Edward Scissorhands (1990) (Movie Review)

      As I close out the month of February … by extent the month of Valentines … I wanted to highlight one of my favorite Romance pictures, one that’s very different for the typical brand, yet still leaves a special mark, just like any classic of the genera. Tim Burton’s 1990 classic “Edward Scissorhands” is something of a special oddity, as it can apply to a number of genera’s, coming off like magical modern fairy-tale, laced with Gothic overtones, but with plenty of heart centered in the middle. I remember back when I was a kid, at first glance, I thought this movie was going to be a parody of Freddy Krueger ... Johnny Deps very first movie was in fact “A Nightmare on Elm Street”, and here he is, with hands that would make Krueger blush … but that's not the case at all with “Edward Scissorhands”. This film has its own unique voice, its own distinct tone, and as eluted to above, it’s still arguably my favorite Gothic romance picture.

    When a kind old inventor sadly passes away, he leaves behind a synthetic youth named Edward, who’s burdened with razor sharp scissors for hands. The inventor’s initial plan was to create a living creature that he can regard as a son … it’s unfortunate he just couldn’t complete his creation the way he was meant to be. 

One day, a local Avon saleswoman named Peg discovers him in the inventors abandoned castle, and she invites him to live with her family in a nearby neighborhood. Despite his threatening look and foreboding nature, Edward is in fact a kind, gentle creature who’s desperate to find love and affection. His big heart eventually works its way into a sympathetic young woman named Kim, who’s the only one capable of seeing past his goulash exterior. It’s the classic formula of a beautiful woman discovering the heart and soul in a deformed outcast, which is a tale preserved through the ages in stories like “Beauty and the Beast”, “The Phantom of the Opera”, “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” … and even “King Kong”. Tim Burton naturally brings his own spin to this formula, as our figurative “Beast” in this story is initially celebrated in the town, but after one unfortunate set-up and misunderstanding, it puts poor Edward at odds with all the neighborhood residents. Despite all the cause, pain, and confusion, the girl Kim can still see the wholesomeness behind the monster, and is determined to help him ... much to the dismay of her greedy ex-boyfriend, who after feeling betrayed, set's out for blood.  

    Naturally, this was director Tim Burtons first collaboration with acting star Johnny Depp, who plays the titular Edward Scissorhands. 

While many could argue Burton overutilized Depp in his following movies, this first film really was one of their best joint projects, and highlights the best of both talents. Despite mostly carrying a blank expression, Depp manages to convey a great deal of emotion and personality in the role, allowing Edward to shine on screen as a genuinely lovable, and affectionate character. While Edward may resemble Freddy Krueger on the surface, he really has more in common with Frankenstein’s monster, as both were created in a lab, both capable of displaying feelings and emotions … and yet, both are still regarded as monsters. The late great prince of horror films, Vincent Price, plays the lonely inventor, which was such a nice little role for him at his late age, and you can tell he was so happy to be a part of it. It’s also appropriate that one of his last films would be a Tim Burton movie, as Burtons very first film was a short movie titled “Vincent”, a story about a boy who was obsessed with Vincent Price. Vincent Price also did the narration in this short film.

   Edward’s love interest Kim was played by the beautiful young Winona Ryder, who also starred in an earlier Tim Burton film “Beetlejuice”, as the Gothic teen Lita. 

By contrast, now she’s brightened-up, is a true delight to have on screen, and absolutely glows in her signature white dress. Whenever I think back on Winona Ryder, it’s always her screen presence in “Edward Scissorhands” that comes to mind first. What she and Edward lack in traditional romantic chemistry, they make up for with some genuinely touching, and beautiful scenes. Plus, these two have one of the most heartbreaking exchanges ever … Kim: “Hold Me” … Edward: “I Can’t”. Honestly, both Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder make for a terrific on-screen pair, even if their kind of an odd-couple. Of course, I can’t forget Dianne Wiest, who’s also infectiously lovable as Kim’s mother Peg. She and Edward likewise have really good chemistry, as both can also relate to being outcasts, as she too was ignored by her neighbors, and was a person that’s often made fun of.  

