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COLLINSPORT, Maine - The highly anticipated Tim Burton, Johnny Depp collaboration, "Dark Shadows" has released its first trailer and reviews are mixed at best.
The new film is based off of the cult favorite soap opera of the same name. To try and explain the plot of the soap opera that ran from 1966- 1971 is nearly impossible. Just know it involves vampires, witches, time travel and well, just about everything else.
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The trailer has hit the web with fury and critics seem to love the fun, dark feel of the trailer.
"We're going to come right out and say it: We love the trailer," wrote MTV.com's John Mitchell. "It's Tim Burton doing what Tim Burton does best. The look is dark and Gothic, but the feel is certifiably gonzo with a heaping side of camp and comedy."
The trailer does scream, "Burton" right in your face, but for Burton fans that's exactly what you want. The trailer came as a surprise for just about everyone. The tone is certainly dark, but then you find yourself laughing at that comedic timing we've come to love from Johnny Depp.
"The trailer — which is campy and silly, while still being a little dark — is different enough from the source material to attract a new, wider fanbase," commented the Washington Post's Sarah Anne Hughes. "But fans of the original might feel miffed by the comedic treatment of the earnest series."
Hughes' hit the nail on the head. The trailer has created buzz and has managed to get people who have never heard of "Dark Shadows" excited about the new movie. But according to comment boards and threads many diehard fans of the soap are completely turned off by the trailer.
Many fans of the original show are saying things like "the film shouldn't even be called ‘Dark Shadows'" and that Johnny Depp appears to be more "Willy Wonka than Barnabas Collins."
It seems interesting the "Dark Shadows" trailer is getting attacked so harshly by the show's fans for taking a campy spin on the old show. The soap opera was known for over the top acting, impossible plot twists and silly dialogue. One of the reasons the show became such a cult classic is because it was serious, but didn't always take itself seriously. It's much like the new "21 Jump Street." The original TV show was a drama that was so over the top at times it seemed like a comedy. The new film is all comedy, and according to critic and audience reviews, it's a perfect adaptation.
We'll have to wait and see if Burton has pulled off an entire film that entertains for 90 minutes. Considering Burton and Depp's track record and the source material, hopes are high.
"Dark Shadows" open in theaters May 11, 2012."
What do you think of the new trailer? You excited to see the film, or are you unhappy about the new direction? Or, maybe you've never seen the TV show and still have no desire to see the movie. Let us know on the comment boards and on Facebook.
