Edward Scissorhands (1990) User Reviews (782)

Beautiful employment of color, sympathy and human nature

[Monica4937 · 9/10 · 8 February 2004]

Tim Burton should have won an academy award for this film. It is truelly a masterpiece. Never have I felt more sympathetic for a character before in my life. Edward Scissorhands...a creation...an unfinished product made by an inventor, his father. When his "father" dies he is left alone in the mansion to fend for himself and discover things on his own without any guidance. Next an avon lady comes in and detaches him from his isolation and throws him into a society where everything is pastel, everything is precise and everyone is stiff. Edward Scissorhands gets thrown into a world comPLETELY unlike the one he was used to. Now he is the outsider.

Johnny Depp should have also won an Academy Award for his performance in this film. Although he had very few lines in this film, less than 100, his facial expressions and actions spoke loudly. Every detail he gave his character was so perfect and precise. When Edward examines the water bed, and takes his first sip of (what I'm guessing is) scotch, or in the beginning when he takes his first ride ever in a car into town. Just the look on his face when he finally gets to see what the outside world looks like was pure genius.

I hold this movie very deeply to my heart. In my opinion it encompasses every human emotion and nature. When Edward first arrives the locals accepted him and he became a famed hair/bush stylist. In the end they turn on him and see him for what he looks like, a monster. My rating for this film: 10/10

the rise and fall of Edward Scissorhands and the inhabitants of a small town

[dbdumonteil · 9/10 · 1 February 2003]

You could have thought that Tim Burton would rest on his laurels, following "Batman"'s huge commercial success. Well, not at all. "Edward Scissorhands" appears like a more serious, more mature and even touching movie. This modern fairy tale links skilfully elements from the basic fairy tale (the castle) and elements from the social life (Peg's job as representative for a cosmetics firm) and it can be divided into two parts: the first one that epitomizes Edward's rise: thanks to his scissorhands that give him gifts as a hairdresser and a gardener, he becomes the idol of the town. The second one that shows Edward's fall, following a burglary in which he was inconveniently involved in, he becomes the town's bête noire (and the movie becomes painful) Tim Burton tells this modern fairy tale by introducing a lot of poetry, and during his movie, he tries to create an aesthetic beauty and he succeeds in, especially with the gardens of the castle, Edward's sculptures and Edward himself is good-looking in spite of his scissorhands. But "Edward Scissorhands" is also a movie of contrasts. There's an obvious contrast between the brightly coloured town and the dark rooms of the castle but also one between the bright town and its inhabitants who are scornful or mocking. Besides, they're the object of a satire of the actual society and Burton tries to underline its weaknesses. Of course, the inhabitants appreciate Edward but only for his gifts. Otherwise, they're mistrustful towards him because, in their eyes, he's different and eccentric (you could be one of the inhabitants!) and the single mistake (the burglary) can lead to unexpected consequences... Whereas Johnny Depp, he's simply extraordinary and finds here, one of his best roles. He provides to his character, a lot of tenderness, affection and above all, a deep sensitivity. At last, Tim Burton knew skilfully how to blend several cinematographic styles in just one film. In "Edward Scissorhands", you find everything: comedy, fantastic, horror and drama. Moreover, Danny Elfman's gothic music is widely gorgeous to create an intense emotion. It's sometimes difficult to hold his tears... All in all, a movie which is both tender, cruel and Tim Burton's best movie after "Ed Wood".

One of the most beautiful films about the right to be different

[filipemanuelneto · 8/10 · 16 May 2016]

This film shows us Edward, a humanoid created by a scientist who died before he could finish his creation. Because of this, Edward has big scissors instead of fingers and a strange looking, almost industrial. But he ends up being found amid the ruins of the mansion where he was born and taken to a suburban neighborhood, where life is always the same, made of perfection appearances. Directed by Tim Burton, has a screenplay by Caroline Thompson and counts on the participation of Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder.

This film is a modern Christmas tale and, for a decade, was very broadcast on televisions around this time of year. The story is very beautiful and touching, and makes us think about issues such as the right to be different from others, the difference between being and seeming, the exaggerated importance we give to appearances and the little importance we give to what is genuine, and how our society corrupts what is naturally good (Rousseau revisited?). Despite it usually have a parental rating accessible to children, this film seems to have been designed for public since the age of ten. The cast is reasonable but not surprising, except for Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder, actors who had, in this movie, the first major opportunity to shine, and where Depp inaugurated a long and fruitful partnership with Burton, which lasts until today. The photography and the visual effects are very good. The sets and costumes are interesting, helping to get the message proposed in the film, and the soundtrack is marked by the main theme, composed by Danny Elfman. This piece remained in the memory of the audience for its beauty and magic, becoming one of the most beautiful musical pieces made for film.

