A strange sense of wonder

Rating: 7/10 (24 January 2001)

It took me quite a while to appreciate this film - mostly because I wasn't familiar with Burton's fabulous, overblown proportions and great vision. "Edward Scissorhands" was just too weird for me. I am happy to say that it has grown on me - though being far from Burton's later work, such as "Ed Wood" or "Sleepy Hollow", it is still strikingly original and is a very interesting experience.
The tidy, perfect and very unreal suburb in contrast to the dracula-style castle that has somehow been left standing right in the middle of it is just the sort of dreamy juxtaposition that one could expect from Burton. It is a treat to be surprised by it and it feels very novel. The nosy, in-your-face housewives who center their absurd lives around what's going on in the neighborhood are a vital part of this juxtaposition. It makes you wonder which part of this weird place is for real and which isn't. And Edward himself, a bizarre freak whose life is turned upside down by kind and unkind (and just plain dumb) suburban dwellers - Edward must be one of the most haunting and sad characters I have ever seen, and Depp is absolutely perfect for the part.
In many respects the characters are pretty normal - they have been tweaked somewhat to allow for their extravagant behavior and their calculating meanness, but other than that, they are just people. But put in these awful, cheerily colorful surroundings, they seem even more twisted than they already are. And Edward, apart from his appearance, is more normal than any of them. A film full of wonders. It's inspiring to think that Tim Burton thought this movie up as a kid.