    Prior to this film, I was already a fan of Tim Burton’s films, his unique style, his other-worldly macabre atmosphere, and imaginative visuals … but this was the movie in which I really loved Burtons subtle approach of telling a story through conveyed emotions and pacing. 

For me, there’s a difference between a writer’s romantic story, and a filmmaker’s romantic experience … and Tim Burton is a master of conveying emotions through a visual media. All the romantic elements in this film are captured through distinct moments, and the touching connections are made mostly through physical expressions, as opposed to straight on conversations. It’s a real art when properly executed, and it goes to show the talent involved in this project. Burton also knows how to take a familiar suburban setting, and give it a fantastical personality, like it exists in another world, even though nothing really supernatural ever occurs on screen. Because of this, scenes that could have been extremely corny or cheesy do come off as genuinely wonderous and special. Case in point, I love the moment with Winona Ryder dancing under the falling snow, which is created by Edward as he chips away at ice for an ice sculpture. This scene could have easily come off as cringe, but it fits right in with the whimsical, dream-like tone the film creates.

    At the Academy Awards, this film surprisingly only had one nomination for Best Makeup, but lost to “Dick Tracy” ... truthfully, I feel this film deserved more Oscar recognition then that. Naturally, being a Tim Burton production, the film is a marvel to look at, and it still holds-up all these years later. 

We get to see the inventor’s crazy lab, and it’s just a stamp of Tim Burton’s trademark-look, design, and personality. It almost looks like Frankenstein’s lab if it was rented out by Willy Wonka. The look of the small neighborhood is another perfect example of how Tim Burton can take a perfectly normal setting, and twist it around into something unique. Streets bend at weird angles, there’s a castle on a hill overlooking the area, and every house has the same shape, with only one distinct color separating one-another. The hedges are trimmed to look like either dinosaurs or family portraits, and with so many different, brightly colored houses and cars, it almost looks like a very unique Easter-themed town. Beyond the subtle emotional beats, there really is something effective about the imagery, the settings, the music, as it all gives this film a very distinct atmosphere, personality, and I absolutely love it!

    If you’re a long-time viewer of Tim Burton movies, then you also know your share of music composed by the great Danny Elfman, as he usually composes the music in his films. Honestly, even though I love his music for “Batman”, my absolute favorite of Danny Elfman’s work is the score he composed for “Edward Scissorhands”. 

In my mind, this is the classic Danny Elfman score that just hits all the right notes, as its gothic and foreboding, but it’s also whimsical and enchanting at the same time. There’s just no other movie score like it, combining both haunts and magic into one captivating track. While it’s eerie, it almost sounds like a melody you’d here in a Christmas song. It’s just over flowing with atmosphere, wonder and it always submerses me into the movie experience whenever I hear it. By extent, this movie also features one of my all-time favorite opening credit sequences. We get this montage of crazy images, odd shapes, imaginative designs, a tour of the castle grounds, and all matched to Elfman’s captivating score. It's worth noting that this score was so successful, that it’s been utilized in a number of movie trailers, including Tim Burtons “Big Fish” and “The Nightmare Before Christmas”, as well as “A Series of Unfortunate Events”, “The Indian in the Cupboard”, 1993’s “The Secret Garden”, and for some reason “The Master of Disguise”.

   If I had any reservations with this movie, it would be that some of the comedy can come off as awkward or uncomfortable at times. Like, if you’re watching this with someone for the first time, and there not laughing at select moments, it’s just uncomfortable silence as you wait for the films other strengths to kick-in. One lengthy seduction scene in particular, I feel should have been removed all together. There are at least some select comedic scenes that really do work, and add some levity to the experience. My favorite scene is when Kim and Edward first meet, she comes home late from a camping trip, goes into her room, only to discover Edward in her bed, and what fallows is side-splitting laughter from me every time I watch it. With that said, a part of me dose wish that she and Edward could have met a little sooner, thus giving them more time to bond. Lastly, the final act of this movie is set on Christmas Eve, making this film the first in a figurative trilogy of dark and Gothic Burton films that you can get away with watching during the holiday season … the later two being “Batman Returns” and “The Nightmare Before Christmas”.