A poignant miracle

[IlyaEck · 10/10 · 18 September 2004]

Many people say the cried at the end of this movie... Huh! Knowing the plot already, I (a grown up man) can barely hold my tears from the very beginning whenever I watch it. Much more than just a "cute and sad fairy tale", this movie is a true piece of art. This is one of those rarest cases when a bunch of talented and truly, but truly dedicated people set out to create something beautiful, some chemistry occurs and ... a miracle happens. Fortunately for all of us, this miracle immortalized on film.

Throughout the human history, the wisdom of generation was conveyed through fairy tales. This tale is no exception. This story, told in magic simplicity, actually has some deep philosophical meanings. While mercilessly debunking the true nature of human beings, this tragic story really tears your heart, and yet it fills it with hope. That is the true and, perhaps, the only purpose of art, if you ask me.

Why do we need music, painting, theatre, poetry? Is there a real excuse for their existence? To me, the only purpose, the only excuse is to help people go on, to give them hope. And it's well worth it!

To sum up, easily Tim Burton's best, this film is a masterpiece, my favorite American movie, and probably one of the best movies of all times. 10/10

A dark fairy tale about a man who only wanted to fit in

[Smells_Like_Cheese · 10/10 · 18 November 2003]

I have watched Edward Scissorhands ever since I was a little girl, this movie has always held a very special place in my heart. I think because I could relate to Edward… no, I don't have scissors for hands, but what I mean is that this is a fairytale story, but this is a simple story of a man who just wants to fit into a society of "norms". This is completely Tim Burton's creation and story, he's a very criticized director, he's either loved or hated. Some consider his stories to be too dark and strange, but when you get inside his head, you realize this is a man who is pure genius. He thinks completely outside the box and doesn't just resort to what Hollywood wants, he knows his audience and doesn't insult their intelligence, he brings us a charming story about Edward Scissorhands.

An elderly woman tells a story to her granddaughter of a man with scissors for hands named Edward, the creation of an inventor. He raised Edward as his son and tutored him in various subjects, but died while in the act of offering a pair of hands to Edward. Many years later, local Avon saleswoman Peg Boggs, after failing to make profits in her suburban neighborhood, visits a Gothic mansion on a hill. There, she finds Edward, and convinces him to have her take him in. Edward befriends Peg's young son, Kevin and her teenage daughter Kim. Peg's neighbors become curious and thrilled at Edward's masterful skills at hedge clipping and haircutting. However Kim's jock boyfriend Jim dislikes Edward immediately. Edward's innocence becomes an easy target for everyone to take advantage of him as often as they can. Wither it's destroying his reputation or putting him in danger, Edward was never prepared for this harsh world when he was given the kindest heart.

From the acting, Johnny Depp's first real leading role in a movie, he's so young and so incredibly talented. He plays Edward with perfect sympathy not over or under acting it, to be honest I'm a little surprised he wasn't nominated for an Oscar, but it's such a bizarre role, I think it was very over looked. He makes Edward into a charming beautiful character that you fall in love with. Dianne Wiest, one of my favorite actress as the Avon lady, Peg, who takes Edward home with her, the reason I love her so much is she brings so much class into whatever role she is playing. She seems like the most lovely woman you could meet and makes Peg into a delightful woman who just wanted to help this man and didn't realize the world she brought him into. Winona Ryder, who was dating Depp at the time, had great chemistry and was absolutely beautiful. To the sets, which this world was just bizarre and stands out against so many other movies, like a strange Leave it to Beaver nightmare, all the houses in the suburbia are different pastel colors to this one hill with a dark castle. To the outstanding make up effects, can only imagine the pain it took to get in and out of that costume for Edward. Edward Scissorhands is truly a masterpiece and in my opinion will always remain a treasured classic, because all in all this is one of the most beautiful movies of all time.

10/10

If Tim Burton never did anything else, this film would be enough to call his life worthwhile

[llltdesq · 10/10 · 31 October 2000]

There is absolutely no way I can view this film in even a remotely objective manner, so I won't even try. Like eveything I've seen by Tim Burton, this film is at one and the same time, warm and frightening, tender and heart-wrenchingly evil, uplifting and dark. The good and bad in humanity are shown in stark relief quite clearly for everyone to see. But in the final analysis, the most important message the film has to offer is this: Love truly does make the world go 'round and redemption and just living to see another day is a kind of victory. There will always be bullies, just as there will always be kind souls who actively try to make things better (and who sometimes make things worse through their efforts). The most important thing is to be true to yourself, treat others as you wish to be treated and that if the bad guys win, we all lose-including the bad guys. Excellent cast, fine script and just overall a worthy effort not to be missed. One of Vincent Price's last performances, if not the last. I love this film! Most highly recommended.

