4K Review – Edward Scissorhands (1990)

      **Edward Scissorhands, 1990**

      **Directed by Tim Burton.**

      **Starring** Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder, Dianne Wiest, Anthony Michael Hall, Kathy Baker, Vincent Price, and Alan Arkin.

      **SYNOPSIS:**

      To commemorate the film's 35th anniversary, Edward Scissorhands is now available in 4K Ultra HD from Disney. It comes in a stylish Steelbook package that includes a Blu-ray and a code for a digital copy. Disney provided me with the digital code for this review.

      As humanity navigates these challenging times, perhaps we could use more fairy tales. This thought crossed my mind while revisiting Tim Burton's classic, Edward Scissorhands, which has been released in 4K Ultra HD by Disney, who generously provided a digital code for this assessment.

      Set in an unnamed suburban area filled with pastel-colored houses, cars, and attire, this fairy tale revolves around a young man, Edward Scissorhands (Johnny Depp), who was abandoned in a castle on a hill after his creator, known only as The Inventor (Vincent Price, in his final film), passed away.

      Avon sales representative Peg Boggs (Dianne Wiest) struggles to sell her products in the neighborhood, prompting her to visit the castle. There, she discovers Edward and brings him home, where she and her husband Bill (Alan Arkin) embrace him as part of their family.

      Their son, Kevin (Robert Oliveri), is enchanted by Edward's scissorhands, and their daughter, Kim (Winona Ryder), begins to grow fond of him, much to the dismay of her boyfriend, Jim (Anthony Michael Hall). The neighbors also show interest in Edward, particularly Joyce Monroe (Kathy Baker), who isn’t shy about pursuing any man she finds appealing.

      But similar to Dr. Frankenstein’s monster, Edward soon faces the wrath of the community, leading Jim to devise a scheme that results in Edward's arrest. From that point on, Edward's life in the neighborhood starts to deteriorate, with only Kim making an effort to protect him from becoming an outcast.

      Edward Scissorhands continues to be a charming tale with a bittersweet conclusion. As mentioned at the start of this review, perhaps stories like this are what we need right now to distract us from the chaos around us. Director Guillermo del Toro is trying to provide that, but while his narratives are excellent, they often carry a darkness that looms before consuming the story. I would love to see someone capture the essence of what Tim Burton created here again.

      To celebrate this film's 35th anniversary, Disney has reissued it in Steelbook packaging, along with the previously released Blu-ray. While I can't assess the picture quality based on the streaming version, I've heard that the new 4K Ultra HD disc delivers solid image quality that should please fans of the film.

      Regrettably, no new bonus features have been created for this release, leaving us with a mere 4.5-minute vintage featurette and two commentary tracks—one from Burton and another from his regular collaborator, composer Danny Elfman. Edward Scissorhands appears to be an ideal candidate for a retrospective, perhaps around thirty minutes long, but hopefully something like this will arrive for the next anniversary that is a multiple of five.

      In the meantime, while the featurette provides only a brief glimpse into the film's production, the commentary tracks offer considerable additional insight, particularly Burton's. It might have made more sense for the two to record their commentary together, as Elfman seems to have limited remarks about the movie, while for Burton, this film is deeply personal for several reasons. Nevertheless, both tracks are still valuable for fans.

      A couple of trailers complete this release.

      **Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★**

      **Brad Cook**