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SALT LAKE CITY -- Back in the day, it was worth having a cold or a mild case of the flu just so you could stay home from school and watch Dark Shadows. No syrupy kitchen table or hospital-based soap opera here; Dark Shadows, with its deep Gothic atmosphere, had vampires, werewolves, witches, zombies -- the whole shebang. Little Doug was a true fan.
That's why when I saw the trailer for the new movie starring Johnny Depp as Barnabas Collins; I was afraid, very afraid. It looked like director Tim Burton was just going to turn this beloved element of my childhood into a joke! So, did he?
The answer is yes and no. I was surprised how much original storyline appears and how much drama unfolds surrounding the key characters as the stage is set for Barnabas to re-emerge into the America of the 1970s. The goofiness is introduced as everyone's beloved vampire tries to find his "groove" in 1972.
It looked like director Tim Burton was just going to turn this ... into a joke! So, did he? The answer is yes and no.
The Collins family has deteriorated over 200 years primarily because of the on-going malevolence of Angelique, the witch spurned by Barnabas back in the old days. She's responsible for his "condition" and his two centuries of entombment. Eva Green is perfect, delivering a character that still enflames Barnabas' most basic desires, even while repelling him. Ah, what's a vampire to do, especially when he's deeply in love with sweet Victoria, who is the 20th Century rendition of his 18th Century true love, Josette who was killed by Angelique? The plot thickens.
Michelle Pfeiffer is the modern family matriarch, Elizabeth, struggling to preserve what is left of the Collinwood Estate, all while dealing with her dysfunctional family including a deadbeat husband and a rebellious teenage daughter. As Barnabas, with his old school attitudes and traditions steps in to help, that's where the fun and the disappointments collide.
On one hand there is natural fodder for amusement as the vampire, with little effect, tries to hide his condition and origins. But, the problem comes when those natural moments are milked and run to the ridiculous. Now, I get it, part of the great allure with the vampire is sensuality, but I was surprised how much sexuality made it on the screen in Dark Shadows.
The entire movie pivots on Barnabas and my feelings are mixed on Johnny Depp. Sometimes he's perfect, but often, I felt a channeling of Gomez Addams mixed with Bela Lugosi. Overall, purists will have a lot of issues with the film; those who will allow a little slack and even lampooning will fare much better.
Dark Shadows gets 2 ½ stars and its rated PG-13.
