Depp’s ‘Sweeney Todd’ a dryly humorous, musical massacre

There's plenty of gore and guts, and the laughs flow right along with the blood.

A traditional horror film, "Sweeney Todd" most certainly isn't.

What Johnny Depp's newest role in "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" does offer, however, is the dryly humorous massacre of his clients and an excellent soundtrack by the cast.

The movie tells the story of the title character, formerly known as Benjamin Barker, who escapes an Australian jail after serving 15 years for a crime that he was framed for.

Upon arriving back in London, Sweeney becomes infatuated with seeking revenge upon the malicious Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman) and his henchman, Beadle Bamford (Timothy Spall), who purposely sent Sweeney away so Turpin could steal his wife, Lucy (Laura Michelle Kelly).

Sweeney learns from Mrs. Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter) that Lucy poisoned herself and committed suicide shortly after his arrest. Sweeney also discovers that Turpin is now lusting for his daughter, Johanna (Jayne Wisener), who is imprisoned and serving as his ward.

Forming a deadly partnership, Sweeney and Mrs. Lovett conspire in slitting the throats of his unsuspecting clients and dropping them into the basement.

Also on his own mission, Anthony Hope, (Jamie Campbell Bower) sets out to free Johanna and marry her.

While the plot seems frightening, director Tim Burton infuses dark humor into the slaughters as the bodies drop like rag dolls and Mrs. Lovett collects them to make her infamous meat pies for the town. The movie centers itself around serious themes such as murder and heartbreak, but there's plenty of comic relief throughout the film.

At one point, Sweeney has a "shave off" with his rival barber, the eccentric Italian Pirelli (Sascha Baron Cohen, famous for his leading role in 2006's "Borat"). It's during the shave off that Sweeney also first comes in contact with Tobias (Ed Sanders) whom he later befriends and aids in selling Mrs. Lovett's meat pies to the town.

As the killing becomes incessant, Tobias and the townspeople begin to suspect Sweeney and Mrs. Lovett. Although the pies are a hit for Todd and Mrs. Lovett, the "smell coming from their pipes" needs to be investigated, leading to an ironic twist of fate for the characters.

This blend of humor and suspense renders "Sweeney Todd" an excellent adaptation of the original Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler musical.

The cast does a fine job covering the songs written by Sondheim, most notably Depp, who plays his first singing role in "Sweeney."

One thing that limits the appeal of the film, however, is that the blood and gore are poorly created for some scenes. Although it seems obvious that it was all computer generated, it's ultimately forgivable on a larger scale because "Sweeney Todd" was not meant to be a horror film, even though it is rated R for excessive blood and violence.

While the film is slightly predictable, Depp slitting the throats of his clients as he whistles away and talks to his razors is a sight that anyone should see at least once.