A Story Told In Beautiful Simplicity

[Dark Eye · 10/10 · 7 December 1999]

Edward Scissorhands is really an amazing movie. The plethora of lush cinematography, beautiful musical score, and great characters are extremely entertaining. The storyline is simple yet very moving. I still get misty-eyed at the end, even though I watched it many times already. The musical scores by the amazing Danny Elfman in Edward Scissorhands are one of his best work. It is achingly beautiful. Everytime Tim Burton and Danny Elfman worked together in a movie, magic happens. Burton's gothic style and Elfman's halloween-like scores always blends perfectly.

The story surrounds an unfinished creation named Edward, played brilliantly by Johnny Depp. The talented actor managed to make Edward a simple being that radiates vulnerability as well as restrained passion suggesting the real, imperfect humanity within. Edward's intimidating scissorhands and strange black & white physical appearance looked out of place amongst the pastel-colored suburban surroundings. He is unique; we both laugh and sympathize when we see Edward having a hard time trying to eat a single green pea with his scissorhands, but then we become slack-jawed to see that his expression of artistry in sculpting are effortless, masterful, imaginative, and passionate.

The movie ends rather sadly, yet beautifully at the same time. The tragic incident at the end over Jim (Anthony Michael Hall) is a single act of both unvented frustrations over the injustices done by Jim, as well as to protect Kim Boggs (Winona Ryder), the love of his life. This shows that although uncompleted, the fearsome scissorhands merely masks our eyes to his feelings, conflicts, and the imperfections of that of a real human being. His body is not completed, but his heart is.

Burton's Best -- and Most Emotionally Touching.

[MovieAddict2016 · 7/10 · 21 October 2004]

Tim Burton is a brilliant visual director but with Edward Scissorhands he managed to combine these talents with pure, classic storytelling – Scissorhands is his best overall film, abandoning the slight characterizations and special effects-driven spectacle of the (albeit hugely enjoyable) Batman and serving up a convincingly detailed left-of-center fairytale romance.

The story is fairly basic, being the standard Frankenstein-esque tale of alienation and the empowerment of love. Edward (Johnny Depp) is a lonely man with scissors for hands, crafted by an eccentric inventor (magnificently played by Vincent Price in flashbacks) prior to his death. After Edward witnesses the death of his creator he stays locked away inside his mansion all day, which is located atop the otherwise cheerfully picture-perfect local neighborhood community.

Then one day a nosy neighbor decides to investigate, and ends up bringing Edward to reality. He falls in love with a local girl (Winona Ryder), and is witness first-hand to the joys of life, until accidentally injuring a young boy and becoming the enemy of the overzealous town. Soon everyone is out to get him for no good reason – the climax is beautifully done and, because Burton has allowed his characters to expand so much, it's also very touching.

The movie is decidedly odd but in a good way – the only problem is that it is occasionally quite thin when it comes to actual depth. Burton's never been as good at telling believable stories as he has mythical, exciting fables (see Sleepy Hollow for a similar example). Even Burton's Big Fish – arguably his most story-oriented film of his career – was somewhat shady. The mix of screwball dark comedy, horror, drama, romance and elements and familiar happenings of other genres results in a very different combination. You can literally "feel" the vibe of this picture, its heart pulsing black blood.

The movie was a childhood project of Burton, who drew sketches of Edward as a boy and used to alienate himself from his hostile surroundings by taking refuge in fictional stories involving the scissor-handed hero. As a result Burton's true affinity for the subject is evident – it's clear that he takes this entire project very seriously.

The acting is marvelous – Depp's performance is one of his finest and, arguably, one of the most convincing and fun of all-time. Depp has formed a Scorsese/De Niro-like companionship with Burton over the years, teaming up for various pictures (including Sleepy Hollow and the upcoming Charlie and the Chocolate Factory). He's always had fun relishing his over-the-top and absurdly dark roles, such as Ichabod Crane in particular. In Scissorhands he gives the equivalent of a Travis Bickle – a man who feels shunned by society, only to open his heart and have it feel crushed again. This is possibly one of the reasons the film is able to affect its audience so well to this very day. The tale does not grow old because the values are timeless.

Edward Scissorhands, despite its occasional flaws, finally gave Burton the chance to unleash his talents as a visual filmmaker along with a pretty solid story mold – the result being a sublimely dark rom-com-drama that never conforms to the typical genre clichés and becomes quite a unique film in its own little world.

4.5/5

An uncommonly gentle man.

[avengerous_steel · 10/10 · 4 March 2006]

BIG SPOILERS.

"Give it to my loved ones?" - Edward Scissorhands.

Created by an inventor who dies before finishing his creation, and so leaving him with razor-sharp shears as hands - Edward Scissorhands (JOHNNY DEPP) isn't like other people.

