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Edward Scissorhands Customer Reviews (76 - 78 of 82 Reviews)

Beauty and the Beast Meets Goth Frankenstein
This dark and odd fairy tale is an interesting and somewhat original watch, but calling it a masterpiece is a bit too much. It`s not very surprising once it shows its main premise, showcasing the innocent and naive outsider entering a new and "beautiful" world. "Edward Scissorhands" is just another movie about an outcast who doesn`t quite know how to connect because he`s "different". Director Tim Burton presents a captivating and well-crafted atmosphere here, surreal, oniric and gloomy enough to catch one`s attention. Johnny Depp provides a solid performance as the fragile and curious protagonist, and the rest of the cast is good as well. Overall, this is a poignant and absorbing offbeat effort, one that proves Tim Burton`s uniqueness and creativity.

A memorable cinematic experience.

Poignant Fairy Tale
Tim Burton brings to life a rare combination of elements that create a wonderfully poignant story that brings tears to my eyes every time I watch it. On the surface the story is the tale of Edward Scissorhands, created by inventor Vincent Price in one of his greatest roles. "Edward Scissorhands" could have been another story completely, a horror story, or science fiction, or a comedy. Instead, Tim Burton creates a beautiful fairy tale set in an idealized suburbia of the 50s.

Edward has lived in a Gothic house that is intended to evoke Frankenstein's castle since his creator died. Edward's house sits perched above a stereotypical suburban neighborhood, and one day the local Avon lady, Peg Boggs (Dianne Wiest), comes calling. Peg gets Edward to come home with her, where he immediately becomes the darling of the neighborhood's housewives, and the bane of all the neighborhood men, because of his skill with topiary and hair styling.

Of course the manly men of suburbia are not going to put up with the women of suburbia heaping their affections on Edward, and soon tensions begin to arise. Eventually Kim Boggs (Winona Ryder) boyfriend Jim (Anthony Michael Hall) comes to blows with Edward, leading to a gorgeously sad and beautiful ending that clinches the fairy tale theme.

"Edward Scissorhands" plays on so many levels. As the alien outsider Edward is confused by the rituals of suburbia, which director Tim Burton has taken to excess to ultimately highlight the hypocrisy and paranoia of suburbia in a unique way. At first Tim Burton indicates that his suburban neighborhood is perfect and the epitome of the "middle class way." Once the illusion is established, Tim has the women attracted, yet repulsed by their own attraction, to the less-than-perfect Edward. There comes a point where the women of the neighborhood want Edward, but since they can not truly possess Edward, they join in helping to cast him out. Jim becomes the tool that allows the women of the neighborhood to do what they can not, cast him from their midst.

In the midst of the irony, Edward and Kim Boggs develop an innocent and beautiful love for each other. Edward represents innocence, beauty, and perhaps the potential we all have. Kim sees all this, and wants it, and her decision becomes the ironic capstone of this story.

Tim Burton has created a tale with an ending that causes my eyes to water every time I see it, in spite of the many times I've watched this movie. I suspect it always will. The contrast between the world as we think it should be, and the world as it could be, will always provide fodder for our art. In this case Tim took that fodder and created cinematic and emotional gold.

Touching Film About The Outsider Versus Society
1990: Tim Burton's introverted film is touching and tragic. The music by Danny Elfman is appropriately haunting and the acting is even Oscar worthy. Tim Burton's most personal film, Edward Scissorhands is an extension of the director himself and his feelings of alienation from society, his not fitting in, as we have all felt or feel many times as people governed by a regulated society, a society of people who are biased and judge others before getting to know their soulful humanity. Edward Scissorhands is a great commentary on outsiders, foreigners and people who are not mainstream- it can be applied to different cultures and races, people of different sexual orientation and people of different religious faiths.

Edward is the invention of an eccentric, lonely scientist (played by Vincent Price) who lives in a Gothic castle which looms on a great hill over a small, suburban 50's idealistic town. Peg (Diane Weiston) is the local Avon lady, who is married with a husband and kids (her daughter Kim is played by Winona Ryder). She sells her cosmetic products to bored housewives that live in pastel houses whose husbands go to work in a synchronized order. She meets Edward Scisshorhands and takes him in as her house guest. He begins to win people's affections at first, especially because he has great talent with his scissor, especially making lawn statuary and great haircuts.

But eventually, when Edward falls for Peg's daughter Kim, the town turns against him, not wanting to welcome this still very strange man. The modern fairty tale is moving, appropriately scored by Danny Elfman's chilling, haunting and romantic style of composition. This film is worth watching and worthy even of some Oscars. I don't recall whether it won anything. That year, Silence Of The Lambs or Misery won the Best Picture.

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