When Tim Burton's "Sweeney Todd" bares its teeth, which it does with disarming frequency, the music works better. The more gothic and Grand Guignol Burton takes it, the more arterial spray spatters the screen, the more falling bodies land right on their exploding heads - the more his vision coheres, and the possibilities of Sondheim's book drip like precious rubies. Here, film and musical theater actually bring out the best in each other; it's altogether inspired.
