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Depp plays Barnabas Collins. He was cursed nearly 200 years ago by an evil witch, Angelique (Eva Green), and he awakens in the 1970s to find the Collins family a shadow of its former glory.
In his Old World way, Barnabas decides to rebuild the family fortunes. Regrettably, he also drains the blood of about a dozen construction workers and a handful of hippies.
From Jackie Earle Haley's performance as a drunken handyman to Bonham Carter's turn as a drunken psychiatrist, there's plenty to enjoy in "Dark Shadows."
I was intrigued by a little mystery at the heart of the story, where the ghost of Barnabas' ill-fated love, Josette (Bella Heathcote), haunts Barnabas' 20th century crush (Heathcote again).
The cast seemed to enjoy getting in touch with the 1970s - except for Depp, whose wardrobe is stuck in the 1700s.
Shock rocker Alice Cooper deserves an award for Best Sport in a Cameo Role, as Barnabas makes a series of funny comments about the "Cooper woman's" gender.
It'0s all in good fun, but not great fun. "Dark Shadows" is an uneven film. Sure, it's a campy vampire movie, so breaks with reality are expected, but an angry mob shouldn't go home empty-handed without good reason. In addition, a central character has a third-act transformation that isn't hinted at earlier in the film.
In spite of the little breakdowns, "Dark Shadows" is an entertaining film with sporadic, laugh-out-loud moments.
The talented cast includes Michelle Pfeiffer, Chloampë Grace Moretz and Christopher Lee, and there's usually something odd or otherwise interesting happening on screen.
I give "Dark Shadows" a B minus.
It's showing at the Cinemark in Tupelo, as well as Malcos in Oxford, Corinth and Columbus, Hollywood Premier Cinemas in Starkville and Movie Reel 4 in New Albany.
Look for movie reviews in Scene on Thursdays, and listen each Tuesday morning on Wizard 106.7 between 8:30 and 8:45 a.m.