The BFG (2016) User Reviews

Needs Better Editing But There's a Number of Positives Here

[larrys3 · 7/10 · 10 December 2016]

I'm also quite surprised by all the negativity thrown at this film. Yes, it does have its slow spots and could certainly use better editing, but it can be quite wondrous, humorous, and has some important messages to relay as well.

I thought the scenes with the Queen (Penelope Wilton) were highly imaginative, funny, and warm-hearted. Both Mark Rylance and young Ruby Barnhill were excellent in their lead roles.

As others have noted, this is not the best Spielberg film ever, but perhaps over time it will gain more favor. The late Melissa Mathis wrote the screenplay, as she did for Spielberg's classic "E.T.". It's based, of course, on the great Roald Dahl book.

All in all, I agree with those that don't think this movie deserves the pummeling it's getting, and I feel there's lots to like here, for those that want to give it a chance.

A cool movie from Disney, it's good to see Spielberg going back to making children's films.

[miguelneto-74936 · 6/10 · 19 December 2016]

The BFG surprised me, I expected nothing but a boring and bland movie from Disney, luckily the movie is cool, has funny moments, the giant is a very charismatic character, Ruby Barnhill is fine, Ruby's chemistry Barnhill with Mark Rylance is very good, the look is beautiful, it has good moments, the final scene is cool, the script has problems, the movie takes a while to get nice, I found the beginning very slow and tedious, the direction of The master of Steven Spielberg is good, even though it is not comparable to his best works, The BFG is a fun movie, with some funny moments, has a nice story, even a script with problems, and some weak dialogues, the chemistry of the main characters is Very good, and the movie soundtracks are pretty cool. Note 6.7

not Spielberg's best

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 18 February 2017]

Sophie (Ruby Barnhill) is a 10 year old English orphan. At the witching hour, Sophie spots the Big Friendly Giant (Mark Rylance) who takes her to the Giant world to avoid her alerting the public of their presence. The BFG is actually a vegetarian and the runt of the group. The other giants are bigger, bullies the BFG, and eat human beings. The BFG collects dreams and Sophie comes up with an idea to warn The Queen by manufacturing a nightmare about the human-eating giants.

The Giant world is intriguing both visually and in substance. There may be some holes but it still works. Little Sophie has the required cuteness mixed with a pluckiness. Rylance is great. The adventure could be a lot more adventurous. There is turn before the third act which takes the magic of the story and plants it squarely into the modern world at a specific time. There is one fun joke but mostly, the story loses its magic. There is a way for the movie to fully satisfy its dark fable core but it seems to lose that thread. The movie is still fine but it's missing a truly heartfelt drama. The major difficulty is any comparison to Spielberg's earlier classics. The feeling is different and this will not be one of his celebrated best.

A magical journey for the typical family audience

[Adam-09265 · 7/10 · 28 December 2021]

Spielberg's live action adaption to the family fantasy novel from Roald Dahl comes at a stretch. One thing i like about Spielberg's movies are they are well visioned as his own, his veriety of target audiences flow from all ages. Then said, The BFG as seen as a family movie comes off a little bland for the adult audiences.

The "BFG" is a slow moving slow talking giant that looks sleepy and drags each scene with difficult pace. Not a lot happens in this plot but i had hoped it was uplifted at least a little bit. The CGI isn't top notch but it isn't bad either, the depth in cinematography give the look it's magical feel.

A fairly decent pass time but not groundbreaking and definitely not Spielbergs best.

Impossible to adapt this amazing book to film

[nielw · 7/10 · 8 January 2019]

I loved this book as a child. I still fondly remember it and often recall it as one of my favorites. I was excited to see this big-budget Spielberg-helmed film adaptation of one of my favorite childhood experiences. Unfortunately, some things are better left to the imagination.

I think this book is just impossible to properly adapt to film. It's not Spielberg's fault that the source material works best in the head of the reader rather than on the big screen. I honestly believe Spielberg did an amazing job with what he was given, but unfortunately some of Roald Dahl's tone was lost in translation to the big screen format.

