Edward Scissorhans: the DVD cut
 Oct 29th, 2007
Advantages:
Good plot, and some excellent visuals
Disadvantages:
Some of the acting
Recommendable:
Yes
Detailed rating:
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Characters / Performances
Special Effects
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  bilbob20
About me:
28 from Glasgow, love films - so you'll probably only ever see me write about them lol
Member since:08.03.2004
Reviews:116
Members who trust:9
Review rated by 28 Ciao members on average: very helpful 
As a woman reads to her granddaughter one winters night, she recalls the story of a strange character from a nearby gothic mansion who she once fell in love with. Kim is now elderly and looks longingly out of the window. When her mother Peg discovered a boy who has scissors for hands living alone in the mansion, she brings him down into the town to live with the family. Instantly, the local neighbourhood are intruigued by Edward, and set about finding out about the mystery guest. As it happens, Edward is a creation of the elderly inventor who owned the mansion on the hill, and before he had a chance to give Edward prosthetic hands, he died. But Edward's flare for inventive haircuts and gardening make him the perfect houseguest and he finds himself in demand by the local housewives. However, a brush with the law, and a proclaimation of love for Pegs daughter Kim results in the townsfolk turning on him, and he soon finds himself scuppering back to his mansion with the townsfolk in tow
for what is a fateful and heartbreaking finale. Tim Burton directs this tale beautifully adding his usual mixture of gothic constructions, overblown soundtrack and misfit characters who dont instantly fit into a box. Edward is a sad pale character potrayed brilliantly by Burton's favourite actor Johnny Depp. Depp captures the vulnerability of Edward, and melds easily between tragic comedy and drama with ease. Where he is let down is with his supporting actors. Diane Wiest is amusing, but has only one facet to her character. Winona Ryder as the fresh faced Kim is watchable, but this really isn't her best work. Kudos though to Kathy Baker in a supporting role that is hysterical whilst infuriating. She makes the very best of her bitchy role. A clever, but minimal role for Vincent Price was also another highlight of the film.
Burton's odd depiction of suburbia makes for some hilarious backdrops. The subplot regarding the sheering of the hedges is an imagery masterpiece. In fact the hedge props are not only a stand out in the props department, but a stand out in the plot. Edward Scissorhands looks absolutely brilliant, and once again Tim Burton brings to life a creepy yet sympathetic character with the use of his sets and props. But this is more than just cinematic kerfuddery for one of America's best known and most appealing actors. At the heart of Edward Scissorhands lies the Burton-esque themes of creepy characters who dont quite fit in the box, and how when society starts to go wrong people need to have somewhere to place the blame. This is something that he touched in with the Beetlejuice film to far less effect, but most effectively in his contributions to the Batman films.
The one grating thing, and despite its beauty as a stand alone piece of music, is the soundtrack. It sounds almost exactly like Danny Elfman's other material. There's nothing fresh or individual about it. There were times when I half expected Batman to come flying out of a window and pull Kim into the night sky, or Spiderman to rip across the sky and pull Edward to safety from the vigilante mob at his gates. And its not a critisism of Elfman's ability, he is superb at fitting the music to the screen action, but for such an individual film I would have hoped for a score less familiar. As good a film as this is, it leaves a few unanswered questions for me. They aren't great plot contributions, but little niggles that spoiled an otherwise excellent film for me. For instance, what happened to the old inventor's body when he died. And how would Edward have continued to live at the mansion under the guise of being dead if there was a death on the grounds that would have been treated as a crime scene. Maybe its about my analytical mind, and perhaps if you suspend belief long enough - its utterly enjoyable without the pitfalls that I've listed. But I just couldn't get them out of my head whilst watching. All in all though, its a nice film with an engaging plot.
The DVD I purchased had not a single extra. Not even a theatrical trailer or a cast bio. Disappointing.
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![Edward Scissorhands [1991] [DVD]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/78550871.jpg)
08.04.2008 16:00
Great Review :)
25.02.2008 11:27
Great review x
30.10.2007 12:42
I love this film, and glad to see it hasn't been forgotten by others; this is one of Depp's best performances! Chris :)