   In the end, “Edward Scissorhands” remains one of my favorites of Tim Burton’s long-standing filmography, as well as one of my favorites of the romantic “Beauty and Beast” category, and I still view it as a modern fairytale classic. It’s amazing to look at, the emotional levels are strong, the characters are memorable, and once again, the score by Danny Elfman is still one of my favorite musical score's he’s ever done. Despite the gothic overtones and uncomfortable moments in this movie, there is still a heart at the center of it all, along with a simple sense of wonder. I can’t act like this is a movie for everyone, but still something special to me, and while it may not fit the traditional brand … it really is one of my favorite Romance pictures.

Thanks for reading my review of Tim Burtons 1990 classic “Edward Scissorhands” … and continue to enjoy the movies you Love!                     

 

A look at video game Adaption’s that aren’t that bad

      Why is it so hard to make a good adaption of a video game into a movie or a TV show? Never before has a videogame spinoff been successful, but to be honest, it’s not hard to imagine why. The whole enjoyment of videogames comes from playing them yourself and getting yourself out of situations and watching it doesn’t give you that same rush of excitement. In fact most of these movies have been one of three things, just okay (like “Lora Croft Tomb Rader”), terrible (like “Doom” and "Hitman") or downright, piss offal (like "Pokémon the First Movie" and "Alone in the Dark"). However while every video game adaption has been a failure there are still a few that really aren’t that bad. They may not be masterpieces of film but never the less are descent, nostalgic and defiantly rank in the category of good. So I’m just going to view some video game spinoffs, (in no particular list or order) that all have their flaws but are still worth giving a look.

  Let’s first look at some kids TV show spinoffs of videogames. Well, there were plenty of bad ones that I grew up with including “The Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog”, “The Super Mario Brothers Super Show”, “Captain N”, ”The Adventures of Link” and the later seasons of “Pokémon”. No, seriously why did Pokemon have so many different seasons. I suppose for the time it was a descent show but 14 seasons and still running is ridicules. If that wasn’t enough, there are also 15 animated Pokémon movies and 5 of them were released in theaters. Really, out off all those amazing animated Batman movies, only 1 was released in the cinema but Pokémon had 5. Now to be fare, the second film “Pokémon 2000” wasn’t that bad. It’s not something I’d show to my children but it did excite me as a kid, the animation was great, the villain was fun, there was an actual effort put into the story, the action was thrilling, best of all was the sensational music. The score ranges from fast paced and exhilarating to calm and soothing. Even the end credits are worth sitting through just for the music. I would actually recommend pulling up some of this music on You-Tube” and that’s saying something.

      Another show that I remember enjoying as a kid was "Sonic the Hedgehog" (the second Sonic the Hedgehog show) and it was surprisingly descent. It’s not one of the greatest shows I grew up with but it is admirable for taking a video game that was about nothing and then turning it into something with substance. It had a subtle environmental massage, the animation was cool and dark, the characters were nicely thought out and the theme song was unforgettable. In fact, I would go so far as to say it’s one of the all time greatest openings to a children’s T.V. show, it absolutely rocked. Like I said, not one of the best animated shows from my youth but at the very least I would put it in the category of good.

       Now let’s look at some of the live action video game spin offs. I didn’t love the “Lora Croft Tomb Rader” films but they weren’t terrible, the second film “Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life” is worth a rent. The action is alright and the premise of someone looking for an artifact that holds the secret to the creation of life is an interesting concept and Angelina Jolie is great in the leading role. Neither of these films are that amazing but they made for entertaining adventure films.

 Now I don’t care who you are, but I really like “Mortal Kombat”. This is a fun, fun movie and it doesn’t take an expert critic to tell you that this film is bad but never the less there’s nothing boring and you get plenty of enjoyment from it. The visual effects and set design’s have so much charm to them and it returns you to that feeling of a child playing video games or going to Disney Land, it’s a very strong otherworldly atmosphere. You may think that all comes from seeing it at a young age but I was a sophomore in high school when I saw this. The characters are nothing special but they do keep the film going. Sonya is my favorite, a chick who can kick ass and still look really hot in skin tight outfits. The action is great, it may not be big time exciting but the duals do keep you very entertained and there is some great choreography combined with appropriately cheesy visual effects. Once again like several other films on this list, the music is the best thing about it. The score get’s you all hyped up for action and it combines these cool musical notes with sounds that you would hear on game boy or Super Nintendo, it’s absolutely brilliant. So if you find yourself bored and can’t think of the right film to watch, turn your brain off and enjoy “Mortal Kombat”, its good mindless fun. Just don’t see the sequel “Mortal Kombat Annihilation”, it sucked.

