Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter

Last night, I had attended the midnight showing of the newest film from producer Tim Burton, and that is "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter." And for those who don't know, let me answer your question. YES, they made a film with that title. It was actually based on a novel of the same name, written by Seth Grahame-Smith. Now honestly, I'm really not into the whole "Presidents doing some adventurous things" because it's mostly been happening with current ones. However, when it happens with presidents that have passed on, like Abe Lincoln and they make him into a vampire hunter, then it works. I haven't read the novel, but I'm hoping to aquire it someday.

But that's not what you want to hear, you want to hear about the movie that's based on the book. How does it work out? Well, it gave me what I was expecting...but at the same time it felt like it wasn't enough.

The film tells the story of young Abraham Lincoln, who lost his mother to a vampire after trying to help his friend whose being beaten by the vampire's goon. Years later, he meets up with a man named Henry, who trains him to hunt down vampires, eventually leading to the one who killed his mother, only to realize that now he's got himself in deep shit, when the head vampire is a plantation owner in the south, leading to a crossing battle of actions and words, leading to the Civil War.

For a film as ridiculous as "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter," you expect this film to be a complete toungue-in-cheek ridiculous. It does have a couple moments like that, where you laugh at how ridiculous it was, but it's different for the rest of the film. The film basically dives into parts of Abe's life, like when he meets Mary, up to the events of the Civil War. That bothered me, because it made parts of the film feel a bit loose and a bit unfinished. It should have dealt with one part of Abe's life that would lead up to certain moments. That would have worked better. Another thing is that they establish throughout the film that silver is a vampire's weakness, which is inaccurate on many levels, since silver is a weakness to WEREWOLVES! I'm sorry, but how could you screw that up?! It'd be better if Lincoln and the soldiers had a cross bullets or neckaces of garlic with them, and they'd have to deal with the struggles on if they had faith or not. But my biggest problem with the movie is the tone of it, taking itself seriously, and it shouldn't. When you think of something like "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" you'd expect a so-bad-it's-good kind of movie like "Piranha 3D," or "Cowboys and Aliens". It just doesn't seem to take advantage of itself and it tries to act like a supernatural bio-pic. But it doesn't feel as well done on parts, ESPECIALLY in it's second-half, which doesn't get any better until the climax. From what I heard, there was so much changed and cut from the book. I would have said that the writers were disregarding the author's work...but the writer of the screenplay WAS the author of the play, Seth Grahame-Smith, so I guess somethings I can let go.

The casting of this film was decent from what I saw. Benjamin Walker as Abe Lincoln does a pretty decent job, and I liked his portrayl in the film. However, when he's at the point where he's an old man, he just doesn't fit the role of Lincoln anymore.  One thing that I would have loved to see, is Abe's father getting a larger role in the film, and for him to be played by Liam Neeson. Because, when you look at Walker's face, you could have sworn that they wanted to get Liam Neeson in the film as his dad, but I guess he turned it down, in exchange for "Taken 2." Dominic Cooper plays Henry, the man who trains Abe. He gives a pretty good performance, but the twist that this character has is given away when you first see him at his house. Thanks a lot, movie. You spoiled your own twist at the beginning. Mary Elizabeth Winstead plays Abe's wife, and she was...alright. Not much else to say that would spoil the movie. Except that when Abe tells her that he hunts vampires, she's completely fine with it. Then later on, when she sneaks up on him, she asks him if he's hiding anything from her, which is his axe. Uh, quick question: He just said he was a vampire hunter, so...don't you think he would have a weapon on him just in case anyone tried to sneak up on him? Rufuss Sewell plays the head vampire, and I enjoyed how he handled this role pretty well. If he was intimidating, then he can be, but it only comes to that during the climax.

The action scenes, I'll admit were pretty good for the most part. When they were shown, it's pretty cool, and with it being in 3D, it's EXCELLENT! Like at one scene where a knife is thrown and cuts a spark, or when someone's getting whipped and it comes flying at your face. There's also a scene where another character named Speed rescues Lincoln and his friend, which actually reminded me of "Devil May Cry 3" in a way. Not only that, but even some of the slo-mo action scenes actually worked, and it felt right when it was used. Take note, Paul Anderson.

