’s visual sense.

“Dark Shadows” was originally a late 1960s soap opera directed by Dan Curtis. With campy paranormal
drama and inventive plot twists, the show amassed a devoted cult following.

In Burton’s version (much like the original), a young Barnabas migrates with his family from England to Maine, where his fatherfinds great success in the fishing business.

When Collins resists the romantic advances of a young witch named Angelique (Eva Green), she kills his parents, forces the suicide of his lover and curses him to be a vampire. He is soon captured by fearful townspeople, who bury him in the woods.

When Collins’ coffin is found nearly 200 years later, the broken-hearted vampire remains alive within it. He is released to discover that the Collins name no longer enjoys the respect it once did. Barnabas sets about reviving his family name while battling Angelique, who fights to keep the Collins in disgrace.

All the while, Collins must acquiesce to the bizarre 20th century Collins family, composed of the moneyed matriarch Elizabeth (Michelle Pfeiffer); the unruly teenager Carolyn (Chloe Grace Moretz); and the introverted son David (Gulliver McGrath).

Also present are the perpetually hung-over psychiatrist (Helena Bonham Carter); the disheveled manor caretaker, Willie (Jackie Earle Haley); and the curious Victoria Winters (Bella Heathcote), a governess who experiences otherworldly visions.

The plot is intriguing and amusing despite its wacky supernatural jumble. While a few ending twists feel out of place and somewhat overburden the action, Burton brings the plot full circle with a satisfying conclusion.

Nevertheless, this Burton weirdness does not disappoint. Gaunt white-faced Depp carries both horrifying and humorous air, complimented by his palatial House of Usher and the creepy ghostly happenings within it. Simply by way of Collins’ vampiristic condition, Burton’s obsession with death carries the plot and imagery.

“Dark Shadows” is, however, (unfortunately) set apart from other Burton films by its overt and unnecessary sexuality. Several bizarre sex-charged scenes seem out of place amidst the fantastical plot and certainly would not have found their way into the original television show.

Aside from this misstep, the romance of “Dark Shadows” is actually quite well written. Harkening
back somewhat to “Corpse Bride,” Burton entwines love and death in a paranormal love triangle between a vampire (Collins), a witch (Angelique) and a woman who perpetually sees ghosts (Victoria).

The final resolution is laden with melodrama but is rewarding nonetheless. The majority of the humor in “Dark Shadows” relies on the gimmick that culture and language are different in the 1970s from what they were when Collins last walked the earth. Collins spews silly 18th-century linguistic constructions, and his inability to understand modern culture results in humorous ordeals with hippies and technology.

Depp is excellent as usual, assuming the role of Barnabas Collins with both charm and maladaptive
kookiness. After working with Burton so many times, Depp has mastered the right level of Gothic quirkiness to match that of Burton’s plots and imagery.

“Dark Shadows” is a good romance, action movie, drama and comedy. However, in no genre is it truly great. For a fun afternoon at the movies, “Dark Shadows” is worth the time, but it will not go down in history. “Dark Shadows” is rated PG-13 and is playing in theaters everywhere.