Le BGG : Le Bon Gros Géant

The bar has been set so high for Spielberg movies that anything less than Oscar-level quality is often seen as a failure. However, to judge the BFG along those lines would be a great disservice to a movie that has a great many merits, particularly as a family film. Shed of much of the darkness of Roald Dahl's source material, Spielberg breathes a healthy dose of his magic into The BFG, though it never reaches to the greatness of ET. Spielberg, however, does get some very strong performances from Mark Rylance as the title character and newcomer Ruby Barnhill as the young orphan who befriends the giant. The real star of the movie is probably the spot-on motion capture that brings the giants to life. If you're expecting a groundbreaking film like Raiders of the Lost Ark or a crisply directed work like Catch Me If You Can, you're in the wrong movie. But if you have room for close to two hours (which might be a tad overlong) of sweet, touching fun, you should absolutely consider The BFG.

I loved this adaptation, it is charming, funny and engaging. I've read some pretty scathing reviews, saying it's Spielberg's worst film - or one of, and I couldn't disagree more. It's really a kid's story, dressed up as a family movie. It's also a simple tale, requiring a simple plot and that is what you get, along with some Spielberg magic. The (gas) scene in Buckingham Palace is one of the funniest I've ever seen - it was hysterical! If you want to get all serious and pick fault with the plot line, you shouldn't be watching this kind of movie. It's a fantasy movie, involving some.... well... fantasy! There were some stereotypical British elements, which to us might be a bit overdone, but Spielberg isn't British. Whoever is slating this movie's plot and the movie in general obviously doesn't remember: E.T, Back to the Future; Poltergeist etc, who's plot lines were crackpot in the extreme. BFG is what it is... a lighthearted and delightful fantasy, which kids and adults will adore together.

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.

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

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.