Not sure if this will ever be properly adapted. If Spielberg can't do it, then who can?

seductive

[Kirpianuscus · 17 March 2018]

Before to see the adaptation, the mix of emotion and prudence defines me. because, from an early age, I was one of small fans of the book. and the name of Steven Spielberg, as always, represents a good promise. but each adaptation of a lovely book is a challenge first for viewer. and the film is real beautiful. for that, not only the technology has a significant role but the option, a profound inspired one, of director for the couple Mark Rylance and Ruby Barnhill. Rylance is the expected BFG for me. so familiar and admirable performed than the respect for its performer becomes more than great. Barnhill is and she is not the Sophie who I imagine. but she has the all virtues for become, scene by scene. it is a lovely film. and that is only important thing. because it seems bizarre to compare it with more than the novel of Roald Dahl. and the verdict is real favorable for Steven Spilberg project.

The BFG. A Beautiful Fantastical Gentle movie that's fun for everyone.

[TheMovieDiorama · 7/10 · 26 July 2016]

Another film to add to Spielberg's filmography, The BFG is about the big friendly giant who kidnaps a child and takes her to Giant Country where the BFG must overcome bullies and seek a friendship with the kidnapped girl. Based on Roald Dahl's original work, I was most certainly going into this with low expectations (not being a fan of the original film)...but was pleasantly surprised! This is actually really imaginative and one of those rare films where I was in awe of the magic and wonder. Mark Rylance was great as the giant, you feel connected to him throughout the film and his voicing talents were brilliant (especially since he comes from a Shakespeare background). The rest of the cast did fine, but there isn't actually that much dialogue. The majority of the story is actually told through the visuals and my goodness there is some impressive work here, truly outstanding effects. I did take me some time to get used to the live action and the effects blending together, but this was only a short time. Spielberg has done well yet again, but the problem is that the film is just too safe. It feels like it was made for the 1980's and does not add anything new to the genre. Also there are times when you feel like the story isn't going anywhere, 117 minutes might be quite long for the younger viewers. Overall, this is an imaginative magical feature that might feel a little bit too safe but is definitely a great addition to Spielberg's canon. 

• Review at: http://www.themoviediorama.com

Some very impressive things but bland

[TheLittleSongbird · 6/10 · 2 August 2016]

At his best Steven Spielberg is a genius film-maker and director, and Roald Dahl was and still is one of my childhood favourite authors, of which 'The BFG' is a favourite.

Spielberg's 'The BFG' sees him nowhere near at his best (being at his peak in the 70s and 80s), but at the same time this reviewer does think there is enough to stop it from being one of the low-points. It is not an awful film, far from it, but it does lack of the Spielberg and Dahl magic overall. Although it isn't perfect, the 1989 animated version captured the spirit of the story much more.

It was disadvantaged by pretty bad advertising, that the title and story is not familiar to a lot of non-UK viewers (and many seemed very put off by some of the book's plot-line and themes) and that despite being a great story the original book doesn't lend itself well particularly to a 2 hour film.

There are many things to like about 'The BFG'. It does look great (one of two improvements over the 1989 animated version), the production and set design are exquisite on the eye and it is beautifully shot and immaculately edited. John Williams' music score is rich in orchestration, lively, whimsical and emotion-searing, more fitting and cinematic sounding than the charming, atmospheric but somewhat very 80s soundtrack of the animated version.

Best thing about 'The BFG' is the BFG himself. He is a wholly likable character and brilliantly motion-captured. This is matched in every way by the performance of Mark Rylance, which has a twinkle, warm humour and heartfelt subtle nuance, bringing surprising complexity and expertly soul to a motion-capture character that could have not had any of those qualities in lesser hands as well as a rare ability of bringing meaning and nuance to a line of dialogue when many struggle to bring the same amount of believability to a page.

