How Do I Know What I Think Until I See What I Say?

Recently, I saw Sweeney Todd - the Johnny Depp/Helena Bonham Carter version. It was okay. I prefer the Len Cariou/Angela Lansbury version from the stage, but then, I almost always prefer the original versions of most musicals. I'm a sap that way. But the movie version of Sweeney Todd got me thinking about the role of (and risk of) sidekicks in stories. In case you haven't seen either version, Sweeney Todd is the story of ... Sweeney Todd (I know - you're shocked). He used to be married and have a baby, but then a judge fell in love with his wife and had him sent to prison in Australia. The musical begins when he returns to seek his revenge on the judge. Upon his return, he meets Mrs. Lovett, the proprietress of a meat pie shop, who remembers Todd from before he left. The two form an unlikely partnership when Todd kills someone who threatens his plan of revenge, and Mrs. Lovett bakes the victim into meat pies. Yes, that's right - it's a heart warming musical