Overall, "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" has some redeeming qualties, in terms of action scenes and 3D, but it took itself too seriously, and it also feels rushed on certain parts. It doesn't quite live up to as expected, but then again, all I expected was Abe Lincoln fighting vampires, and I got that. But if you want to see this movie, just for it's title alone, then I'd suggest catching a matinee showing.

Rating: 5/10

That's My Boy

Adam Sandler is one of those comedians whose pretty nostalgic, and seems to get more hate than deserved. Sure, films like "Jack and Jill" and "Funny People" might be a cause for it, but some of his other work done by Happy Madison Studios is still pretty good. Since I saw his 1999 film, "Big Daddy," I've grown to like Sander's style of comedy, and "Punch Drunk Love" can show how much of a great dramatic actor he can be. With his other films, I've always found one way or the other to like them. It's pretty easy to say, he's the comedian of my childhood. On another note, Andy Samberg seems to have his reputation pretty well balanced. His teamwork with the comedy trio of "The Lonely Island" on SNL, like Sandler, has good comedy to it, especially with them doing the digital shorts like "Laser Cats," and the highly underrated comedy, "Hot Rod," still holds up. For a while, I've always hoped that one day that the three of them would one day work on a great project with other favorite comedians of mine.

Fortunately, my wish was partially granted, with Sandler and Samberg playing the role of a father and son duo, in "That's My Boy." Now when I heard about this film, when it was called "I Hate You Dad" then to "Donny's Boy," I immediately got hyped. This would be the first time I get to see two of my favorite comedians work together for the first time. It was a dream come true, to where I thought either one of them found a post online about it. And when I saw the trailer for this film, I got even more hyped, that I could enjoy my dream comedy. Though, I didn't want to get myself TOO hyped, becuase if it didn't live up to ALL of my expectations, then I would be negative towards it. So I only kept myself thinking it would at least be a decent comedy. I got that...AND more! This film not only lives up to it's expectations, but SURPASSES them! I loved this movie, I really...REALLY loved this movie!

The film centers around Donny Berger, a young middle schooler (who actually ACTS like a middle schooler) who seems to have an affection for his teacher, Mary McGarricle. After having a hidden relationship with her, Donny becomes big after he's found out, but gets Mary pregnant and then sent to jail. Three decades later, Donny grows up into Adam Sandler, and is not that big a star as he used to, and he's in dept to the IRS with over forty-grand. When he finds out his son Han Solo Berger, played by Andy Samberg, who left at eighteen and changed his name to Todd Peterson, is gettin married and will be the richest hedge-trimmer in the country, Donny tries to make-up for all he's done and win his son's trust and respect back.

Now that's as far as I'm going with it, because if I did that, I'd spoil the movie. This film was worth practically worth every minute watching! I laughed so hard at this film, that it more than makes up for any bad film Sandler's been apart of! However, I'll admit there were a couple things I didn't find settling, but it's extremely minor. With it being 'R-rated,' it had room for a bit grotesque moments like the sight of a guy's boner, a man's ass in the shot, strippers, and a lot more. Stuff like that does tend to be a bit off, and disgusts me, since that usually tends to be the type of comedy I'm not into like others...but I let it go for this movie. I know stuff like this would be there, so I was prepared. I mean, the trailers basically tell us that a teenager screwed his teacher, why WOULDN'T there be so much sexual humor?

The casting was simply great. You already know that Sandler and Samberg are in this film, and let me say that they do a fantastic job together. When the two are on screen together, it's just comedy gold for me. Leighton Meester plays Samberg's fiance, Jamie, and she was surprisingly good. By that, I mean that she was just completely AWEFUL in last year's movie, "The Roommate," so I was very skeptic about her in this movie. However, I decided to give her a chance, thinking she could be good in this film. And thankfully, she was great in this film! She was very enjoyable in this film, and I praise her for actually showing effort in this movie. I also love how her family was portrayed in the movie! The father, the mother, and even the brother got a laugh out of me! I also enjoyed Samberg's boss and his mother. Every moment got at least a chuckle out of me, ESPECIALLY Vanilla Ice. Yes, the white rapper from the 90's is in this film, and he plays Sandler's friend and Samberg's uncle. I friggin loved the Ice-man and he had me laughing so hard, I just kept begging for him to be in more! Not only that, but Will Forte had a great performance; James Caan as the priest was fantastic; even Nick Swardson was pretty good too. People seem to think Nick Swardson is nothing but a talentless, unfunny, annoying, un-original hack, but I think he can give a funny performance at times. Sure, he's had some hit and miss points, but he tries. Honestly, the way people think of Swardson is how I feel about Jonah Hill, only it's truer.

