It keeps getting bloodier by the scene, yet remains curiously engaging.

Without any warmth and humor at all, how are you meant to care? I'm not saying you always have to care about someone in a movie - not at all - but here the story is so ludicrous that, unless you can, why bother?

This is grand-scale studio-work at its most beguiling.

hard core musical theatre fans will have their quibbles but I think it's a pretty good adaptation