Typical Burton/Depp Film, Which Means Good & Bad

Rating: 6/10 (13 August 2007)

With a Tim Burton-directed film, you get a lot of "once again." statements
Once again, we get a terrific visual film with wild colors and scenes you'll rarely see elsewhere. Once again, Johnny Depp plays the lead role and plays a very strange guy - maybe the strangest he's ever played. Once again, the story is kind of bizarre, some cool and sometimes stupid and entertaining all at once. And - guess what? - once again, the meanest person in the film a Christian. In this movie, it's the Christian lady next door! Hello! Here we go with more Hollywood religious bias. It's unbelievable how many times they have gotten away with this hatred for all things Biblical.....but no things in Far Eastern or New Age religion or Indian mystical religion.
In this movie, we get the stereotypical wild-eyed, hysterical religious crackpot. She's the next door neighbor who rants and raves that Edward is the spawn of the devil. Real subtle, eh? Filmmakers in the modern-era, since the morals code was abolished, have never been too shy about portraying Christians in a negative light every opportunity they see, even if isn't needed in the film. The Gothic-minded Burton just can't resist inserting his bias bias in almost every film he directs. It's like a Stephen King story.
Anyway, for classic movie fans, it was nice to see Vincent Price again. He fits into this quirky tale quite well. Depp usually plays very likable weirdos, and that's the case here, too. Speaking of weirdos, Winona Ryder, who was Depp's real-life girlfriend during this time, is the only one who truly understands poor "Edward" in this wacky New Age-preachy film. What a pair Depp and Ryder must have made.
Nonetheless, I will always remember this film for the incredible landscaping as only "Edward Scissorhands" could produce. Unqiue and memorable.