Overall, "That's My Boy" is just a fantastic comedy! It's funny, it's got great pacing, the casting is fantastic, and is one of the greatest comedies I've seen in years! I hope one day Sandler and Samberg make another film toge-oh wait...that's "Hotel Transylvania"...uh...STILL! I hope their movie AFTER will have them, and at least the rest of "The Lonely Island"!

Rating: 9/10

Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted

For over a decade now, Dreamworks has had many computer-animated films brought to us. Some have turned out smashes, and others made us WANT to smash them out. While the gimmick of CG animation has spread throughout, especially to compete with Pixar, they at least try to give a good movie. However, one series they've had just seems to be both hit and miss on many levels. That franchise is "Madagascar."

The first "Madagascar" film was about Marty, played by Chris Rock, who longs to be out of the zoo and into the wild with his friends, Alex the Lion, Gloria the Hippo, and Melman the Giraffe, who don't think the same way. But after getting boarded onto a ship with the penguins, they soon end up in Madagascar. Honestly, the concept was interesting, and while there were some enjoyable things about it, I can't necessarily say it was good. It just wasn't a film I could get into. Even with an all-star cast like Chris Rock, Ben Stiller, David Schimmer, Jada Smith, Cedric the Entertainer, Sacha Baron Cohen, and Tom McGrath, I just couldn't get into it.

The sequel, "Madagascar Escape 2 Africa" (...HA), was pretty much the exact same, only more forgettable and this time, they're all trying to get back to New York. They managed to escape the island of Madagascar, but now they're stuck in the plains of Africa. It was almost like the first movie, only it was more forgettable and I was just really bored with it. Nothing else to say there.

Now with the new film, "Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted," I'll admit was more memorable than the first, but it was still a forgettable film.

In the new movie, the penguins build a helicopter to Monte Carlo to get money and get a plane home. After a while, the animals swim to Europe to find them, but soon get into a wild goose chase with Europe's best animal control hunter, Captain Chantel DuBois. Soon, the animals hitch a ride with the circus, and try their best to get along, if they ever want to get home. There was just a lot of this film that I was just bored with, so if it feels like I'm skimming through anything, don't blame me.

Now let me get all the bad stuff out. First off is the humor, and for a kids film...it's not that it was bad, but it just felt confusing. I kept asking myself throughout the movie, 'Was...was that SUPPOSED to be funny?' and I end up with no answer. However, one joke made me just ANNOYED with this film, and that's when they ripped off "Spy Kids 4". I'm not kidding, they ripped off that movie, when the Russian tiger named Vitaly says "That's BULLSHIVIKS!" It's just like in "Spy Kids 4," when Alexa Vega says "Oh shi-taki mushrooms!" At that moment, I just facepalmed with anger at that. Another thing that bugged me, was the 'liar revealed' cliche, which is one of the most OBVIOUS cliches in the book, padding out the film. Even if they actually turn that lie into a truth, it just feels forced. There's also a "romance subplot" between King Julien, played by Sacha Baron Cohen, and the circus' bear. And if you thought Baron Cohen's character wasn't annoying and awkward enough, then just see the scenes with him and the bear. I have never been so confused, and downright creeped out by this in a long time.

Now what can I say that's good about the film. Well, the acting's not bad. It has most actors reprising their roles from the previous films, so their the same, being either okay or below. However, some of the casting for this new film surprised me a bit. Bryan Cranston, from "Malcolm in the Middle" and "Breaking Bad," plays Vitaly, the tiger, and to his credit he does a decent job. However, the stunts that made him a success with the circus are a little far-fetched, even for a cartoon. Martin Short is also in the film, playing a sea lion, and he was okay on some parts. However, the biggest casting shock for me was Oscar-nominee: Jessica Chastain and Oscar-winner: Frances McDormand.  Jessica Chastain, who was in "The Help," getting an Oscar nomination for it, plays the plot device-I mean jaguar, named Gia, who's the love interest for Ben Stiller as Alex the lion. She's...was okay, despite being a love-interest. Frances McDormand as Capt. DuBois, who sounded like she was having fun with this role. But it still surprises me that this film was capable of getting two Oscar talents into this film, yet only made one, and I repeat, ONE of them have more character than any of the other castings.

