User reviews

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

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?

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 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.

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

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 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.

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

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

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.

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+"

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.

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.

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.

Was hard to keep watching but waited for Rebecca Hall (towards the last quarter of the movie).

This film is alright for viewers to watch. It clearly shows that Spielberg spent a lot of effort and time in creating this film. The storyline could have been better. I found it to be a bit slow. The cast selection was fine. They committed to their respective characters. Mark Rylance does a great job as the BFG. This film reveals to viewers the many possibilities of what friendship and working together can do. I would not know much about that. I do not have any friends. I am alone. People only bullied and hated me for no reason. That had a real impact on my life. This is a fine Spielberg film for everyone to watch.

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.

In London, the insomniac orphan Sophie (Ruby Barnhill) is awake late night at 3:00 AM afraid of the witching hour. Out of the blue, she sees a giant from the window of her orphanage and she hides in her bed. However the giant snatches Sophie and takes her to the distant Giant Country. He tells Sophie that she must stay with him for the rest of her life since she saw him. He explains that he works catching dreams and calls him Big Friend Giant or BFG (Mark Rylance). He also reads a book to Sophie and she sleeps; than he uses a nightmare to be afraid of escaping being eaten by an evil giant. Soon the giant breaks in BFG's cave and feels the smell of Sophie. She hides and soon she learns that there are giants that devours humans. BFG takes Sophie to the Dream country to catch dreams. The BFG goes to London to leave Sophie back in the orphanage, but she forces him to take her back to the Giant Country. However the other giants are hunting her down in BFG's home. What will they do?

"The BFG" is a pleasant family entertainment with a story of friendship for children. Adults will also enjoy the cinematography, special effects and soundtrack that are amazing and the girl Ruby Barnhill steals the show. The scenes with the green-colored drink Frobscottle, where the bubbles go down instead of up, are hilarious. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "O Bom Gigante Amigo" ("The Good Giant Friend")

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.

What do the stories of Charlie & and the Chocolate Factory, James & the Giant Peach, Matilda, The Witches, and The Fantastic Mr. Fox have in common? They were all written by the late Roald Dahl. This children's author specialized in finding magic within a modern world. He understood that children could be just as adult while the adults can be just as childish given the situation. He also understood that the world, no matter how pretty it is, can be a mean place and figured that children can take a lot of scary imagery. Stories like these have made reading fun for kids that wanted to feel like they were just as important as their parents were.

Today's movie The BFG is another Roald Dahl adaptation that I'm surprised hasn't been made yet. I remember it being made as an animated movie (that I still recall that we never finished due to a parent complaint of the scary images despite being rated G). If this was going to be given a live action treatment, then I'm glad Steven Spielberg is in charge, as I've wanted him to give family films another try. E.T. and Hook showed that he understood children, so let's see if the magic still there in The BFG.

Within a London orphanage, a young girl Sophie (played by Ruby Barnhill). She can't sleep, so she keeps herself busy by reading an occasionally looking out into the night. During one look behind the curtain, she spots a giant. The giant takes her, out of the city, into the countryside, before they end up in another realm called "Giant Country". She's taken inside a cottage where Sophie begs not to be eaten. The giant (played by Mark Rylance) reveals he's a giant that refuses to eat people and in fact introduces himself as the BFG (Big Friendly Giant).

Sophie finds that the BFG is responsible for catching dreams in Dream country in order to spread to various people. She also sees the other giants, which make the BFG a runt compared to their fifty-foot height. These other giants are responsible for recent disappearances of other children that have gone missing (and are hinted to have been eaten as well). Sophie decides that the only person that can help is the Queen, so the BFG mixes up elements to hopefully make into a dream that will convince the Queen to help stop the other giants.

It's nice to see Spielberg return to making family movies. Is The BFG the right movie for him? I'm a bit mixed on this as he has plenty of things done well and other parts not as well. I'll say that the casting on both the BFG and Sophie are really good. Spielberg has a talent for using children actors well and Ruby Barnhill is just as good as Elliot from E.T. or Christian Bale in Empire of the Sun. Thanks to the magic of motion capture, Mark Rylance brings a lot of life to this giant. Like Gollum in Lord of the Rings, the effects on the giant are really good and will probably last well after future effects overtake it.

It's a good thing that both characters are interesting, because this family movie is surprisingly dialogue heavy. Not that it's a bad thing, though I think most kids going in with their parents were expecting something more action orientated. Much of the big action doesn't happen until the last thirty minutes, but the rest is full of the whimsy you'd expect out of a Spielberg family movie. What's lacking is a flowing story, which is one of the few times when a book's context needed more expansion within it's transition to the big screen. Had we gotten more of an insight on the land of the giants and how they get around on the Earth, I'd probably like this more.

I'll give this six snozzcumbers out of ten. This is one of Spielberg's weaker movies, though it still remains a good story for kids. I'd say that this is for older children, like at least eight and above. Those under will probably see The BFG as slow and boring. This Roald Dahl story does enough that families will be entertained by this, though whether it has rewatch value will be up to the viewer. I'd say give it a watch and see if this film is a giant in your mind.

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