Ruby Barnhill to me was engaging as Sophie, and she has a promising future ahead of her. Really enjoyed the warm and touching chemistry between her and the BFG. While generally a better job could have been done with the rest of the giants, the acting for them is very effective particularly from a deliciously repellent Jermaine Clement as the Fleshlumpeater. Bill Hader also does well as the Bloodbottler, very different to other performances of his. Penelope Wilton is suitably sincere as the Queen, Rebecca Hall sparkles as Mary and Rafe Spall delights as Mr Tibbs.

While there are changes, a good deal of the details are here and there are some effective scenes. Especially the rivetingly exciting opening kidnapping scene, the visually stunning and enchanting Land of Dreams sequence and the affecting blowing-of-the-dream-to-the-little-boy scene. Spielberg shows real technical brilliance throughout.

However, 'The BFG' does suffer from pacing issues. It starts off great, but becomes inconsistent once in the Land of Giants. The first half is at times quite sluggish, conversely the climax feels rushed and at the same time lacking in urgency. A couple of scenes fall flat too, one does miss the heart-skipping-several-seconds impact of the Bloodbottler's first entrance here, which is nowhere near as frightening here, and although the Frobscottle is in the book it's overdone to overkill effect here with the otherwise visually entrancing and interesting breakfast scene for example, amongst others, marred by misplaced lowbrow humour (like the farting corgis, and for being too long).

It has been said in this review that many of the details, though with also some changes, are here, but the spirit is lost. There is charm here, but it does feel so restrained emotionally it comes over as remote, while it lacks the darkness of the book and the magic of Spielberg's best work, instead often feeling too safe. Despite the acting, the giants not only do not have the wondrous attention to detail that the BFG does (with the CGI looking like over-sized cheapness in comparison) but are not terrifying enough and most are not very interesting or much different from one another. For example the Fleshlumpeater should be the most fearsome of the lot, but feels too much like an ordinary "menacing" giant.

Overall, 'The BFG' has a number of impressive things but feels rather bland and too safe. 6/10 Bethany Cox

A pleasure for the eye and the soul

[margotmaesmm · 8/10 · 29 September 2017]

A beautiful tale brought to life by Spielberg. A fascinating universe makes up for the simplicity of the story (which can be forgiven since it's a children's book). Dahl's original story is beautifully retold on screen. The jokes and good ending most certainly make it an amazing, enjoyable family movie that is a pleasure for both the eye and the soul.

When the giants awake the kids will play.

[havoke-74121 · 6/10 · 1 July 2016]

Director Steven Spielberg once again proves that he can take a child actor/actress and pull a very good performance out of them, as we seen with E.t., Hook and artificial intelligence. Although this film does not contain the emotional punch that it may be trying to deliver nor contain a very dramatic, and dark scene like the films I listed previously, this is still a very sweet, funny, charismatic, and wickedly clever film. The motion capture performance by Mark Rylance is visually stunning and very heartfelt as well is Ruby Barnhill's character Sophie. This film will make a deep impact in the young minds of children, it's very harmless and sometimes a little to silly towards the final climax of our two protagonist's journey, but if you love the original children's novel by Raul Dahl, you will surely appreciate this film. I had a very fun time with this movie, it could very much fit in with being one of the best children book to movie adaptations we seen in a while. The cast are very vibrant, and cheerful as is the overall story, the more we explore the wonders of this world and the deeper meaning behind it's story, the more I can imagine children around the world pulling up the original novel and also being swept away to magical worlds beyond our reach. This is a good intentioned, well acted adventure. It's not one of Spielberg's greatest but it's a great family adventure that's sure enough to receive critical acclaim and grown popularity by the end of the year.

A "Giant" disappointment from Spielberg

[eddie_baggins · 4/10 · 4 July 2016]

Steven Spielberg doesn't make "bad" films; even his oft ridiculed 1941 isn't actually "that bad" and lets just forget about The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull but the Great Beared One's The BFG is certainly below middle of the road leaning towards downright average Spielbergian fare, which is a great big shame when you consider the seemingly perfectly suited combination of the famed director and author extraordinaire Roald Dahl.

