Just because it can be done does not mean that it should be done. Everyone knows that age old adage. It is a statement that applies more than ever nowadays, what with the re-issue so many countless movies on 4K UHD this year. That is because so many of those re-issues prove to be little more than cash grabs for the studios that originally released said presentations, and the biggest offender of them all this year has been none other than Walt Disney Studios. The studio has overseen the completely unimpressive re-issue of so many movies this year, most from its subsidiary, 20th Century Studios (nee 20th Century Fox). From Kingdom of Heaven which dropped in May, to Tombstone, which was re-issued in April, to Master and Commander: Far Side of the World, which was re-issued in September, to The Sound of Music (also in September), to this month’s re-issues of Tron and Tron Legacy this month alongside, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Edward Scissorhands and so many others, these re-issues have offered audiences little to no reason to be excited. The new 4k re-issue of Edward Scissorhands, which released Friday, is just the latest offering from 20th Century Studios to make that clear. This re-issue is the exact same presentation offered to viewers a decade ago in its then latest Blu-ray presentation, right down to the bonus content. The only difference between that presentation and this one is that this re-issue features the movie on separate Blu-ray and 4K discs. To that end, this latest presentation of Edward Scissorhands is yet another disappointment from 20th Century Studios and its parent company that clearly proves just because it can be done does not mean it should be done.
20th Century Studios’ brand-new 4k/Blu-ray 4K UHD re-issue of its 1990 Tim Burton-helmed goth-fest Edward Scissorhands is another disappointing presentation from the studios and its parent company, Walt Disney Studios. Perhaps the only positive to this movie (even in its latest re-issue) is its story, which is essentially one of so many updated adaptations of author Mary Shelley’s timeless novel, Frankenstein. The late great Vincent Price (The House on Haunted Hill, The Last Man on Earth, The Bat) played the part of Doctor Frankenstein, even as brief as his appearance was herein while Johnny Depp (Pirates of the Caribbean, Mortdecai, The Corpse Bride) played the part of the monster. The only difference between the original novel and the story herein is that originally, the community that unlike that novel’s story, this tale features a community that actually at first, welcomed him. There is, of course, also the underlying romance subplot that is way too commonplace in too many movies out there. Edward’s love interest herein is played by Winona Ryder (Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice), the daughter of the woman who brought Edward from his home in the inventor’s scary mansion. There is at least some heart herein, but at the same time, knowing director Tim Burton’s history, this gothfest is just more of the same from Burton. To that end, the story is both a positive and a negative because it really is nothing overly new from Burton.
Moving more in that same direction, things do not get any better for this latest re-issue of the movie. The bonus content featured in the movie’s new presentation is the exact same content as that presented in the movie’s 2015 Blu-ray re-issue. There is a little roughly 4-minute vignette that takes viewers behind the scenes of the movie but in all honesty offers nothing of any real substance. There are also two feature-length commentaries, one from Burton and the other from music head Danny Elfman (who is a legend in his own right in the entertainment community). Burton speaks very little in the grand scheme of the movie’s not even 2-hour run time. Perhaps the one most intriguing item that he notes comes early on as he points out having been a fan of monster movies when he himself was younger. He notes that in many cases he did not see the monster as a dark figure. That might explain the presentation of the protagonist in most of the movies he has ever directed. Elfman’s commentary is even more limited. All that audiences get on his track is the music along with Elfman’s occasional commentary on how he developed various portions of the movie’s soundtrack. What is so interesting, again, is that this track is fully isolated music. Audiences can see the characters talking but cannot hear them. Rather, they hear the music. For music lovers, yes, this is intriguing but at the same time, does detract from the presentation to a point.
The last of the bonuses in this presentation (if one wants to call it a bonus) is the movie’s trailer. That is an extra that every movie has in its home release and honestly adds very little to the whole. To that end, the commentaries featured with this movie add little to the viewing experience if anything. Add in that they are the same extras previously presented, and things get even more complicated.
Rounding out the concerns for this movie in its latest presentation is its production values (the video and audio quality). Yes, the video and audio quality are impressive. But being that the movie is presented on both Blu-ray and 4K here and that a Blu-ray upscaled on 4K tech looks and sounds just as good a 4K detracts even more from the reason to go out and spend the extra money on this presentation. In reality it makes this latest re-issue (along with every other re-issue from Disney and 20th Century Studios) little more than a cash grab and one more way for the studios to push everyone to move to 4K and away from Blu-ray. It really is sad, to be honest. Keeping this in mind, this latest re-issue of Edward Scissorhands is one more in an already long line of disappointing presentations from Disney and its subsidiary, 20th Century Studios this year.
Walt Disney Studios and 20th Century Studios’ brand-new 4K UHD/Blu-ray combo pack re-issue of Edward Scissorhands is anything but impressive. That is because it offers audiences little if anything about which to be excited. Its story is essentially an updated reimagining of Frankenstein with a goth love story tied in. The bonus content is the same content from the movie’s previous 2015 re-issue and its production quality is just as good on Blu-ray upscaled on a 4K TV as it is on 4K. It leaves one realizing that if one already owns the movie on that previous Blu-ray re-issue, there is little if any reason to spend the roughly $35-$40 on this movie when they can have the exact same presentation on what they already own. For everyone else, that previous Blu-ray presentation will be far less expensive. To that end this presentation of Edward Scissorhands another forgettable presentation from 20th Century studios and its parent company.
Edward Scissorhands is available now. More information on this and other titles from 20th Century Studios is available at:
Website: https://20thcenturystudios.com
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PHOTO CREDIT: EDWARD SCISSORHANDS PROMO PHOTOS FROM 20th CENTURY STUDIOS FOR PROMOTIONAL USE