Tim Burton and Johnny Depp should not make movies together, and that is exactly what makes “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” - released today by DreamWorks SKG - so deliciously twisted. Set in Victorian London and starring the immensely talented Depp as the razor-wielding, throat-slashing Mr. Todd, the film is frightfully compelling and already claws its cold, clammy hands at the top spot on Burton’s already extraordinary mantle of freakishly delightful cinema.Like his role as Jack Sparrow in the popular “Pirates of the Caribbean” series, Depp once again sports his popular black eye-liner, this time complemented by a shock of Cruella-esque hair and a ghoulish complexion fixed in a constant, tight-lipped grimace. Unlike his role in “Pirates,” Depp’s Sweeney is terrifying in his flawless execution of evil.

And I haven’t even mentioned the music.

Yes, “Sweeney Todd” is a musical - and a phenomenal one at that. And while Burton has tinkered slightly with composer Stephen Sondheim’s score (you won’t find the standard chorus numbers here), the darkest genius of the work is left to fester like the meat pies of Mrs. Lovett - played by Burton’s exceptionally talented wife, Helena Bonham Carter.

And yes, Johnny Depp can carry a tune.

It may not be Broadway in scale, but the actor’s voice - jagged and harsh - is perfectly suited for the role. After all, since when did the devil sound like Pavarotti?

“Sweeney Todd” is outrageously bloody, but it feels a lot like Gibson/Tarantino/Scorcese meets Monty Python’s Black Knight - the violence is over-exaggerated and, true to form, the film does feel much like a graphic novel.

“Sweeney Todd” is Burton and Depp’s greatest collaboration to date, and, appropriately, has been nominated for 4 Golden Globe Awards including Best Director and Best Actor for the two, respectively. Although already critically acclaimed, Depp’s performance clearly cements his place in his profession’s most elite circle. Similarly, the film serves as a sort of “greatest hits” of Burton’s accomplished, albeit twisted, career (which includes, among others, “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and “Edward Scissorhands”).

Tim Burton has announced that he will direct Linda Woolverton’s adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland,” scheduled for release in 2010. Let’s hope Johnny decides to throw a tea party…

Rating: 5/5