I really don’t understand why people dislike this film. Set on the coast of Maine, “Dark Shadows” (2012) introduces Barnabas Collins (Johnny Depp), a vampire who is freed in 1972 after nearly two centuries spent imprisoned and begins to reconnect with his family's estate and the nearby town. Michelle Pfeiffer portrays the Collins family’s head of the household, Helena Bonham Carter plays the resident psychiatrist, Eva Green embodies an underhanded sorceress, Bella Heathcote takes on the role of Barnabas’ former love reincarnated, and Chloë Grace Moretz is a teenage rebel. Tim Burton directed “Dark Shadows,” and it shares similarities in feel with his film "Sleepy Hollow" (1999), which also starred Depp; although "Shadows" incorporates more comedy, I guess. Since I haven’t watched the original television soap opera or its two movie adaptations, I'm unable to make comparisons. What I do know is that I found this version quite enjoyable, much like I did with “The Lone Ranger” (2013), which has also been unfairly criticized. The atmosphere—the October/November vibe, essentially the Halloween season—is fantastic and Depp’s portrayal of Barnabas Collins keeps you engaged from beginning to end. He's clearly out of place in 1972, but he adapts fairly quickly. Eva Green is ideal as the wicked witch, and Carter is reliably entertaining. I wasn’t particularly impressed by Moretz, but she’s adequate (and has a surprise up her sleeve at the film’s conclusion). Alice Cooper appears in a brief, extended cameo. The opening credits sequence featuring “Nights in White Satin” should also be noted as a high point of filmmaking. The movie is 1 hour and 53 minutes long and was filmed in England (Devon, Buckinghamshire, Kent, Cornwall & Farnham) and Scotland (Mull, Argyll and Bute), with exterior shots of the estate taken at Trafalgar Castle School, Whitby, Ontario, Canada. GRADE: B

Source on TMDB