A beloved novel (and one I certainly enjoyed as a child) and an enjoyable animated feature, The BFG is an appealing tale that features wonder, intrigue and more than its fair share of potty humour (which makes up one of the films major set ups) and we all know Spielberg can handle himself when it comes to family entertainment but there's something strikingly off about The BFG, that whilst hard to pinpoint to an exact element, is enough to hamper the film for its entirety of its runtime even though there are glimpses of a much better film frequently appearing throughout.

The film looks and sounds delightful, as you'd expect with the finely crafted CGI, the score from John Williams and the lens work from frequent Spielberg DOP Janusz Kaminski and after unearthing the underused and largely unknown Mark Rylance (now an Oscar winner) in Bridge of Spies last year, Spielberg and the British theatre staple produce an impressive BFG incarnation with Rylance's animated facial expressions and colourful portrayal of the runt of the giant litter a stand out in a film that finds trouble making us care for the characters that inhabit it and the narrative that drives it.

Newcomer Ruby Barnhill gets the tricky job of making human lead Sophie work and while the young performer clearly has the attitude to become Sophie, it's not a memorable turn by any stretch of the imagination and Sophie often comes across as annoying rather than endearing and her friendship with the BFG doesn't ever get the warm and fuzzies going.

The other (forgive me please) giant problem with The BFG is the actual source material and E.T screenwriter Melissa Mathison's adaptation of it. The film never really feels like it has anything on the line, never actually seems to be going anywhere fast and with a downright lacking finale the whole show feels like a non-event. It's strange for a Spielberg film to feel so as even his average films are still good fun whereas The BFG finds the esteemed filmmaker struggling to wring emotion, fun or excitement (even dream catching seems boring) out of a tale that on the basis of this effort seems far better suited to text rather than screen.

A hugely disappointing experience and one that will likely get lost in the abundance of high and low class family films getting produced on a mass level in today's climate, The BFG marks what could be a career low point for Spielberg and one of 2016's biggest missed opportunities and even for the biggest Spielberg fans out there, this is a film you can safely miss seeing on the big screen and perhaps altogether. Not something you'd often say regarding the newest Spielberg blockbuster.

2 bubbly beverages out of 5

lovely movie

[nickryall · 9/10 · 23 December 2016]

I don't get the bad reviews here, were they watching the same film? or maybe they have lost touch with their inner child. I loved this film and I'm not a kid I'm a 55 year old bloke. The film follows the book faithfully and keeps hold of Roald Dahl's odd humour well. The girl playing Sophie is an excellent Northern British actress who plays the part very well and is well cast, the giant character is funny, magical and full of warmth and charm with the CG very well done. Sure its a kids film but as such it is a very good one, if you want more adult material then don't watch kids films but if you like magical fantasy with humour and great visuals I recommend the BFG wholeheartedly.

Better than expected Dahl adaptation, courtesy of Spielberg

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 8 April 2017]

THE BFG is the second adaptation of the Roald Dahl children's book, following the 1989 animated version that featured the voice of David Jason. This one's a big-bucks Hollywood attempt at the tale, directed by none other than Steven Spielberg. After he made such a mess of his aimless and interminable TINTIN adaptation I wasn't expecting much, although I'm pleased to report that THE BFG is a rather pleasant surprise.

This film is no masterpiece but it is quite watchable and it does seem to remain true to the book throughout; Spielberg's penchant for random CGI action scenes is limited to only one particular moment (the car skating scene). Otherwise, this has a pleasant, HARRY POTTER-style atmosphere, and it utilises some great CGI work to bring the BFG to life. I'm no big fan of Mark Rylance, but his voice is rather good here and fits the character very well. Ruby Barnhill is less assured as the slightly annoying child lead, but Penelope Wilton is great choice to play the queen late on in the story. THE BFG is rather overlong but at least it's never boring, and even the low brow humour works quite effectively.

