Review of The BFG (2016) by Aïko G — 17 Aug 2016

"The BFG is very conventional Spielberg but I still enjoyed it as a magical summer movie".

Movie Review: The BFG.

Date Viewed: July 2 2016.

Directed By Steven Spielberg (Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jaws, E.T. The Extra Terrestrial, Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan, Lincoln, Jurassic Park and Bridge of Spies).

Screenplay By Melissa Mathison, Based on the novel by Roald Dahl.

Starring: Mark Rylance, Ruby Barnhill, Jemaine Clement, Penelope Wilton, Rebecca Hall, Bill Hader, Rafe Spall, Michael David Adamthwaite, Chris Gibbs, Daniel Bacon, Jonathan Holmes and Adam Godley.

Steven Spielberg's new family adventure "The BFG" is very conventional Spielberg but I still enjoyed it as a magical summer movie. Based on Roald Dahl's 1982 book, "The BFG" follows a little orphan girl who gets taken by 24 ft. giant and develops a special friendship with him. Over the past 45 years since he began as a filmmaker, Spielberg has had a lot of hits and a few misses. "The BFG" almost made it to the miss phase, nevertheless it has terrific visual effects and engaging characters.

The story starts off in an London orphanage where we meet a 10-year-old orphan girl named Sophie (Ruby Barnhill). She hates living in the orphanage because her caretakers aren't nice and the food is not good, lucky for her that's all about to change. One night, she gets snatched away by a 24 ft. elderly giant named The BFG (Mark Rylance, Oscar-winner for Spielberg's "Bridge of Spies") and he takes her to the giant realm of Giant Country.

Sophie becomes frightened at the BFG at first but soon realizes that he is kind and gentle giant. Unlike the BFG, other giants live in Giant Country as well but they are cruel, they are more taller and they eat humans because they hate eating vegetables. The BFG also explains to Sophie that he is a dreamcatcher, he captures the dream, stores it in a jar and adds it to his collection. Suddenly, the leader of the man-eating giants known as the Fleshlumpeater (Jemaine Clement) storms into the BFG's home because he smells human flesh.

Even though the Fleshlumpeater doesn't find a human in the BFG's home, he and his giant crew devise a plan to go to London where they'll capture children from people's houses and later eat them. Soon, Sophie devises a plan of her own to get rid of the man-eating giants, mush a nightmare onto Queen Elizabeth II (Penelope Wilton) and convince her that giants are real and prevent the man-eating giants from coming to London and take children away. There's just one little problem, The BFG is afraid to present himself in front of other humans especially the Queen but Sophie encourages him to not be afraid and stand up to his giant bullies who always push him around.

Yes, there is a fart joke in "The BFG" but this one works. I know it's hard to believe but trust me you'll laugh. The only food that's available in this giant world is snozzcumber, a giant and disgusting version of cucumbers only giants can eat. Mark Rylance gives a good performance here as The BFG because he always carries a genial presence on screen and newcomer Ruby Barnhill gives a charmingly sweet performance as Sophie.

The screenplay by the late Melissa Mathison (who wrote "E.T.") doesn't bring anything new to the kitchen that's original and "The BFG" certainly doesn't live up to other Roald Dahl adaptations such as "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" and "Fantastic Mr. Fox". It also doesn't have the sense of awe and wonder like most of Spielberg's other blockbuster works like "Close Encounters of the Third Kind", "Jaws", "Raiders of the Lost Ark", "E.T." and "Jurassic Park" but for all of it's flaws, "The BFG" is a visually dazzling family adventure that I'm sure will pick up an audience.