The BFG

Starring: Mark Rylance, Ruby Barnhill, Penelope Wilton, Jemaine Clement, Rebecca Hall, Rafe Spall, Bill Hader
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Rating: PG
Genre: Adventure, Fantasy
2016

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A girl (Ruby Barnhill) befriends a Big, Friendly Giant and is whisked away to the land of the giants where she encounters decidedly less friendly ones.

Review:

Tim: Steven Spielberg is one of our greatest directors, no doubt. Unfortunately, I just couldn't get into The BFG some of that is on him, some of it is on the original story. However you dole out the blame, it's hard to get very excited about this movie. It's a decent film, but an odd one. Ultimately, it's far too forgettable of a film from someone with the talent Spielberg has. This felt like a misfire.

The story felt all over the place. I've never read the original, so I don't know if it was all the source material's fault, or if expanding it to a feature length film created these issues. There's an orphanage, a giant who moves through London and there's a giant land, somewhere north. So far, I'm still buying all this. Where the story falls apart is when the girl visits the Queen of England and England decides to declare war on the giant land, sending in the military to capture the deadly giants and move them to a safe, isolated place. I'm still kind of shaking my head at that. It just doesn't hold together. It ultimately asks far too much of the audience. Now, young, non-discerning viewers might not have any issues with that, but it just doesn't make sense if you think about it. Of all the climaxes and resolutions you could have written about a magical giant land, why on Earth would you choose the one presented here? It's just odd and simply doesn't work.

I was surprised that Spielberg wasn't able to make me feel more for either the little girl or BFG (which I still think is a stupid name for the giant and the movie). I honestly never got invested in either of them. Ruby Barnhill is precocious, but it felt like she was trying too hard. I didn't believe her performance, it didn't feel authentic. Spielberg wasn't able to truly capture what he intended with her. Mark Rylance is pretty strong as BFG. He has a few good moments where he's able to convey real emotion despite the visual effects required to bring him to life. Still, as a whole, the cast wasn't as good as I would have expected.

I didn't think the film was very funny. There were lighthearted moments, but it felt like pandering to the simplest of audiences. There was a way to be funny for viewers of all ages, but it just didn't happen here. I didn't laugh nor I was tickled by any of the attempts at humor. As a whole, the film is fairly forgettable. The most memorable part is the weird military operation at the end. When the most memorable part of the film is the most questionable part, you know you haven't hit a home run. I do give Spielberg credit for visually depicting how a giant could move through London unnoticed. While it's ridiculous, he conveys that in such a way that you almost believe it could be possible. That was probably the best part of the entire film. I watched those scenes engaged and excited to see how it would unfold. Spielberg deserves credit for that, but the rest of the movie is a bit of a letdown.

The BFG is a perfectly decent kids' movie. However, with Spielberg in the director's chair, decent isn't good enough. With his level of talent, this movie really should have been better. I didn't mind watching it once, but it wasn't very good and I have zero desire to ever watch this movie again.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: E.T.: The Extra-terrestrial, The Adventures of Tintin, Hook