Thankfully, Tim Burton's movie take on the cult USA TV soap is not the non-stop parody suggested by the most recent bizarre trailer. Burton and his terrific cast (Michelle Pfeiffer is majestic, Eva Green and Chloe Moretz are fun, and Depp gives one of his best performances of late) absolutely capture the cheaply theatrical Gothic melodrama of the television version. As a result, though, the very deliberate pacing and delivery, which is more suited to the small screen, means that the film rarely gains momentum, and the flashes of genuine humour seem oddly out of place with the overall tone. The stand-alone story is well-crafted, set design is magnificent, a superior Danny Elfman score works very well, and the finale offers spectacle and scale. Whilst there is much to admire in Dark Shadows, it is more of a curiosity than truly endearing.
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