Not a total failure, but a rambling, timid effort to bring a difficult book to the screen

[tomgillespie2002 · 5/10 · 11 February 2017]

It's been a whopping 25 years since Steve Spielberg's last real children's film, when he disappointed children and adults alike with his Peter Pan re-imagining Hook. After a long period of going back and forth between monochromatic, Oscar-wary history lessons and crowd-pleasing blockbuster fare, Hollywood's most famous director is back trying to win the hearts of both children and parents as he did with one of his most celebrated movies, E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982), with a passion project he's been considering for some time. He also reunites with E.T. screenwriter Melissa Mathison (who sadly died last year) to bring the notoriously tricky world of Roald Dahl to the big screen.

Insomniac orphan Sophie (Ruby Barnhill) spends her nights either beneath her blanket pouring over books or roaming the halls of the orphanage looking for anything that may spark her interest. While up late one night, she shushes some drunks staggering home from the pub, only to glimpse the shadow of what looks like a giant hooded man. The figure gets closer and closer, until a giant hand reaches in through her window and whisks her and blanket both across the country. The mysterious monstrosity turns out to be a giant indeed, but a big, friendly one, played in motion capture by a wonderful Mark Rylance. The BFG is the runt of his litter in Giant Country, and is routinely bullied by the much bigger fellow giants that lurk on the land outside of his cave. The two outcasts will form a bond that will see their two worlds unite.

Brian Cosgrove's beloved animated film from 1989 was incredibly close to the book, and was said to be a personal favourite of Dahl's. Yet a faithful page-to-screen adaptation of a terrific piece of literature doesn't necessarily result in a good movie, and having watched the cartoon relatively recently, I didn't find it very entertaining. Spielberg's update also stays quite close to Dahl's text, and it suffers from the same saggy narrative as the much shorter movie that came before did. Anyone hoping to keep their children entertained for a couple of hours may find them getting restless, as Spielberg is happy to take his time exploring this strange land. It's a decision I applaud, but it doesn't excuse an incredibly slow middle-section, as the BFG introduces the world of dream-catching, snozzcumbers and the joys of farting to the precocious Sophie, complete with rambling monologues and existential pondering.

There's also a noticeable reluctance to explore the darker areas of the book, with the giants (played like Cockney bouncers by the likes of Jemaine Clement and Bill Hader) failing to live up their names (Fleslumpeater, Bloodbottler, Bonecruncher). They instead come across as bullying buffoons and not the child-munching monsters they are meant to be. If there is one thing the film gets totally right, it is with the casting of Rylance, fresh off his Oscar win for Bridge of Spies (2015). The wonderful effects by Weta perfectly capture the warmth and innocence of his performance, and his line delivery is pitch- perfect. Spielberg also goes all-out with Dahl's bizarre finale, which sees Sophie recruit the Queen herself (Penelope Wilton) and her trusted butler Mr. Tibbs (Rafe Spall) in her fight against the evil giants of Giant Country. It's a truly weird climax, but it's the only consistently funny part of the movie. Not a total failure by any stretch of the imagination, but a somewhat rambling, timid effort to bring a difficult book to the screen.

Remake of the animated 1989 movie of the same name.

[TxMike · 3 April 2017]

My wife and I watched this at home on DVD from our public library.

The story is based on the 1982 book by Roald Dahl, who among others wrote the screenplay for "You Only Live Twice" and "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang", and writer of source stories for a number of movies and TV shows.

In the core story a 10-yr-old orphan in London, Ruby Barnhill as Sophie, looks out her window late one night and sees a giant in the street. He is concerned that she will tell everyone so he reaches in and takes her in his hand, and brings her back to his land of giants. It turns out he is the smallest of the giants, the others, who are also mean, refer to him as "runt."

Plus, the other giants long for a morsel of "human bean" so much of the middle of the story involves the giant, which she names "B.F.G.", helping her avoid being eaten.

In the end both of them end up at Buckingham Palace and have breakfast with the Queen. They convince her to use the military and their lifting helicopters to go the the land of the giants and capture them, depositing them in the ocean near a small island away from everything else, where they can live in exile, growing a sort of nasty squash for food.