When kindly Avon lady Peg Boggs (DIANE WIEST) finds him one day, hidden away in a Gothic mansion on top of a hill, she takes him under her wing and decides to take him back to the suburbs to live with her.

When we see Edward in this pastel paradise for the first time, it is apparent that he doesn't belong: his wild, dark and frightening appearance contrasting against the immaculate, sweetly colored people and homes of the suburbs. It's an ironic contrast too, as both of these 'worlds' reflect feelings and thoughts that should not associated with them - as Edward is a good-hearted person, whereas the people of the suburbs are unkind and intolerant.

When Edward arrives there he is welcomed and loved, due to the way in which he can sculpt hedges, dogs and hair into amazing works of art. But eventually, due to human trickery and greed, and Edward's want of acceptance and love, Edward is painted by the townspeople as a monster when he is told to rob a house by the boyfriend of Peg's daughter, Kim (WINONA RYDER), and he is ostracized by the town.

Throughout the course of the movie, Edward falls in love with Kim. Originally treating him as an outcast, she falls in love with him too, realizing what a kind and remarkable being he is. In the end, she is the only one who accepts him, when the entire town turns against him. Kim's boyfriend, Jim, enraged by jealousy of Edward, tries to kill him. In defense of Kim and himself, Edward plunges his scissor-hands into Jim's chest and kills him. Realising both that by what he has done they can never see each other again for his safety they share a final kiss and part ways, Edward remaining in his mansion and Kim returning to the shocked town below. The ending of this movie is one of the most wonderful I've seen. Poignant and bittersweet, it is hard to forget quickly.

Johnny Depp is outstanding as Edward Scissorhands, showing a kind of curious and bemused innocence within in the character, but at the same time a restrained passion. Every expression on his face is full of raw emotion: every cautious smile, and every time of hurt and confusion. Johhny Depp is Edward Scissorhands.

This is a wonderful fable from the brilliant imagination of Tim Burton. It's a twisted and sophisticated Gothic fairytale with a dose of comedy, and a good helping of morality, too. While a family movie, it's not really for kids - some things in there even shocked me.

This movie is amazing, and I was entranced by it the very first time I watched it. I'm not usually one for ridiculous hyperbole about movies, but there is very little wrong with this one. I love this movie.

10/10

Hauntingly Poetic

[BaronBl00d · 25 July 2000]

I really cannot add too much more to the wealth of praise directed toward this film...much of it very deserved. Tim Burton really shows us his ability to transcend mere comedic situations(Pee Wee and Beetlejuice) and tell a story of humour love, pity, conformity, and so on in an eerie and entertaining way. The way this film is constructed is amazing...the sets are wonderful as they depict something so real and yet so far away. Burton takes us into a kind of fairy land of Suburbia...with a haunting, empty castle at the end of the block that just happens to house a man with scissors for hands. The music in this film helps create a great deal of atmosphere and really lends to character development; I particularly enjoyed his use of the music of Tom Jones. The acting in the film is superb on all accounts. Burton got a subtle and effective performance from Johhny Depp, whose talents cease to amaze me. A nice Burton touch was the use of Vincent Price in one of his final roles. Although only in three scenes, seeing Vincent again was a real joy.

Equal Parts Fairy Tale and Satire

[ethanwedwards · 7/10 · 9 October 2022]

One of my favorite aspects of a Tim Burton film is his penchant for oddness, and Edward Scissorhands does it well. I frequently laugh at the look on a character's face, the comedic positioning of a shot, or the "art" wrought by the eponymous character's hands, erm, scissors. What sets this movie apart from other Burton creations, however, is that it is just as much satire as it is fairy tale. Whether it's the gossipy neighbors, the desperate housewife, the controlling boyfriend, the tactless father, or the cookie-cutter homes, suburban clichés abound. These absurd caricatures often drive the plot and act as a humorous foil for Edward. Importantly, the hyper-realistic suburbia comes across as excessively tacky in contrast to Edward's genuine innocence.

Danny Elfman's score is, in my opinion, the best of his career. Saccharine and melodic, the music breathes innocence and fantasy into Edward Scissorhands. Without it, the movie wouldn't work half as well as it does.

Edward Scissorhands is classic Tim Burton - gothic themes, imaginative characters, zany acting, and a sort of German Expressionist-like aesthetic. I definitely recommend giving it a watch.

Enchanting!

[mixedvixen77 · 10/10 · 1 April 2006]

I would have to say that Edward Scissorhands is by far one of the best films done by Tim Burton. It is a very beautiful story. They couldn't have chosen a better cast for this movie. Johnny Depp is phenomenal as Edward. He brings the characters in his movies to life so well that it is hard to believe that he is acting. It seems as if when he learns about the movie and goes over the scripts that he transforms in the character. This film is definitely one of them. This movie is nothing short of enchanting. This movie was the reason that I fell in love with Tim Burton and Johnny Depp. If you like movies that leave you bug eyed, make you think, and leave you wanting more then this is the film for you. I highly recommend this movie to anyone who loves a good fairy tale.

