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

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.

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".