A very entertaining movie. I can't say enough good things about young Ruby Barnhill as Sophie. She has such a nice, natural acting style, she is totally believable in a fictional way.

"The BFG" is a delightful and imaginative family film which is a worthy successor to director Steven Spielberg's "E.T.".

[dave-mcclain · 7/10 · 1 July 2016]

Sometimes the talent that comes together for a certain movie is simply incredible. Take the family fantasy adventure "The BFG" (PG, 1:57) for example. The film co-stars 2015 Best Supporting Actor Oscar winner Mark Rylance (in the title role) and Ruby Barnhill who, much like Neel Sethi in 2016's "The Jungle Book", as a child, had to carry much of the film – and is perfect for the role. Co-produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment, "The BFG" has Spielberg directing his first film for Disney. And one of America's greatest directors has involved much of his dream team of filmmakers in this project. That list, according to IMDb.com, includes "two-time Oscar-winning cinematographer / director of photography (DOP) Janusz Kaminski; two-time Oscar-winning production designer Rick Carter; three time Oscar-winning editor Michael Kahn, ACE; Oscar-nominated costume designer Joanna Johnston, and legendary five-time Oscar winning composer John Williams", as well as the late screenwriter Melissa Mathison, who had previously written Spielberg's classic family film "E.T. the Extra-terrestrial". With "The BFG", Mathison (who died of cancer towards the end of production) was adapting the book of the same title by British novelist Roald Dahl, who also wrote "James and the Giant Peach", "Matilda", "Fantastic Mr. Fox" – and "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory"! Mind. Blown. A cinematic pedigree like that begs the question of whether the first live-action adaptation of "The BFG" is worthy of all the talent that went into bringing it to the big screen. The answer, in a word, is yes.

Sophie (Ruby Barnhill) is a 10-year-old living in a London orphanage. One night, she hears something outside her window and takes a look outside. She sees something that she wasn't supposed to see – a real-life giant (Mark Rylance in a motion-capture performance). Not wanting his existence revealed, the giant grabs Sophie and spirits her away to his house in Giant Country far to the north. This spunky and resourceful little girl tries to get away, but the giant doesn't let her – for his safety and for hers. The irony is that, in Giant Country, this giant is actually a runt, and is referred to as such by his fellow giants. He's 24-feet-tall, but there are nine of THEM living nearby who are at least twice his size and who use their height and strength advantage to harass him and take from him anything he has that they want.

At this point, what the other giants want is Sophie. Most giants, including these nine, do eat children (according to the reputation of giants), but not the one who refers to himself as "The Big Friendly Giant", and whom Sophie takes to simply calling "BFG". As BFG hides and protects Sophie from the others and as he and Sophie bond over their mutual feelings of being put-upon out-casts, Sophie and the BFG become BFFs. The BFG even involves Sophie in his work, which involves capturing, bottling and even mixing and manipulating dreams. He uses his talents for good, trying to bring joy to the lives of children around England (which is what he was doing when Sophie first spotted him), but he can also use his expertise to disseminate bad dreams and manipulate people (ala Leo and company in "Inception").

Sophie comes up with an idea to end the threats posed by the other giants – the threat to the BFG, as well as the threat to herself and to all the other children whom these oversized meat-eaters pursue. Sophie wants to go back into London and take the problem to the queen herself (Penelope Wilton from "Downton Abbey"). For Sophie's plan to work, the BFG is going to have to use all of his abilities and literally step out of the shadows. Even if all that works out, this unlikely pair is going to have to convince the queen and her aide (Rebecca Hall) and an overly cautious head of security (Rafe Spall) that all this is for real – then come up with a way to neutralize nine huge giants. All that amounts to a very tall order.