I'll also give the movie credit for it's animation. The animation is SPECTACULAR compared to the other two films, and with it being in 3D, it was great too...although with the 3D at times, they went a little too gimmicky by adding in some wide-angle lenses shots. But aside from that, when it got into certain circus acts and chase scenes, it looks phenominal. However, even with the nice acting, great animation, and 3D, it just wasn't enough to save the movie. Like I said, it's not as forgettable as the other two, but it still falls flat on certain parts. And being forgettable is probably one of the lowest crimes a film can do.

Overall, "Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted" isn't something I'd recommend. At least not in the theater that is. But if you're looking to pass the time, then I'd wait for it to come on Nickelodeon in a few months.

Rating: 4/10

Snow White and Thor (the Huntsman)

If you've read my review for "Mirror Mirror," then you'll know that I'm not too fond of the story of Snow White, or at least what most adaptions make it out to be. Sure, most Grimms Fairy Tales are turned from their dark and gritty origins into what they are today...NOT dark and gritty. Even if they have some elements from the original dark story, it doesn't quite live up to it's source material. The only film in the past fifteen years, the best example of a film that's been faithful to it's source material was Tim Burton's "Sleepy Hallow." Since then, no other film has come close to the faithful brilliance that Burton brought to his movie. Last year's "Red Riding Hood," directed by Catherine Hardwicke, attempted to do re-capture that magic, but the finished project was nothing more than a "Twilight" clone that Leonardo DiCaprio will probably not put on his production resume. Not too long after that film's release, there's been word of ANOTHER "Twilight" clone was on the way, and that it was going to be Snow White.

I've heard much about the casting, and I was not too happy with it. Kristen Stewart in the role of Snow White was probably a major mis-cast, since her performance in those "Twilight" movies was just unbearably boring. And when I saw the trailers, when she appeared, I thought she was going to give the same performance. However, I did see some hope shining up on this movie, at least for me. After his performance in "Thor," Chris Hemmsworth made me think that he might do an okay job as the Huntsman. Not to mention, it had some A-list actors in it like Bob Hoskins, Nick Frost, Ian McShane, Toby Jones, Charlize Theron, Ray Winstone, and many others. But even then, I was just not looking forward to this movie, because it just wasn't enough. However, after witnessing "Mirror Mirror," I thought to myself, "Maybe this won't be as bad as that film."

So when I went into the casino theater, I bought my ticket and drink, took a seat in a packed theater, and...I'm happy to say that this film was not only good, it's one of my favorites this year, hands down. "Snow White and the Huntsman" has practically EVERYTHING good in a movie.

The film is the story of Snow White, but has unique turns to it. Snow White's birth mother accidentally pricks her finger on a rose, wishing for her child to be in the description Snow White is. During childhood, she befriends a boy named William, but soon her mother dies of an illness the next winter, and the King is sent to fight an army that's more fragile than glass. When the King finds a woman named Ravenna, she's taken back to the kingdom as Snow White's step-mother. She then kills the king, has her men take over, and has Snow White locked away in the tower. Years later, the evil Queen Ravenna now needs Snow White's heart in order to become immortal with eternal beauty. But Snow White escapes, and now travels with the Huntsman, who was originally sent to kill Snow in exchange for his deceased wife, to Duke Hammond's castle, and gather an army to defeat Ravenna.

Now as much as I said how good the movie was, that's not to say the film's got some gripes. First off, some of the edits in this movie are a little clunky, and it does tend to distract for one or two action scenes, and that's not in the film's favor. Not to mention, I felt like some scenes were cut out, especially with one line at the end feeling unfinished. Maybe it will be added back in for its Blu-Ray release. Also, let's not forget, Kristen Stewart is not hotter than Charlize Theron. I call bullshit on that! Another thing, was the CGI, while not bad was a bit overused. In some scenes it looks great, but when they CG'd animals in there, it just made the film look a bit lazy in terms of not getting actual animals. But the biggest thing that bugged me, was in one scene where Snow meets this mythical creature, which is said to be a supposed-god of nature. I wouldn't have mind that, but...the thing looks EXACTLY like the forest god from "Princess Mononoke," and I just grew irritated by that. Out of all the animals you could have used in your fantasy film, you chose to steal one from one of the greatest films of all time and from the greatest animator and storyteller, Hayao Miyazaki, then that's just pathetic.