A flawed "classic" whose screenplay needed some trimming (gotta love the irony)...

[ElMaruecan82 · 6/10 · 19 December 2020]

"Edward Scissorhands" is, if anything, the proof that even a flawed film can be a classic. The timing helped a little: it came out in 1990 when Johnny Depp was still the hearthrob from "21 Jump Street" and starring in a make-up-prop-and-weird-look role was a novelty (hard to believe that these times ever existed), and it was a time where suburbs were still the darlings of comedies driven by social comment attempts and when fantasy wasn't that blockbuster provider relying on CGI and it's to Tim Burton's credit to propose a little parable about human difference acceptance without overplaying special effects.

Now let's set this straight: the art-design of the old manor are magnificent and the ominousness of the place magnificently rendered through the shadowy atmospheres, Danny Elfman's haunting score and the presence of horror-icon Vincent Price. You could tell how enamored Burton was with German expressionism and the design of Edward's birthplace is so convincing that the rest looks rather pale in comparison: even in pastel colors, the suburban palette has a sort of factice blandness that can't get away with the excuse that Burton wanted to criticize conformism. Lynch did the same in "Blue Velvet" but remember how vivid and artificially bright the colors were in the opening sequence. In "Edward Scissorhands", the town looks like a giant maquette and even the house's interiors are curiously unfurnished.

Ironically, the same criticism can be drawn against the characters who feel sketchy and two-dimensional at best, literally alternating between two modes: curious and fascinated by Edward and then angry and eager to have him punished. That ability to switch from a Capraesque colorfulness to the mob-lynch mentality of Springfield citizens from "The Simpsons" is one of the film's biggest cheats. It provides us a gallery of interesting characters but no one is given a proper arc, it's just "like Edward" and "hate Edward", just as the love interest Helen (Winona Ryder) switches from "no feelings" to "true love" without a scene that could connect them realistically, apart from that ice-sculpting moment. Burton's script is full of artifices whose main purposes is to advance a plot from stages that I could visualize with bullet points on a draft.

So that's the storyline: Peg (Dianne Weisst) finds Edward, he discovers the world, he tries to fit within the family, having a few interactions with Daddy (Alan Arkin) and Kevin (Robert Oliveri from "Honey, I Shrunk the Kid"), showing his talent for trimming house-front yews, giving them original silhouettes, cutting dogs' and then people's haire. Suddenly, we have the jealous boyfriend (Anthony Michael Hall) who for no reason at all hates Edward, the burglary attempt that destroys his reputation and an awkward scene that ends with the gossipy neighbor (Kathy Baker) pretending she was assaulted... and the population buying that in a pavlovian reflex. These bits could have worked had the plot followed that storyline but no, it precipitates us to the final act, set at Christmas time, where everything seems to point Edward as the villain, and knowing that he's misunderstood was the most infuriating part.

Ebert notoriously disliked the film for having a no-brainer final act and a conclusion that had to rely on the villain's death, I was surprised that he didn't mention the very term he coined: the idiot plot. It's one thing that Edward looks like a villain, it's one thing that the kid didn't see the car coming at him when Edward pushed him away, it's one thing that Dad saw Edward leave the house with determination without hearing Jim's insults. I could accept that, but how about the fact that Kim never tells the truth about Jim, is the mob so deaf to her pleas that she couldn't even shout that Edward didn't hurt or her brother intentionally? Even worse; Peg who was the lead for the whole first act becomes so frustratingly passive that it's a real blow against the motherhood she initially displayed.

The problem is that Burton had so many boxes ticked; the character (Depp is touching as the poor little creature with that eternal sad look), the design, the whole 'acceptance' theme that he needed to rework his screenplay. First, there a poor man's Margaret White as the bigoted woman who sees the devil in Edward, her presence never really pays off then you have Kim popping up halfway through the film making impossible to understand how she could fall in love, Peg is bizarrely underexploited at the end, not even for a little talk to her daughter and don't get me start on the boyfriend's murderous impulses. Except for our scissor-handed friend, it's annoying that all characters are just designed to do whatever the plot requires them to do, exuding a falseness worse than the bourgeois vanity denounced by Burton, they're fake not because of their reactions but their characterization. Edward and Kim have some chemistry and the film the imagery but the script is just where the devil is in the details.