"The BFG" is a delightful and imaginative family film which is a worthy successor to Spielberg's "E.T.". Featuring a friendship as unlikely as that boy named Elliot and a certain short, wrinkly alien with a heart of gold, this film is similarly touching, but not quite as emotionally engaging. What it may lack in emotional resonance, however, it makes up for in charm and terrific visuals. Some of the scenes are simply beautiful and are enhanced by 3D glasses, but the best reason to watch this film in 3D is the realism it lends to its settings and its CG characters. The script feels a bit contrived and disjointed in parts, but overall, it's well worth getting to know "The BFG". "B+"

P!ss off

[thomasandres-54232 · 6/10 · 18 February 2017]

Steven Spielberg makes a children's film based on a story by Roald Dahl featuring a magic giant: shouldn't this be great?

Spielberg has grown to become a legend in cinema with massive cultural and critical hits such as Jaws, Indiana Jones, E.T., Jurassic Park, need I go on? I mean he made Schindler's List. What happened?

The movie is about Sophie who is abducted by a dream-creating friendly giant. The start was good, it was light, charming, funny, you really like the characters of Sophie and the BFG but that was not the problem, and there is a problem. The acting was really fine, Rylance was good as the giant and Barnhill was very likable. Once again the half of the movie I enjoyed and was very optimistic but then it kind of all went down the s*hole.

I mean when you have a great cast, a great director who still can make incredible cinema why this?? The scene in Dreamland, with the tree and the dreams was really good, really magical. But it's like he gave up halfway there. The story suddenly doesn't make any sense. They go find the queen to help them (or something, I don't care) and then you get the most despicable scene I have seen in a long time, in the queen's palace. It was just foul. Cheap humour like that is so beneath the potential that this film had, let alone Spielberg. How can a man like him, a visionary, make something that honestly made me think of Garfield 2. Just so very disappointing. The ending did not make any sense, it was so painfully stupid.

The CGI is partly very beautiful, partly creepy and ugly to look at.

In the end it's really not a terrible movie or anything, it had some really strong scenes and performances but no. If you pull s*** like this p!ss off. He gave up halfway on a movie with great potential. Is the same year that Shyamalan made a strong comeback, this Spielberg was disappointing.

6

A minor Spielberg movie

[MJB784 · 6/10 · 21 May 2018]

I saw BFG and was disappointed again. It was artistically well made, but the pacing was slow and it wasn't about much. By the end of the movie nothing seems accomplished. It just seemed to be about this girl with no parents who's taken from an orphanage by the main character and create dreams or nightmares from blue and red potions. There are other giants there that are more nasty, but there's no goal in the movie. Nothing accomplished with no focus.

Charming Flop..."Old School" Fe-Fi-Fo-Fum Fantasy...An Anomaly Today

[LeonLouisRicci · 7/10 · 18 March 2017]

Children's Stories about "Giants" or a "Giant", is an Anachronistic Nightmare. The World has become so Scary and Technologically Sophisticated that there are other "Monsters" Afoot that Invade the Sub-Conscious of the Little Ones.

So this is a Tale of Old, or Today might be Called "Old School". That may be Why it Infamously Flopped "Big" Time at the Box-Office. Disney and Director Spielberg did turn a Profit with its Worldwide Distribution.

The Book from Roald Dahl is said to be more Edgy and Frightening then this Squeaky Clean Adaptation from the Prolific and Popular FFD (Family Friendly Director/Disney).

Acknowledging that Fact and moving on, this is a Seamlessly Effective Special Effects Fantasy that can certainly Entertain if one Adapts to the Premise.

The Film, while Charming, well Acted, and Word-Play Witty is Lacking an Urgency that Moderns are Accustomed. The Third Act Falls Flat and Fails to End this Noble Nod to Dated Delights of the Past.

Mark Rylance as the Titular Character has Received Accolades and Ruby Barnhill as the Little Girl do have a Chemistry and Their Bonding is Believable. The Film has a Beautiful Bounty and the Dream Catching Scenes Stand Out along with the Delightfully Detailed BFG Cave.

