BFG, The (2016) [Blu-ray]
Adventure | Family | Fantasy

Tagline: The world is more giant than you can imagine.

Disney presents a Roald Dahl classic directed by Steven Spielberg. In an imaginative tale filled with magic, wonder and unexpected friendship, a young girl is launched on an enormous adventure when she crosses paths with a mysterious being called the Big Friendly Giant.

Storyline: Ten-year-old Sophie is in for the adventure of a lifetime when she meets the Big Friendly Giant. Naturally scared at first, the young girl soon realizes that the 24-foot behemoth is actually quite gentle and charming. As their friendship grows, Sophie's presence attracts the unwanted attention of Bloodbottler, Fleshlumpeater and other giants. After traveling to London, Sophie and the BFG must convince Queen Elizabeth to help them get rid of all the bad giants once and for all. Written by Jwelch5742

Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Martin Liebman, November 29, 2016 Few children's authors are as prolific in print or considering their works transitioned to film as Roald Dahl. Whether the classic Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the whimsical Matilda, or the comedic Fantastic Mr. Fox, Dahl's stories have capitivated readers and entertained cinema audiences for decades, earning him the honor of an annual celebration, Roald Dahl Day, one of a precious small handful of authors to garner such an honor (perhaps the most widely known being March 2nd, "Read Across America Day," better known as Dr. Seuss' birthday). The BFG marks the latest entry into film for the famed author and it offers viewers yet another magical tale to enjoy on the silver screen. Though previously adapted for the small screen, this version sees prolific filmmaker Steven Spielberg (E.T.) take the reigns and reimagine the story making use of cutting-edge visual effects and repurposing all of Dahl's print magic for the movie audience.

Sophie (Ruby Barnhill) is an insomniac orphan who prowls around the orphanage at all hours of the night, really just getting started at what she calls "the witching hour." One night, tucked in her bed in the wee hours and reading under her covers with a flashlight at her side, she hears a ruckus outside her window. Turns out it's just a few blokes who've downed a few too many drinks. Another commotion, this time some stray cats foraging in the trash. But before she can look the other way and return to her book, she catches sight of something unmissable: a giant many times bigger than she, or any normal human being. She hides in her bed but the giant's super-extra-large hand reaches through the open window, nabs her, and brings her back to his home where a thimble is as big as a basket and a frying pan is just the right size to fit a little girl. Turns out, though, that she's not in any danger; the giant (Mark Rylance) is a kindly old fellow who just needs to make sure that Sophie won't spill the beans and spoil his life. The two hit it off, with her calling him the "BFG" or "Big Friendly Giant." She learns he has the power to control and influence dreams, which the two make use of to thwart much larger giants who dislike the "runt" that is the BFG and to help Sophie find a more permanent home.

The BFG is nothing if it's not magical. It's born of the perfect pairing, really, with Dahl's imagination and Spielberg's instincts behind the camera merging to make a movie that may not be uniquely touching or in any way thematically spectacular but that sees both craftsmen doing what they do best, which is dreaming big and creating something that's at once both comfortable and familiar while at the same time different and distinguished. The story is mostly about dreams, both in a literal and figurative sense. The film is in many ways the intersection of dream and reality, the merging of the imaginary with the tangible world at one's fingertips. Its ability to commit to, shape, and thrive in a world that's practically timeless, familiar yet unique, and populated by characters who are much the same, all reinforce the idea of the dream and its place in shaping one's life. Even as the dreams are essentially personified or made into some tangible matter, there remains a sense of honest direction as the story unfolds, something real and relatable as the movie takes the audience by the hand and, not even so much with a pronounced wink but certainly a subtle, knowing nod, guides its viewers through a world of wonder that may not literally exist beyond the screen but that metaphorically most certainly does in everything the world has to offer.

The movie's thematic success goes without question, and so too does its technical construction. Spielberg's ability to perfectly compose and capture is practically unmatched in the industry, and even in a challenge like The BFG that sees the intersection of live motion capture performances with the difficulty of not only digitally enhancing those performances but at a much larger scale, all while necessarily keeping everything in balance, cannot be an easy task. Spielberg handles the challenge with an understated confidence. The movie is completely seamless in presentation, and the special effects are so good that it's easy to forget that the giants aren't giant after all but merely human-inspired pixels in a computer. It's a masterful effort all around, from the live and digitally captured performances all the way through the cinematography and set design that make the movie complete. The score is equally wonderful, marking yet another collaboration between Spielberg and John Williams. The music matches the movie, finding a sustained sense of magic and whimsy but a somewhat serious underside that lends weight to both the surface humor and deeper purposes.

2016 marks Roald Dahl's 100th birthday celebration, so it was a particularly good time to release one of his most beloved books to the big screen, directed by one of the great visionary, movie-magic directors in history. Though hardly Spielberg's best work, the movie certainly benefits from his eye, deep understanding of the story's themes, and his ability to finely balance its fun factor and spectacle with its greater purpose. Supported by tremendous digital effects, strong acting, fantastic production design, and another brilliant John Williams score, it's a fine film and a welcome entry into the Spielberg canon and the world of magical movies. Disney's Blu-ray release of The BFG is a little thin in terms of supplemental content, but the 1080p video is reference quality and the audio is stellar. Highly recommended.

[CSW] -2.8- This reviewer said it better than I could:
The BFG is a wonderful movie to fall asleep to. The animation is beautiful, the music is soothing and the story is slow enough to not overly excite or engage you. Plus, it's a little strange to see a Steven Spielberg film that culminates in one big fart joke. Nevertheless, Mark Rylance does a fantastic job as the title character, and the movie stays pretty faithful to the original story. If you're a fan of the book, you'll probably enjoy seeing it come to life onscreen.

[V5.0-A4.5] MPEG-4 AVC - D-Box


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