I got that the film intended to denounce our approach to difference or handicap, with curiosity at first and then suspicion and then sheer rejection, the whole "who's the monster?" trope codified in "Frankenstein" but there was much to explore with the film... how about Helen not having a boyfriend and falling in love with Edward? How would the parents react? How about a true relationship with the kid? How about having a real treatment of handicap? It's like Burton decided to turn a fairly decent material with a different look into another monster thriller with dark undertones. And even with that approach, the treatment was rudimentary and I've got to love the irony that of all the movies "Edward Scissorhands" is the one that needed more trimming.

And to think that it's the movie that prevented Winona Ryder to star in "The Godfather Part III"...

disappointing, I really wanted to like this movie

[Netscape_Navigator · 5/10 · 10 July 2005]

I really thought I would like this movie, I usually like interesting stories about alienated characters, but this was just too sentimental.

The movie's number one problem: the characters are too cliché. I know they wanted to go for a fairytale style story, but that doesn't mean the characters have to be 100% artificial. Couldn't they have done a bit more to minimize the feeling that we're watching mindless, one-dimensional caricatures simply existing for the sake of the movie? The characters have almost no depth at all. For example, why did Kim ever fall in love with Scissorhands? She never had a reason to, and the explanation given was not good enough. She went from almost being disgusted of him to... LOVING him? Not just being his friend, not finally accepting him for who he is, or even just his best friend, but loving him...romantically. That's completely absurd. She was initially disgusted by him, but it's after seeing him on TV and finding out that he would "do anything for her" that she begins loving him, I feel silly just typing that. I'll tell you why she fell in love, it's because the plot called for it.

In the end when Ed saves the kid from being hit by the van, that felt like a convenient scene to throw in to show Ed as a hero and to draw empathy, but it makes no sense at all. Why would The Dead Zone's Anthony Michael Hall keep driving full speed after seeing the boy in the street? Even if he was drunk he would've made some attempt to swerve after seeing his girlfriend's brother about to be hit, and you can't tell me he didn't see him. I honestly wanted to like this movie, it's sweet and lighthearted, but ultimately failed because there was too much in this movie that was contrived.

As good as any movie ever made

[joeestlinbm · 10/10 · 18 February 2005]

This movie impressed me to such an extent, that I had trouble sleeping for the first few nights after I saw it, not because he scared me. I just kept thinking about this guy who had scissors for hands, and was so unfamiliar with the world,

He had a wonderful talent for making things with his unique hands, but he was still confused about the way the world worked.

He finally wound up back where he began, which in a macabre sort of way was where he belonged, because his background just wouldn't let him fit into a so called normal world.

The ending was very sad. I'm a relative old man, and it made me cry. Watch it!! It's probably the best movie you'll ever see.

One Of My Favorite Movies

[PUDDlN · 9/10 · 25 July 2001]

It is directed by Tim Burton! Who has also brought us little gems such as "Beetlejuice", "Batman" and "Sleepy Hollow". It stars Johnny Depp (yum) and Wynona Ryder who are both great in it. I love the non- typical ending and just the entire social commentary undertone. This is Time Burton at his best.

A Truly Magical Movie For All Ages, Burton's Finest

[Apollo89 · 10/10 · 2 June 2005]

This is one of Tim Burton's most powerful movies. Though the title-character seems strange he represents the goodness in the world and what can happen when society just doesn't accept difference. The Gothic look of the castle, combined with the glorious colour of suburbia creates a strong contrast and shows things may not be as they seem. Edward comes from the dark and scary castle but is gentle, kind and loving, the place he wants to be accepted into is the colourful suburbia, which is backstabbing, vicious and evil. This story shows the betrayal of a person who desperately wants to help and to love but does not realise he is being used. The only people that seem to understand him are the wonderful Peg Boggs (played brilliantly by Dianne Wiest) and the beautiful Kim (played superbly by Winona Ryder). Tim Burton has created yet another beautiful fairy tale to captivate adults and children alike. Johnny Depp shows his great talent as an actor and Danny Elfman's music for the movie is some of the most beautiful you're ever likely to hear. A great movie for Christmas and all year round, and while it is a classic story it also deals with the prejudices of society, friendship, family and love and I advise anyone who hasn't seen it to see it, it is an experience well worth it and a movie you'll never forget.

A simple, but dark and poignant film, that is definitely Burton's best!

