Review of The BFG (2016) by Rob M — 13 Jul 2016

My wife and I took our daughters, 7 and 4 years old, to see The BFG. We all LOVED it.

From start to finish I felt a smile on my face. I've heard some people complain that the movie is boring, and while each one is entitled to their viewpoint I cannot say that I will ever understand how they feel that way. The reality is that I can't remember the last movie, regardless of subject, genre, or content that didn't have a vocal group of people on the internet claiming it was boring, from the latest Star Wars movie to any number of award-winning dramas. It just makes me sad that so many are incapable of enjoying a light-hearted movie unless it cuts from one action-packed scene to the next. Can't anyone sit back and enjoy a movie that creates an amazing, wondrous, whimsical atmosphere that is full of imagination and appreciate the fine performances as we watch the relationship between the two main characters develop and grow? Yes, this movie features several scenes where Sophie and The BFG are simply interacting with one another, finding out more about each other. And those scenes are glorious.

One criticism I've seen of this movie is that it doesn't compare favorably to another Spielberg family classic: E.T. First of all, that's setting quite a bar for any movie, considering that E.T. is one of the most critically-acclaimed and popular films of all time. But more to the point, I actually think that The BFG reaches that bar and measures up to E.T. as another instant classic for the whole family from Steven Spielberg. Mark Rylance is pitch perfect as the Big Friendly Giant, playing a lovable, awkward 24-foot runt living in a land of 50-foot child-eating brutes. His delivery of Roald Dahl's "gobblefunk" is spot on, making for several humorous moments, and the masterfully utilized motion capture technology allows us to see the warmth in his eyes and smile, growing to view him more and more favorably the longer we spend time with him, just as Sophie does. Speaking of which, Ruby Barnhill as Sophie nails her role as well, accomplishing the difficult feat of convincingly playing opposite an actor pretending to be a 24-foot giant. The other giants provide a fearful enough presence (it is valid to state that Spielberg toned down the darker side of the book, but that was also understandable...do you really need to see giants gleefully chomping on children in a family movie in order to appreciate how frightening a thought that is?) while at the same time being amusing. A highlight is the scene where they bully BFG by tossing him around and play with actual vehicles like children with toy cars.

It was fascinating watching Spielberg bring to life the places we had seen in our imaginations while reading the book. The scene where Sophie and The BFG are chasing dreams in Dream Country was magical and enchanting. The imaginative methods employed by BFG to conceal his presence as he moves through the London streets at the beginning of the film and again as he infiltrates the grounds of Buckingham Palace were done perfectly and very enjoyable. The sequence showing BFG mixing the dream for the queen is great, as is the demonstration of him blowing dreams into a family's home and then describing the dream the boy was having to Sophie. That was one of several scenes that allowed the audience to feel the connection between BFG and Sophie growing. Those scenes reached their high point for me with Sophie and BFG sitting on a hill in Giant Country and him telling her about the special dream he had stored in a jar that was for her. It's a heartwarming scene, lighted and framed to perfection in quintessential Spielberg fashion. And the breakfast scene with the queen and the "musical" effects of everyone drinking the BFG's gift of frobscottle provided the biggest laugh of the film. If you take yourself too seriously to laugh at "whizzpopping", then I guess a delightful movie like this isn't for you.

It also strikes me that this is a movie that rewards an observant viewer. Even in my initial viewing, I noticed many little details that added to my enjoyment. I'm looking forward to catching more of this when we go back to watch it again (something all 4 of us are excited to do).

It would also be a mistake to fail to mention John Williams' score for The BFG. Like Spielberg himself, the excellence of Williams seems to be taken for granted a bit because he has produced so much incredible content for so long. But he still delivers consistently, and the music he provides here is wonderful. It captures the beauty, the fantasy, the humor, the excitement, and the range of emotions present on the screen perfectly. And like so much of Williams' work, it is equally enjoyable while watching the movie or, as my family and I have found, while listening to it by itself.

This movie is an example of old school Hollywood storytelling. Like so much of Steven Spielberg's work, it doesn't shy away from sentimentality. Sadly, many in modern audiences seem to have decided that it isn't cool or something to respond emotionally to a movie that is designed to stroke their heartstrings. So they fight against it instead of just sitting back and enjoying the movie as it was intended to be enjoyed. That's the only explanation I can provide for anyone who couldn't feel a connection to Sophie and The BFG and didn't feel touched as they watched, especially during the scene on the hillside that I mentioned earlier or the terrific final scene just before the credits roll; they had to be actively resisting the movie's emotional pull, refusing to be moved by it.

Bottom line is this: if you require an action scene every 5 minutes to enjoy a light-hearted movie, this isn't it. If you think a movie has to explore its subject in the grittiest and darkest way in order to be worthwhile, you probably should look elsewhere. But if you are capable of relaxing and letting a movie stimulate your imagination and transport you to a strange faraway place, and willing to open up your emotions and allow one of the master storytellers in cinematic history in, then I would say that you will very likely find the experience of watching The BFG as rewarding as my family and I did.