        My favorite video game spinoff would have to be “Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within”. This film broke the boundaries to how much ass an animated film can kick and it raised the bar for how believable animation can look. This is a film that really transports you to another world and you really get cot up with the situations at hand as well as the characters involved. The music was soft and emotional and the action was just a spectacle. One of the highlights of this film was the characters, in “Mortal Kombat” and “Pokémon 2000”, the characters were nothing great but they kept the film going. This film gave us real characters that you get emotionally attached with and you really want to see what happens to them after words. The whole look of this film is just awesome, not just with detail but it looks almost like live action. Once the credits roll, you feel like you just returned from a fun adventure in space. Now like I said in the opening, every video game adaption has met with bad results and unfortunately this film is no exception but I still I insist that some video game adaption’s are fun and of all of them “Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within” shouldn’t just be regarded as the most competent but as a genuinely good film.  

 So will we ever get a successful video game spinoff, well maybe they should just be left as video games but I would to like to imagine that someday there will be a successful video game spinoff.     

Lost in Space (Movie Review)

         

        We see several times in cinema that film makers have good intentions or at the very least had a good set up and the promise of something decent but failed to deliver all the way. The 1998 movie “Lost in Space” certainly fits that description. The film is based off the cult favorite 60’s TV show “Lost in Space” but it wasn’t meant to be a tribute to the fans of that show, more of a chance to just get a big Sci-Fi blockbuster out there. While it was a big box office success, beating "Titanic's" 15 week run, the film didn't get favorable feed back. To be honest, this film was on par with several fascinating new Sci-Fi movies that I was introduced to at a young age in the late 90’s including “Independence Day”, “Star Trek First Contact”, “Men in Black” and the special edition relies of the original “Star Wars Trilogy”. But off all those great action Sci-Fi’s I grew up with, “Lost in Space” has aged the worst with me.

       As a young 1^st grade student, I was always hyped about big budget movies like this one and the trailer looked really cool. However, like I said before this is one of those movies that had a lot of potential to be far better than what it turned out to be, but for what it is, it’s not the biggest disappointment I’ve ever seen either. The set up goes like this, the Robinson family are assigned to find a new planet for the people of Earth to colonize on because there planet is getting to populated. However, a saboteur stows away on the ship, screws things up and an accident sends them soaring across the galaxy into unknown space. Now this broken family has to pull together and find a way through the endless dangers of space. That’s an excellent set up for a big blockbuster Sci-Fi film and it really shouldn't have been that hard to do something good with it. 

    The first big problem with this film is the Robinson family themselves, they are so one dimensional, such obvious cardboard cut outs, share really stupid dialog and are completely forgettable. Every time there on screen, the audience is forced to listen to wit-less banter, dry personalities and lots of unengaging performances. To be fare, there is one memorable character, the evil saboteur named Dr. Smith, played by the always fantastic Gary Oldman, who manages to be the single bright spot in the film. I also enjoyed the robot character called B9. The B9 was one of the biggest trademarks of the show and he get's a fairly decent redesign that keeps that classic image alive while also updating it properly. His voice was awesome, he gets two really cool and different looks for the price of one and he made for a really awesome, best selling action figure to for us kids.

     My biggest complement I have would be the look of this film. Unlike the futures seen in films like “Minority Report” or “Blade Runner”, where everything is dark and depressing, this was an awesome looking future with lots of colors and comfortable environments. I love the interior designs of the space ships, it had a very big Disney land like feel to it and it just looked like a future that wouldn't be that depressing to live in. The effects themselves are you usual impressive visuals for the 90's, which honestly had a little more charm then what we get all the time today.   

