Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street****

Not for the squeamish, Tim Burton's "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" is a gory, atmospheric adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's dark revenge tragedy musical from the '70's. The sets and locations are suitably smoky, wet, and lifeless. The palette is set from the arresting opening credits: all blacks and grays, with a rivulet of shocking red liquid.

In this version of the story, a lecherous judge ships off the barber Sweeney Todd (Johnny Depp) so that he can have Todd's beautiful wife, and ends up as the guardian of his daughter. Fifteen years later, Todd returns with vengeance on his mind, and is aided by his former and present landlady, Mrs. Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter), who makes "the worst meat pies in London." Mrs. Lovett soon spices up her offering and increases her business while at the same time disposing of evidence, as Todd descends into revenge, serial murder, and madness.

All of the actors, especially Depp and Carter, act and sing tremendously well (who knew either of them could sing?). The songs, generally not the easy kind of tunes you leave the theater humming, propel the story forward, marvels of understandability and acting. Lush and well-articulated, the musical arrangements shine. The story and songs have been trimmed somewhat (Sondheim himself labored with Burton on this) to make a cinematic production from the Broadway show.

Secondary rolls are mostly very good. In particular Alan Rickman (Professor Snape in the Harry Potter series) adds some depth to the character of evil Judge Turpin, source of all of Todd's woes. And Timothy Spall as Beadle Bamford, the judge's toady accomplice, seems to have leapt from the pages of Dickens. Sacha Baron Cohen, as rival barber Pirelli, brings a suitable flamboyance and menace to his role. And young Ed Sanders ("Not While I'm Around") is a very strong Toby.

Intense and unrelenting, "Sweeney Todd" is a jolt of a movie you will remember.

Rated R. 116 minutes. Produced and distributed by DreamWorks SKG.