4K Digital Review of Edward Scissorhands 35th Anniversary

 

Edward Scissorhands is celebrating its 35th Anniversary with its first release in 4K. This is a story that Burton took from his personal experience of isolation growing up in suburban Burbank, CA. This might still be Burton's most personal story to date.

Johnny Depp plays Edward Scissorhands, an unfinished experiment who has scissor blades for hands. He lives in an old mansion that belonged to The Inventor (Vincent Price), who passed away before he had a chance to give Edward hands. Then comes Peg Boggs (Dianne Wiest), an Avon saleswoman, who finds Edwards and brings him home with her. The entire neighborhood goes into disarray with the arrival of  Edward. But there are some that love Edward and this includes Peg's daughter Kim (Winona Ryder).

For a movie that means so much to so many, this is the power of storytelling  and the power of Tim Burton. He tells stories that reach a wide variety of people. He tells stories that might seem inhumane but are innately human.    

Video:

The 4K transfer looks very similar to the one they did for the 25th Anniversary Blu-ray. The pastels of the houses, the inky blacks of the shadows, and the details on such things as Edward's suit and facial scars look amazing. But where using an old transfer suffers is in the amount of film grain. We have seen fine work from Disney recently with the 4K restoration of Master and Commander: The Far Side of The World. So, hopefully we will get a new 4K transfer for the 40th Anniversary edition. 

Audio:

The Dolby Atmos soundtrack is also based off the surround sound track for the previous Blu-ray. But here, they did a really nice job in boosting the environmental effects and the Danny Elfman score. The score sweeps around you as does the sound of the scissors cutting. A nice audio upgrade all-around. 

Bonus Materials:

• Featurette – Peek behind the scenes and hear the cast & crew of Edward Scissorhands discuss Burton’s unique, modern reinterpretation of Frankenstein
• Audio Commentary by Director Tim Burton
• Audio Commentary by Composer Danny Elfman
• Theatrical Trailers

Conclusion:

It makes me sad that such a charming and personal Tim Burton film gets only a minor upgrade when it comes to the video and no new bonus material. The audio does get a nice upgrade. If you already have the old Blu-ray, then this is A Worth A look at best. 

Edward Scissorhands is now available on digital and 4K UHD. 

*The film was provided by Walt Disney Home Entertainment for the purpose of this review and the review is strictly my own opinion*