      So where does this film go south, well, while the set up certainly had potential, they just don’t do anything with the premise after words. There’s a nice little space battle in the opening of the film, we get a slightly exciting fight with some space spiders and another slightly exciting climax with Dr. Smith turning into a giant monster spider creature. But the rest of this film literally gets lost in this really messy plot about time travel, time bubbles, an Alternate reality future, which honestly isn't that hard to correct, constant plot wholes and one too many confusing things that just don’t add up. It’s just a complete mess and it didn't need to be, it could have been an exciting adventure about a family traveling through space but it’s wasted with boring characters, a convoluted time travel script and little too no alien creatures or even planets. Aside from all the space spiders, the only other alien creature we get is this stupid looking space monkey, I mean holly cow, that has to be one of the worst looking special effects I've ever seen.

    Overall, it’s one of those bad movies that’s bad in a fairly harmless way. It didn’t hurt me to watch it, but it didn’t give me any reason to see it again. Maybe if it was a pilot for a TV show, it could have been more salvageable but there’s really no substance to this. So that’s it, no real anger or frustration, just a missed opportunity to be something better. I give “Lost in Space” 2 stars out of 5.       

Every Animated Batman Movie Ratted (direct to video) (Updated for 2018)

        

      Originally, I had a series of individual reviews of all the theatrical Batman movies, starting here, however, they were scattered all over my site and harder to notice. So I’ll be moving them all in a new location, the July 2012 Colum along with a new review of “The Dark Knight Rises”. So in their place, I’m going to do a quick list of my thoughts of all the animated, direct to video Batman movies. “Batman Mask of the Phantasm” will not be on this list because it was released in the theater and I’m giving it a full review along with the other live action Batman films. I also won’t include any videos that are just compilations of batman episodes, and this list is for solo Batman films only, no Superman crossovers or animated Justice League movies.   

Batman and Mr. Freeze Subzero (1998)

 My personal score is 7/10.
Mr. Freeze is easily my favorite of all the Batman villains and this film succeeded in telling a conflicting, even emotional story from his point of view. The only downside is that Batman has little else to contribute, and almost feels like a side character. Despite that, "SubZero" is still a worthy adaption from the classic 90's series and a high point for one of the franchises greatest villains.  
(Featured Villains: Mr. Freeze and Greg Belsen)

Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (2000)

 My personal score is 10/10.
An absolute masterpiece, its dark and brooding but it’s also very exciting, smart and manages to celebrate Batman Beyond as well as the classic Batman. Great focus on the characters, terrific action, and a stunning hero villain conflict. This is a film that should have been released in theaters because it’s right up there with some of the best Batman adventures ever. 

(Featured Villains: The Joker, Harley Quinn and the Joker Gang)

Batman Mystery of the Batwoman (2003)

  My personal score is 6/10.
This is a decent little adaption from the 90’s TV show (released in the 2000’s), it has some good twists, a thrilling climax and all the good stuff you'd expect from Batman. However, the story was nothing special and the villains were boring. This adds up to a competent but average good film.  

(Featured Villains: The Penguin, Rupert Thorne and Bane)

The Batman vs. Dracula (2005)

 My personal score is 8/10.
A far better crossover than “The Batman/ Superman Movie”, the chemistry and rivalry between Batman and Dracula was well thought out, and it’s really cool to see the two most famous bat themed characters going into battle. There’s plenty of nods to the lore of both Batman and Dracula, and some well placed characters from the Batman universe including Vicki Vale (who was featured in the 1989 Tim Burton Batman movie). The music was dark and haunting, the animation was very stylish, especially in the dream and flashback sequences, the story was fast paced, and action packed. For the only movie adaption from "The Batman" TV series, it definitely ranks high as one of the best.  

(Featured Villains: Dracula, The Joker, The Penguin and a small cameo from The ventriloquist)

Batman: Under The Red Hood (2010)

 My personal score is 9/10.
The first stand alone, animated Batman movie that wasn't adapted from a TV show, and easily my second favorite of the direct to video Batman films (the first being Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker).  It may be predictable and full of used plot lines from other Batman films, but it’s still dark, brooding, action packed, epic, and full of great character complexity helps to make this a terrific gem in the Batman saga. 