[TheLittleSongbird · 10/10 · 7 June 2009]

Other films that are genuinely moving are The Elephant Man, Fearless and Camille. Edward Scissorhands is a film of darkness and beauty, that makes it such a wonderful and unique film to see. One thing that I really liked about Edward Scissorhands was the music score by Danny Elfman, which was very beautiful, sensitive and mysterious. A good example is in the beginning credits, with the angelic choir accompanying the Christmas-like images on screen. The cinematography was gorgeous, with bright imaginative close-ups contrasted with genuinely Gothic scenes, like when we first meet Edward in the dark house. The script, while not the strongest category of the film, was still very touching, and added to the charm and suspense that was already ensured in the film. The direction by Tim Burton had all his trademarks, very dark and suspenseful, evident in films like Batman and Sleepy Hollow, if a little odd at times, which is fairly typical of Burton. While there were one or two funny moments, the film is genuinely poignant, with a heart-rending ending. I will say I was most impressed with the acting, topped by Johnny Depp's tragic and poignant portrayal of the title character, and then Winona Ryder as Kim, while not quite as convincing is still very sensitive. I was shocked that Depp didn't get an Oscar for his performance, he doesn't say much, but his facial expressions fully justify. There was also sterling support from Dianne West, Kathy Baker et al, while Vincent Price in a minor role as the inventor also impresses, such a shame he died three years later, he was a brilliant actor, if you see him as the truly Machiavellian villain in Great Mouse Detective, or the sadistic Matthew Hopkins in Witchfinder General, you'll know what I mean. As I have already said, the ending is so heart-rending, that I will confess I got through half'a box of tissues. Overall, a remarkably beautiful and poignant film that had me speechless. My advice to anyone who hasn't seen it, and is planning to, have a box of tissues at the ready, it is that sad. 10/10 Bethany Cox.

One of the greatest fable of the 90s.

[0U · 22 February 2020]

Tim Burton all time favorite artist of all time. Not just one of the greatest directors of all time, not just one of the greatest imaginative writers of all time, not just versatile camera works ever put to film, but a versatile genius of art. That's how I think of Tim Burton. Edward Scissorhands is his personal film that he ever put to film by his heart. When I saw this film for the first time, my heart burst of love. I was always in love with his films, I don't start loving Batman because of him, nightmare before Christmas is my all-time favorite holiday film, Ed wood, Big fish, big eyes, Beetlejuice, Sweeney Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet Street, all of them. But only one that is true to his heart and that is Edward Scissorhands. Edward Scissorhands is a versatile work of art ever put film, with darkness and colors combined together to make into a perfect rainbow is Edward Scissorhands. As for me this film is a work of art and yet one of my favorite films of all time. This prestige film is my childhood, my everything. As for Tim Burton, is everything you need to know about his charismatic of film. Grade A perfect 10

Funny and moving film with one of Johnny Depp's best performances

[snoozejonc · 9/10 · 28 July 2020]

A man created by an inventor is taken from the solitude of his home to live with a suburban family.

The plot uses elements of Frankenstein and Beauty and the Beast to great effect in a story that very much about the human condition. Tim Burton may not have intended to satirise suburban types as much as he did, but ridiculed they feel with the gossipy, trouble making housewives and bored gardening, golf playing husbands. Cars all leave for work at the same time, great pride is taken in gardens and most (save a few) ultimately see Edward as either a 'freak' or a 'cripple'. We see the real freak show does not lie in the decaying old Gothic mansion on the hill, but in the normal residential neighbourhood below.

Edward Scissorhands has a style that shows Burton at his quirky, gothic best. The colour of everything in the suburbia is some variant of pastel, and is contrasts brilliantly with Edward's black suit and ghostly white face. This fits perfectly with the themes of acceptance, isolation and fitting into social structures when you are quite different.

The protagonist family are all sympathetic, played likably by Dianne Wiest, Alan Arkin, Robert Oliveri and in particular Winona Ryder. Edward's interaction with them is both hilariously funny and beautifully moving in a number of scenes.

There are also some strong supporting characters. Joyce, the lustful neighbour who talks in perpetual innuendo. Her scene of orgasmic joy on receipt of a new haircut is wonderfully funny. Jim the spoilt jock boyfriend sneers and lashes out every line with utter contempt. Vincent Price in a heart breaking cameo as the inventor is an excellent touch.

As the title character, Johnny Depp's performance is modern take on Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton. He says very little, but his eyes and facial expressions tell us everything we need to know. When he does speak it is the voice of a frightened and confused child. I feel so much sympathy that it pains me to watch.

It has a haunting soundtrack that stays with you after the final credits. Every time I think of falling snow, particularly when melancholy I think of that music.

What prompted me to give this one a higher rating than I had originally planned was watching it with my three and a half year old daughter. It held her from start to finish, which is a rare thing for a non-animated feature length movie.

For me it's an 8.5/10, but I round upwards.

The director's cut

[paul2001sw-1 · 7/10 · 14 March 2003]

Tim Burton's whimsical fable is a visually exotic parody of small town values, exploring themes such as loneliness and conformity; a very unusual horror film; and a simple tragedy to boot. With minimal plot but coherent vision and child-like wonder, Burton has made a film whose view of the world resembles few others. What he has not done is made a masterpiece.

