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Edward Scissorhands (Full-Screen Edition) Customer Reviews (49 - 51 of 68 Reviews)

First off, the movie wouldn't be nearly the same without Danny Elfman's terrific score. I don't think I've scene a Tim Burton movie without Elfman's music. *strokes chin*

Also, Johnny Depp did a GREAT job acting. He doesn't have many lines, but his facial expressions are...I don't know how to describe them. There's so much emotion and sadness in his eyes...he was the perfect guy for the role. This story is, on the surface, a bittersweet story about a (boy? man? Edward is almost ageless...another great thing about the movie)...male with scissors for hands (ooh! Bet you didn't see that one coming!) who falls in love, but isn't accepted by society. Under the surface there are lots of metaphors and things you could compare this to, but I don't think there's one right thing that this movie represents.

I still don't know why this movie makes me cry. I'm sort of a sap, though...meh.

Take the time to watch this movie. I'm going to watch it again!

A Fairy-Tale For the Modern Age
Tim Burton's films are arguably the 20th/21st century answer to Grimm's fairy tales. Each of his films are at once entertaining, mesmerizing and thought provoking, giving the viewer an askewed but vivid portrayal of life through the images he so masterfully captures.

Edward Scissorhands is a prime example of such a film.

It is the story of an inventor and his invention, a "Pinocchio" fable if you will, about a man who creates life though his craft, though in this instance, the inventor (Vincent Price), dies before he can complete his invention; namely, Edward (Johnny Depp), a man built from the pieces/parts of the inventors many fancy machines. Instead of being whole, Edward is left with menacing "scissor-hands".

Peg Boggs (Diane Wiest), an AVON saleswoman, ventures to the home of the inventor after failing to sell any of her wares too her usual customers, the housewives of her small community. When there, she discovers an enchanted old mansion, with beautiful sculptures cut from the tress and bushes that adorn the gardens. Braving the dark of the immense home, she seeks out its owner, discovering Edward in the process. When she sees that he is there alone, stricken with the "infirmaty" of his condition, she befriends him and takes him home with her.

The neighborhood women, nosey-busy bodies, catch wind of Peg's discovery, and it isn't long before Edward is the gossip of the day. Edward, dark and mysterious, is a stark contrast to the bright, vibrant, colorful "cookie-cutter" neighborhood of pastel homes and yards, and the families that occupy them. It isn't long before the neighborhood gossips, led by Joyce Monroe (Kathy Baker) invite themselves over for a cookout, and begin to exploit Edward for his many talents, including his gardening abilities and his inane talent to provide the women with elaborate hair-cuts.

The story advances when Peg's daughter Kim (Winona Ryder) returns home from a weekend camping trip. He is at once taken with her, though she is repulsed by his differences, his outward deformity. Unlike the others who immediately embrace him, she is repulsed by him.

And it is here where the story really unfolds. Burton, whose films might be considered bizarre and cartoonish at the front, makes a couple of very poignant points about acceptance and love in this film. Edward and Kim, through a series of events, are drawn together, and Kim learns that Edward's beauty is an internal one, and that, despite any physical abnormalities, he is far more beautiful than anyone she knows, save maybe for Peg, who defends Edward when the neighborhood turns on him later in the film.

Tim Burton's casting, direction and cinematic flare are never more poignant than they are in this film. If a director has a signature piece, than Edward Scissorhands is Burton's, and it shows. Audiences will be touched by the tender performance Johnny Depp, whose portrayal of Edward is both moving and completly believable, a task that must have been doubly challenging considering the amount of prosthetics and make-up he underwent to get into character during each day of filming.

This film is a must have for any Burton fan, and a good film for the whole family. Though there are moments in the film that might be slightly inappropriate for younger audiences, the film as a whole is a tender and touching love story and a story of acceptance despite diversity.

Danny Elfman, whose scores have become synonymous with some of the most popular television and film programs ever (The Simpsons, Tales from the Crypt, Batman), scores this film beautifully, and his soundtrack is haunting and tender. The acting in the film is first rate, with an array of first rate actors (including those listed above): Alan Arkin and Anthony Michael Hall round out the cast.

Though the DVD does not offer as many extras as some films released in this format, it does provide the widescreen edition of this film, along with a director's commentary on the film, which provides many insightful glimpses into how the film was produced. The film itself is digitally mastered, giving the sound and color a brilliance even more vibrant than provided in the theater.

This is a must have for any DVD library and a great film for all ages. It is a film that, once seen, will be watched over and over again.

-Scott Kolecki

Edward Scissorhands Is Burton's Best.
Edward Scissorhands, director Tim Burton's fifth film, is, in my opinion, his best non-claymation film. Starring Johnny Depp as Edward Scissorhands, this film is all-around quite well-made. The directing is odd and memorable, but not too intrusive--the same goes for the story. Edward Scissorhands is set in a frightening characterization of a suburban neighborhood--there, all the houses are the same [except for their pastel colors], and, at the end of the cul-de-sac, what else could there possibly be but a large medieval castle, Edward's first home. Edward is a poor scientific experiment who is left unfinished when his creator [Vincent Price, in his last film] dies, leaving him with makeshift scissorhands, never making Edward some real human hands. After his master dies, Edward is left skulking about the castle until a wandering Avon woman happens up to the castle and wants to give him a makeover. Feeling sorry for him, she brings him to her house in the neighborhood below. There he lives with her and her family, including her beautiful daughter, Kim [Winona Ryder]. All of the housewives are fascinated with Edward, and soon Edward's scissorhands get him jobs pruning hedges, grooming dogs and styling women's hair. Edward's scissorhands and his love for Kim soon get him into trouble, however. The ending is dramatic, but not excessively so. The acting is very good, as is the music [again, done by Danny Elfman]. Overall, Edward Scissorhands is a film that should definitely be seen and one which you will certainly enjoy.