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Edward Scissorhands

Edward Scissorhands (1990)

tomatometer

91

Average Rating: 7.6/10
Reviews Counted: 54
Fresh: 49 | Rotten: 5

The first collaboration between Johnny Depp and Tim Burton, Edward Scissorhands is a magical modern fairy tale with gothic overtones and a sweet center.

78

Average Rating: 6.8/10
Critic Reviews: 9
Fresh: 7 | Rotten: 2

The first collaboration between Johnny Depp and Tim Burton, Edward Scissorhands is a magical modern fairy tale with gothic overtones and a sweet center.

audience

88

liked it
Average Rating: 3.8/5
User Ratings: 939,836

My Rating

Movie Info

Tim Burton's Edward Scissorhands opens as an eccentric inventor (Vincent Price) lovingly assembles a synthetic youth named Edward (Johnny Depp). Edward has all the essential ingredients for today's standard body, with the exception of a pair of hands. For what is initially thought to be a temporary period, he is fitted with long, scissor-like extremities that, while able to trim a mean hedge, are hardly conducive to day-to-day life. When the kindly inventor dies, however, Edward is left lonely

PG-13, 1 hr. 40 min.

Drama, Romance, Science Fiction & Fantasy

Caroline Thompson

Dec 18, 2001

20th Century Fox

Edward Scissorhands Trailer & Photos

More Trailers and Videos (1)

Cast

Critic Reviews for Edward Scissorhands

All Critics (54) | Top Critics (9) | Fresh (53) | Rotten (6) | DVD (27)

An original movie, though not Tim Burton's best.

June 17, 2008 Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | Comments (14)
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Chicago Reader
Top Critic IconTop Critic

A delightful and delicate comic fable.

May 8, 2008 Full Review Source: Variety | Comment
Variety Staff
Variety
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Mr. Burton invests awe-inspiring ingenuity into the process of reinventing something very small.

May 20, 2003 Full Review Source: New York Times | Comment
Janet Maslin
New York Times
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Burton's richly entertaining update of the Frankenstein story is the year's most comic, romantic and haunting film fantasy.

May 12, 2001 Comment
Peter Travers
Rolling Stone
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Enchantment on the cutting edge, a dark yet heartfelt portrait of the artist as a young mannequin.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: Washington Post | Comment
Rita Kempley
Washington Post
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Burton has not yet found the storytelling and character-building strength to go along with his pictorial flair.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | Comments (31)
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Between this masterpiece and that other Ed (Wood), TIm Burton and Johnny Depp are at their dual-career best. Ed Wood is about how insane Hollywood is -- and Edward Scissorhands delivers the pure magic that, once in a rare while, escapes the place.

July 25, 2011 Comment
Gregory Weinkauf
ÜberCiné

...perhaps the cinema's most enchanting parable about the misunderstood and alienated artist.

July 25, 2008 Full Review Source: LarsenOnFilm | Comments (2)
Josh Larsen
LarsenOnFilm

... this sweet 1990 fantasy ... for the first time crystallized the latent themes in the director's work: the notion of the artist as outsider, of skills that make one special but at the same time different.

July 7, 2008 Full Review Source: Cinefantastique | Comment
Steve Biodrowski
Cinefantastique

Fine performances all around, particularly from Depp and the immensely sympathetic Wiest.

May 8, 2008 Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | Comment
TV Guide's Movie Guide

Visually, stylistically and emotionally stunning.

May 8, 2008 Full Review Source: Film4 | Comment
Film4 Source: Film4

It's visually pleasing and an easy film to like, even if it never gets out of shallow water as far as its story goes.

March 7, 2008 Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | Comment
Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

Every time I see this film, I see more things to admire in it.

October 26, 2007 Full Review Source: Movie Metropolis | Comment
James Plath
Movie Metropolis

[Burton and Depp] seem to bring out the best in each other.

May 26, 2006 Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | Comment
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid

Burton's movies are fairytales for retarding evolution.

April 17, 2006 Full Review Source: Film Freak Central | Comment
Walter Chaw
Film Freak Central

It remains curiously hollow.

January 26, 2006 Full Review Source: Time Out | Comments (5)
Time Out Source: Time Out

...a wonderful, sadly beautiful concept taken a little too far and too obviously in its sentimental moralizing. (15th Anniversary Edition)

November 9, 2005 Full Review Source: Movie Metropolis | Comment
John J. Puccio
Movie Metropolis

His gothic tones always mask a feeling of wonder and an endearing love for everything that is possible in life and death

October 24, 2005 Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | Comment
Chris Cabin
Filmcritic.com

Burton's sweet Gothic fairy tale has lost none of its charm.

August 29, 2005 Comment
Rob Vaux
Flipside Movie Emporium

Johnny Depp and Tim Burton in magical collaboration.

July 30, 2005 Comment (1)
John Wirt
Advocate (Baton Rouge, LA) Source: Advocate (Baton Rouge, LA)

A personal film for Tim Burton, which also serves as a parable about the artist as an outsider, this lovely fairytale began the long, fruitful collaboration with the endlessly versatile Johnny Depp.

July 23, 2005 Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com | Comment
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com Source: EmanuelLevy.Com
More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for Edward Scissorhands

View All

Johnny Depp creates a truly captivating character in Tim Burton's social commentary about what a society of sameness does to uniqueness, which can simultaneously serve as a more honest "Beauty and the Beast"-type tale.

January 27, 2012
Sam Barnett
Sam Barnett

Super Reviewer

Edward Scissorhands is another one of Tim Burton's purposely demented but beautiful creations. I had high expectations and most of them were met. It drags on for a while but its mostly entertaining with gothic but sweet overtones. It's not as smart and inspirational as i'd hoped it would be though considering what the

November 2, 2011
Michael M.
Michael Miller

Super Reviewer

Edward Scissorhands Quotes

View All

    1. Peg Boggs: No matter what, Edward will always be special.
    – Submitted by Sarah K (2 months ago)
    1. Peg Boggs: Never let anyone tell you you're handicapped. You're.... special.
    – Submitted by Derek S (2 months ago)
    1. Edward Scissorhands: Where is everyone?
    2. Kim Boggs: Out looking for you. Hold me.
    3. Edward Scissorhands: I can't.
    – Submitted by Ceara R (3 months ago)
    1. Bill Boggs: Sweetheart, you can't buy the necessities of life with cookies.
    – Submitted by Baile T (6 months ago)
    1. Officer Allen: We're looking for the man with the hands.
    – Submitted by Lea L (9 months ago)

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Foreign Titles

  • Edward aux mains d'argent (FR)
  • El joven manos de tijeras (ES)
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