Some films build fantasy elements into the real world, and explore what might happen if such a thing came true: 'The Truman Show', and 'Being John Malkovich', are two obvious examples of this genre. But Tim Burton does not make films like that. Even his most realistic work (e.g. Ed Wood) takes place in a world that at times appears to be wholly imaginative. This is not necessarily good. It means that one cannot look for ordinary human motivations and actions in his stories: in this film, for example, a small American town lies in the shadow of a Gothic castle which not one of its inhabitants has ever visited until a cosmetics saleswoman dares to make a call; and at many subsequent turns, the actions of the characters just don't square with what anyone real would actually do if confronted with a boy with scissors for hands. At one level, this complaint is petty: the story is, after all, a mere fairy tale. But this is precisely the point. Though visually highly original, the film's comments about modern society can only be in a morally obvious fashion: the behaviour of the protagonists too stylised and contrived to allow for anything more subtle. Which leaves you at moments the feeling you are watching little more than a live action version of Wallace and Grommit (with fewer jokes to boot; though the film is quite effective in spinning out its only real gag).

All Burton's films place style (albeit in quite a deep sense) over substance; the creation of a form over what goes on inside. The strength of Edward Scissorhands lies in its simplicity; and in the bewilderment in Johnny Depp's eyes (even if he does resemble Malcolm McLaren!). Without pretence, it eventually draws you into its beautiful, but two-dimensional, world.

An emotional charismatic and off the wall Dramatic Movie!

[dave_psyattica · 10/10 · 16 December 2004]

This film hit me with two main feelings. One, of an overwhelming feeling of sadness for Edward as his position is one that is just impossible to bear. To know that you are in love with a person to that degree and finding out they love you in the same way but knowing that you cant give that person what they seek, because of your hands. This was summed up in the scene where Kim asks Edward to hold her, but he just says, 'I can't'. Packed with emotion this film got to me with the acting particularly of Johnny Depp and the music. Very Cleverly written and accented, this added to the movie greatly. 10-10, this is a film i'm gonna keep for a long time, and most importantly, watch again! Classic!!

All Burton, no substance

[innersmiff · 6/10 · 18 April 2010]

Edward Scissorhands is one of those I'll never see what all the fuss is about.

Frankly, you can't hide a tired plot with a bizarre style. Burton has an eye for imagery here but is not so successful in creating a satisfying story. The film manages to introduce a fairly interesting character, Edward (Johnny Depp), a young man invented by a crazy scientist who dies before he can give Ed real hands. The set up is wasted on a very by-the-numbers plot and opportunity was greatly missed in creating something truly profound. Instead, the film relies on a ridiculous but at the same time, blindingly obvious love story involving the teenage girl Kim (Winona Ryder) and her a-hole boyfriend who shuns him. Edward manages to find kind of a living for himself when he his brought into this strange suburban neighbourhood, giving the residents bushes, hair and dogs a trim with his scissor hands. However, one must wonder why he never accepts the number of offers of medical help, and its never explained. The ostracising continues until the very contrived ending in which someone dies, a complete and utter cop-out but amazingly, nobody seems to mind too much. Its also way out of tone with the rest of the film. Then Elfman's score oohs and ahhs to remind us that what we're watching is mysterious and haunting when in fact, it's just weird. It all amounts to general annoyance, despite it being visually stunning.

This is one I can really only recommend to Tim Burton fans, which is rather redundant considering that they've probably seen it already.

OK for five-year-old pajama-boys

[galocke · 2/10 · 21 December 2013]

A shambles of a medieval castle atop a small but craggy mountain, both of which happen to be chock-a-block adjacent to a faceless 1960s tract-home subdivision -- in which, by the way, all of the homes are uniformly painted in a pink, blue, green, or blue pastel color. And for me, that is where the film's interest begins to wane. Simply put, "Edward Scissorhands" is yet another Spielberg-like tear-jerker, from the oh-so-sensitive (but cardboard) characters on down to the treacly, chorus-tinged music score. If you like this kind of thing (cf. "E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial"), you'll probably love this two-hour waste of time as well.

We Hate What We Can't Understand

[Hitchcoc · 9/10 · 29 December 2016]

This has all the wonderful qualities of true fantasy. It is a story that becomes timeless of an artificial creature who is unfinished by his creator. Edward would have been like a human if his maker had not passed away. He ends up with sharp scissors instead of hands. Because he is quite docile and mute, he is taken in by a family and loved. But his strange being causes others to reject and vilify him. Whenever anything happens concerning his hands, it is immediately assumed that he had evil intent. Johnny Depp plays Edward with a true sensitivity that resounds in the film. He becomes a love interest for one character. This part of humanity is beyond his thought processes. Others want to be rid of him although one wonders what sort of threat he offers. Everything eventually comes to a head when the world seems to turn against him and he returns to the place of his "birth." This is an outstanding, original film.