The BFG
- 1989
- 1h 31m
IMDb RATING
6.7/10
7.8K
YOUR RATING
A young orphan girl, Sophie, gets taken away to a faraway land populated by Giants and Dreams.A young orphan girl, Sophie, gets taken away to a faraway land populated by Giants and Dreams.A young orphan girl, Sophie, gets taken away to a faraway land populated by Giants and Dreams.
- Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award
- 1 nomination total
David Jason
- The BFG
- (voice)
Amanda Root
- Sophie
- (voice)
Don Henderson
- Bloodbottler
- (voice)
- …
Mollie Sugden
- Mary
- (voice)
Frank Thornton
- Mr. Tibbs
- (voice)
Myfanwy Talog
- Mrs. Clonkers
- (voice)
Sharon Campbell
- The Balladeer
- (voice)
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Featured reviews
This film is a real 80's delight. I rediscovered it while watching it with my kids. It's so much of it's time. There's an innocence in the animation and story. Nobody questions why a big creepy giant would want to hang around with a little girl. Which is is great!! The times we live in are so paranoid this film makes us remember why we all need a granddad figure of out own.
David Jason's performance as the BFG is remarkable. At first I didn't realise it was him. I think he gives it that extra something that really shines through.
The beginning was really Richard William's like, with the cloaked giant running through the streets. It makes me realise how good Cosgrove Hall could be. It would be fun to check out more of their stuff again. Especaily Danger Mouse.
David Jason's performance as the BFG is remarkable. At first I didn't realise it was him. I think he gives it that extra something that really shines through.
The beginning was really Richard William's like, with the cloaked giant running through the streets. It makes me realise how good Cosgrove Hall could be. It would be fun to check out more of their stuff again. Especaily Danger Mouse.
When I first saw this film I must have been about eight and loved it! It made me laugh and due to the fantastic writing talents of Roald Dahl I can still remember the storyline. The film remains faithful to the book, something most Dahl adaptations fail to do, (eg. the witches in while being a great film has a different ending to the book) and the animation, while not being up to todays standards, doesn't interfere with the viewing of the film. David Jason's unique voice (Count Duckular) is memorable in this role as the BFG. Overall I would say this was a fantastic family film, definately aimed at children but true to the book which is something any 5-12 year old Dahl fan will love.
I had just finished reading the original Roald Dahl novel (which I thought was brilliant), and at the video store I found the DVD of an animated version. Curious to see if it would be as good as the book, I checked it out.
I can't say I wasn't a little let down with it. The animation bothered me a little in some scenes (jerkiness, etc.), though in general it wasn't too bad (I really liked some of the backgrounds). And it could have done without the songs, which really got on my nerves. Thankfully there's only two, so it could have been worse.
I thought the BFG was very much in character, but the Queen and Sophie were a bit more interesting in the book. The evil Giants also had a lot more to them in the book, and were even more sinister, yet a bit funny too. That was lacking in the cartoon adaption.
All in all, not a terrible cartoon, just not very good. I very highly recommend the book, and once you've read it, you might want to check out this cartoon, but you may be let down (or you may not. No one has the same tastes). I just feel something's missing here.
I can't say I wasn't a little let down with it. The animation bothered me a little in some scenes (jerkiness, etc.), though in general it wasn't too bad (I really liked some of the backgrounds). And it could have done without the songs, which really got on my nerves. Thankfully there's only two, so it could have been worse.
I thought the BFG was very much in character, but the Queen and Sophie were a bit more interesting in the book. The evil Giants also had a lot more to them in the book, and were even more sinister, yet a bit funny too. That was lacking in the cartoon adaption.
All in all, not a terrible cartoon, just not very good. I very highly recommend the book, and once you've read it, you might want to check out this cartoon, but you may be let down (or you may not. No one has the same tastes). I just feel something's missing here.
I have two criticisms of this movie, one is that the animation sometimes is a little flat, and the second is that Sophie and the Queen while well voiced by Amanda Root and Angela Thorne are more interesting in the book(which I loved as a kid). The best aspect was the wonderful voice work of David Jason, one of the most talented British actors alive today. His BFG is somewhat charming, but especially in the whizzpopping scene where he is hilarious, and his grammatical errors are a delight to hear, as some of them are very silly. The child-eating giants like the Fleshlumpeater and the Bloodbottler were very well done, and I also really liked the music. Sure it isn't Oscar-worthy material, but it is still a pleasure to listen to. I do prefer the book, but this adaptation, while not perfect, is not bad at all. 8/10. Bethany Cox.
I remember this film from when I was very little; while some of the animation hasn't quite held up over time, the story is of course perfect and the acting is superb. David Jason is "my" BFG and I'll never forget how much I loved watching this film as a small child. The story really is brought to life and it doesn't feel sanitised - the 'eye' of the BFG's journey into Giant Country is still weird and eerie, while the nastier giants remain terrifying! The BFG's dream-catching remains enchanting and the smaller details such as the clocks used to make a table are so appreciated. While it looks a little worse for wear, you really can't beat this for a wonderful, true adaptation of the original story, with a lot of heart.
Did you know
- TriviaAccording to Brian Cosgrove, when Roald Dahl saw his first screening of the film in Soho, when it ended and the lights went up, Dahl stood up and clapped.
- GoofsBFG states that humans are the only animal to kill each other. In fact, there are a vast number of animals which kill other animals of the same species. Cats, which the BFG specifically mentions, are well known for killing members of their own species (BFG has said that he has little education.)
- Quotes
Queen Of England: [after hearing a whizzpopper for the first time] I think... on the whole... I prefer the bagpipes.
- Crazy creditsThe credits roll over stills from the movie.
- Alternate versionsThe version of the film which aired on ITV and was released on VHS, DVD and Blu-ray omits a scene that takes place after Sophie and The BFG leave Dream Country, but before they get to his Dream Cave. They approach the other giant's domain again, and Sophie is somehow separated and placed in peril when she accidentally sits upon a giant dragonfly that flies off and drops her among the sleeping giants, who begin to stir from her scent. The BFG rescues her before they awake and begin scouring the land, convinced there is a human present. The shot of the giants departing is later reused in the film as part of the Queen's nightmare of them and their heinous acts.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Hewy's Animated Movie Reviews: The BFG (2009)
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official site
- Language
- Also known as
- Le bon gros géant
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- £3,000,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 31 minutes
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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