However, despite the bad stuff I hated in the movie, it got trumped by everything else that was good in the movie. Charlize Theron as Ravenna, the evil queen, just stole this movie. She gave a brilliant performance that was intimidating, but at the same time, over-the-top. And when she does, it's hard to take seriously, and you can't help but laugh. But most of the time, her performance sent chills down my spine, just looking into her eyes that basically tell you she's been through hell and back. Plus, when she gives Snow the apple in the movie, it's done in a different take. THAT worked out perfectly, I loved that scene, and it actually made me feel sorry for what would happen to Snow.

Chris Hemmsworth nailed the role of the Huntsman, and gave a surprisingly better performance in this than he did in "Thor" or "The Avengers," like this was just a walk in the park. Hemmsworth is on fire this year, after being in three great films this year, and I'm guessing it will keep going from here on out. What sells it the most for me, is when he confesses about his backstory and his wife. I felt really bad for the guy, and that scene was what made me find this Hemmsworth's best performance in a movie.

The make-up they used in this film was downright great with Ravenna, the dwarves, and many others. The dwarves were also pretty good in this film, with the make-up and effects they had done here. Though it does bother me that they used CGI instead of real little-people for the role. At least "Mirror Mirror" was capable of doing that, but I digress. Now going back to the CGI, most of it was amazing. I was just blown away by most of the effects and fight scenes, and when it's used right, it blew my mind. I honestly thought James Cameron was apart of this. I was a bit curious why they called "Snow White and the Huntsman" instead of "Seven Dwarves," but now I understand. The main focus is more on the Huntsman and Snow White.

Speaking of Snow White, who's played by Kristen Stewart, you're probably expecting me to say that she was just as bland as she was in "Twilight." But no, she did a brilliant job in this role. She may use the Bella Swan performance on some parts, where it looks like she's been through troulbe, but in this case IT ACTUALLY WORKS! In "Twilight," she basically had all this bad stuff happen because of HER! In "Snow White," she acts this way, because she's been locked away in a tower for over ten years. It actually feels like a performance. She prays, she feels desperate, she has that monotone voice, which feels hard to deal with. Everything in that performance was done right. However, with her to be considered the fairest of them all is a bit hard to believe, but I digress.

The action scenes in this film were simply amazing, and the camera work is what adds to it. Whomever the director or cinematographer was that did this, they did a brilliant job with it. The film was produced by Joe Roth, who also produced Tim Burton's version of "Alice in Wonderland," which marks this as Roth's second fantasy action film. In my mind, this makes "Alice" look like "Mirror Mirror" in terms of action. If they actually went all out to show blood in this, this would have made this an 'R rating' without a doubt.

Overall, "Snow White and the Huntsman" is by far the best dark fairy tale movie I've seen since "Sleepy Hallow." It's action packed, it's well-paced, it's got good story, it's got excellent characters, and it's just a great movie. I highly recommend it, if you want to see a film that may look like "Twilight" but better.

Rating: 9/10

Dark Shadows

Tim Burton has always been one of the most visionary directors of the past thirty years, and has made many classic films over the years. He's made films such as "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure," "Beetlejuice," "Edward Scissorhands," "Big Fish," "Nightmare Before Christmas," and also adapted franchises to the big screen as well like "Batman," Sleepy Hallow," and "Sweeny Todd." Though, that's not to say he's had some that weren't very up there like "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" and "Alice in Wonderland," which may not have been as good as their predecessor, I found them not as bad as everyone says. But I can definitely agree, that "Planet of the Apes" is, without a doubt, his weakest entry. Which brings us to his newest film, "Dark Shadows".

Now "Dark Shadows," was originally based on a gothic soap-opera from the late-60's, then revived back in the early-90's, and told the story of Victoria Winters and the Collins family, in the fictional town of Collinsport, Maine. The show was established as a murder mystery at times, and it was very eerie at times. However, the show's popularity never came into play, until Barnabas Collins, a vampire who was cursed by a witch, came onto the show. Now, watching the 90's version, it IS different from it's predecessor, mostly due to the budget.

As for the movie, I was actually quite interested on how Tim Burton would adapt something like this. With his visual flare, and him being a fan of the show, it could lead to such amazement. Though, I started to have a little problem, with it being advertised as a comedy, which would be hard to deal with. And when I saw the film...I was right.

