El joven manos de tijera

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.

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.

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.

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

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.