(Featured Villains: Red Hood, The Joker, Black Mask, Ra's al Ghul and a small cameo of the Riddler)

Batman Year One (2011)

 My personal score is 4/10.
It stays true to the source material, but it's too much of a cut and passed of the comic it's based off, giving those of us who read the comic nothing new. There are hardly any villains, not much of a plot, disappointing climax, and Commissioner Gordon mostly hijacks the film from Batman. In the end, it doesn't leave you with much and while it’s not terrible, I’d say it’s a safe one to skip. 

(Featured Villains: Catwoman and various crime lords) 

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part 1 (2012)

 My personal score is 5/10.
Darkly stylish and respectful to the source material, but the story trudges on to many familiar grounds, with hardly any new surprises, and the whole affair just comes off as average and forgettable. 

(Featured Villains: The Mutant Gang, Two-Face and The Joker) 

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part 2 (2013)

 My personal score is 6/10.
Not for the faint of heart, "Part 2" takes the animated Batman universe into very violent, bloody and intense territory. There’s still lots of triumphant moments and features a thrilling battle between the two most legendary hero’s of all time, but once again, nothing that special stands out. It has good concepts and character driven story arch's, but the lesser story keeps it from being as good or as memorable as other Batman outings.  

(Featured Villain: The Joker) 

Son of Batman (2014)

My personal score is 8/10.

Aggressively violent but competently made and a nonstop thrill ride from beginning to end. With Robin depicted as a vengeful youth, our hero as the conscience that guides him and Slade as the evil mastermind pulling all the strings, "Son of Batman" is a worthy installment in the animated Batman saga, and one that breaks away from the common formula associated with the character.   

(Featured Villains: Slade (also known as Death Stroke), Man Bats, Talia Al Ghul, Killer Crock, Ra's al Ghul and small cameo's of Two-Face and The Joker)

Batman: Assault on Arkam (2014)

My personal score is 7/10.

With an action packed plot set in Arkham Asylum, a dark sense of hummer and no shortage of cool Batman villains, "Assault on Arkham", is an imperfect but highly entertaining entry in the animated Batman cannon. 

(Featured Villains: The Suicide Squad, The Joker, Harley Quinn, The Riddler, and cameo appearances of The Penguin, Two-Face, Poison Ivy, Bane and Scarecrow) 

Batman vs. Robin (2015)

My personal score is 9/10.

Focusing on complex themes of faith and family ties over the typical comic-book formula, make this a stand out Batman film, but it's still not without some first rate visuals, atmosphere, and a menacing group of less popular, but noteworthy villains. 

(Featured Villains: Talon, The Doll Maker, and the League of Owls)

Batman: Bad Blood (2016)

My personal score is 7/10.

Batman's children have all grown-up and get to star in their own movie. The result is good superhero fun with great action set pieces and a nice focus on side characters that rarely get to shine under Batman's shadow. 

(Featured Villains: Talia Al Ghul, Black Mask, Fire Fly, Mad Hatter, Killer Moth, and The Penguin)

Batman: The Killing Joke (2016)

My personal score is 5/10.

For an animated adaption of one of Batman's most classic graphic novels, limited theatrical run and a reunion of the outstanding voice cast ... it needed to be better then just "average". It had it's moments for sure, but it was mostly meandering, formulaic, and forgettable. 

(Featured Villain: The Joker and Paris Franz)

Batman and Harley Quin (2017)

My personal score is 3/10.

While this Hero and Villain team up has some admittedly funny moments, this film just can’t help but feel like wasted potential and wasted time as it’s bombarded with needless filler, strung together with the most average plot imaginable, and the ending inexcusably bad. 

(Featured Villains: Harley Queen, Poison Ivy and Floronic Man)

Batman: Gotham by Gaslight (2018)

My personal score is 8/10.

Setting both Batman and Gotham City in the Victorian Era was a creative and very refreshing change of pace, giving the film a unique atmosphere, and is strung together with white knuckled action, a competent mystery plot, and some refreshing surprises along the way.  

(Featured Villains: Jack the Ripper, Poison Ivy and Hugo Strange)

Be sure to check out my reviews of the other theatrical Batman movies, where I go into a lot more detail.

                            The End