The film tells the story of Barnabas Collins, a boy who grows up in the New World, and establishes Collinsport and his home, Collinwood, with his family. However, after breaking the heart of a witch, he and his family down are then cursed, with Barnabas to be a vampire and to be locked away. Two centuries later, he's freed from his prison and wakes up in the year 1972, and finds his home of Collinwood, and that the family business has been outlandished by another. Now, he is destined to help bring his family business back up to the top. Now, it's been a while since I've watched the show, so I don't have THAT much comparisson to the show, but I can definitely say that it had potential of being great, but it's simply brushed off for it's comedy, and that's not a good sign.

The casting, with it being Tim Burton, obviously has Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter. Johnny Depp admitted that he's always dreamed of playing Barnabas, and I'll admit he does a good job playing him. When he's not doing anything comedic at times, he's simply brilliant. He gave a hell of a good performance. However, compared to the late-Jonathan Frid, he's just simply not Barnabas. Plus, with him being a vampire, there are scenes were he's out in the daylight, and yet some parts that aren't covered up by clothes aren't smoking up one bit, but when he's exposed by the rest of the Collins family his jacket is set on fire. So yeah, that doesn't make sense there. Helena Bonham Carter plays Dr. Hoffman, who's the family's doctor and complete drunk. She's was alright, but one thing that bugged me about her. She has sessions with Barnabas, to extract his vampire blood, thinking it would reverse the effects it has on him, but later on it's revealed that she wanting his vampire blood, so she can be immortal and beautiful forever. Now, while that is weird, but reasonable, I just have to ask, why does she look to be more pale than Barnabas? And it's not like she was turning pale while she was taking his blood, she was pale before Barnabas returned. Why? And further more, how does Barnabas have any blood in him, if he's a friggin vampire?

Now the rest of the cast, they did a good job too. Michelle Pfieffer as Elizabeth Collins gave a nice performance. And still, even at age of 54, Pfieffer's still pretty, and that's always a good sign. Eva Green plays the witch, Angelique, and wasn't much. I've seen her give a better performance in "Casino Royale", but here there's just nothing here. Jackie Earle Haley plays Groundskeeper Willie. No, I'm not kidding, that's his name. And he was okay at best. It was a basic hit or miss performance, but at least it was better than his performance as Freddy Krueger. Carolyn, played by Chloe Grace Moretz, I'm not going to lie, was really forgettable. She had no impression left on me, and that's really sad, because I love Moretz, she's like one of my top 5 favorite child actors under 20. The only thing I actually remember about her, was that at the end she's a werewolf, which was NEVER hinted at in any other part of the movie. Christopher Lee has a cameo in the film, as the 'king of the fishermen' in Collinsport. That cameo alone was more memorable than Chloe Moretz performance.

Now, with it being a Tim Burton film, the set designs, costumes, and make-up are phenominal. I enjoyed everything that looked gothic and eerie in the film. Right down to the harbor in ol'timey England to Collinswood. Some of the effects were really neat as well...however, some of the CGI was really lousy, and it happens at the end. I don't want to say what it is, but it is some of the most cartoonish looking CGI I have ever seen in a movie. But the big thing that brought this movie down, was the comedy. For a film that's advertised as a comedy, it was just boring. Not only that, but the 70's disco songs were really distracting. It's like the film is trying to say to the audiences, "Don't forget, this is the 70's!" and it got really old, really fast. Now, if they added in "That's the Way I Like It," by KC and the Sunshine Band, during that "sex scene" with Barnabas and Angelique, then I would have found that kind of funny. During the first 45 minutes, the atmosphere, the pacing, and much about it felt like the actual show. That was the best part about the movie, and I really wish that it was done more like that, and have the comedy and 70's pop songs be more subtle.

Overall, "Dark Shadows" is just disappointing. I really wanted to like this movie, and at times, I did. But it's just that the comedy and 70's disco music, that pops out of no where, brings the film down. The first 45 minutes, the set designs, make-up, and costumes are what make the film work on some parts. The performances are either good, okay, or just forgettable. Granted, it's not the worst film I've seen this year, or even the worst comedy I've seen. I can definitely say, this is one of Tim Burton's weakest films. It's not AS bad as "Planet of the Apes," like some are saying, but it's still bad.

Rating: 4/10