Where All the Best of Tim Burton Has Pooled Into One

Rating: 8/10 (6 August 2007)

An inventor (Vincent Price) creates a man from a robot, but passes on before the being (Edward Scissorhands, played by Johnny Depp) can be completed -- he still has scissors for hands and black leather for a body. After being rescued by a door to door saleswoman, Edward finds a new home in the city. But can the villagers accept someone so different?
I don't know if this is Tim Burton's best film, but it certainly is the most Burtonesque film of his, if that makes sense. We have plenty of the quirky aspects Burton likes (see "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure") and, of course, his love of all things goth (see almost all his other films). We also have two of his favorite actors (Depp, who has appeared in countless Burton films, and Winona Ryder, from his "Beetlejuice").
Visually, this film is stunning. The houses all pastel and in a row look very odd, but make a great statement about the uniformity of communities. The inventor's shop is a perfect Rube Goldberg machine in action. The ice carving scene is beautiful, and the hedges are clipped wonderfully. The only thing in this film I found actually difficult to look at was the contrast between Winona Ryder's hair and her eyebrows. Please, Winona, stay brunette.
We have comedy, romance... we have the meanest looking Anthony Michael Hall (what happened to the lovable nerd from "Breakfast Club"?). You'll love the monster, you'll fear the monster. This modern retelling of "Frankenstein", unlike virtually every other retelling, is actually fun for the whole family and beautiful in its own way.
And, of course, we have the Danny Elfman soundtrack. I can't think of any good reason not to see this film. At least ,as long as you don't mind the really obvious bait-and-switch of dogs during the grooming scene (watch the breeds change during the snipping). Go ahead and watch this... the fewest words Johnny Depp will probably ever say in a movie, back when he had that baby face.