Overall, the Movie is a Minor Spielberg Effort, as it Stands Today, and an Anomaly that Attempted to Go Against the Grain of Modern Modes of Expectations.

I liked it

[creetar · 8/10 · 27 November 2016]

I do understand that people are disappointed when watching a Kids movie and expecting an exciting and challenging plot. What is wrong with you guys? Just because it says Steven Spielberg doesn't mean this is a movie that is specifically designed for your needs. I am 30+ and I like this movie a lot, watching it from a kids perspective you even understand the breakfast scene and I bet all kids would laugh at it. It is kinda sad, seeing how incapable some people are recognizing a movie for kids as such. This is a proper 8! I like the accent, the CGI is fitting, the story is for kids, so if you are not a kid, stfu. I can fully recommend it to anybody with an open mind, who is not looking for the kids version of an Captain America Civil War CGI fest.

Great Idea, Bad Final

[keremgunel-06030 · 7/10 · 27 August 2021]

I really liked the movie's idea and it's theme. It is a friendly and a warm movie. But there were some little plot holes at the final and it became too goofy. But it is an entertaining movie with great messages.

The Execution Was The Problem—The Movie Wasn't Engaging(2 out of 5 Stars)

[alexarag · 4/10 · 26 July 2016]

I read the BFG when I was a kid. Loved it.

I watched the BFG when I was an adult. Didn't love it.

Difference?

I found that the whole movie lacked charm. It was 2 hours of "this happened, then that happened. Now look at this special effect sequence. Now we're going to have people talk to each other", with no real establishment if of why I should care about anything going on or the characters themselves. As I said, the movie lacked engagement and charm

Sure, it was a Spielberg movie so the movie was not *technically* bad. The man knows how to put together a movie. However, this was not an engaging one.

Some of the pacing was totally off in this film. Some jokes and sequences lasted WAY too long, where other important elements were pushed through too fast.

At the end of the day, one might say "well it's for kids". To that, I say that the kids who were in the theatre seemed less than thrilled as well.

A nice adaptation

[monstermayhem32 · 8/10 · 28 December 2016]

I remember reading this book as a kid and I was glad that it go the proper film adaptation that it deserved. While the film version forgoes many of the darker elements from the novel but it does stay faithful to the story, the premise deals with ten year old orphan Sophie who is living in an orphanage in London who dreads staying there, one night while having difficulty falling asleep, she encounters the bfg aka big friendly giant who takes her to giant country. She also discovers that the bfg is a kind and friendly giant. However Sophie also discovers that other giants in giant country aren't as friendly and eat human beings.

Not bad but missing the magic of the book

[adamonIMDb · 6/10 · 24 March 2019]

Like so many people, I grew up reading Roald Dahl's books and have fond memories of 'The BFG'. It is without doubt one of Dahl's most beloved novels and so it was hardly a surprise when a film adaptation was announced. Fans of the book, however, may not be too impressed with the film. While it stays true to the story and the character are relatively well represented, it feels like the magic of the book has largely been lost.

The film does have some positives, especially the vibrant and beautiful animation which is a joy to watch. Although I do think the whole setting of the BFG is so much better when left to the imagination. It's a decent family film and makes for nice easy viewing, but anybody expecting something on a par with the book is in for a disappointment I'm afraid. Put it this way, if this wasn't an adaptation of a classic novel, I doubt it would have received much attention.

I fell asleep in the Cinema watching this

[goddessofblah · 2/10 · 30 July 2016]

Took the kids to watch this, 3 of the kids (around 9 to 11 years of age) enjoyed it, while 2 of the kids(5 and 6 respectively) and myself (in my 30s) fell asleep.

The girl's acting is awful and the plot was tedious and the lack of suspense, mystery and magic made this a poor film to watch

However, some of the cinematic scenes, particularly the land of dreams were magical and the best part of the film.

The older kids loved the weird green drink that brings about gastric in a massive way

Overall, a very boring film which I wouldn't bother watching at the cinema but it's not a bad film if it's on the telly or if you have 10 to 11 year olds watching it