Review – The BFG
Here’s the great thing about Steven Spielberg: No matter what genre he does, it’s always a Spielberg movie. Whether he does a war movie, a science fiction movie, a kid friendly movie, or a holocaust movie, each film has the Spielberg touch. Other directors struggle with this, but Spielberg does not. His latest film, The BFG, is no different. After making two historical, methodical films in Lincoln (2012) and Bridge of Spies (2015), Spielberg went a little lighter and a little more fun this time around to create one of the most magical movies of 2016.
The BFG is about a young orphan named Sophie (Ruby Barnhill) who encounters a giant (Mark Rylance), that, despite his intimidating looks, is really a sweetheart. He then takes her off to the Land of the Giants, where Sophie sees that he is an outcast amongst the other giants because he doesn’t eat children. The two begin to grow a bond while also learning to face their fears.
Spielberg is the greatest child-actor director of all-time. From Henry Thomas in E.T. (1982), Christian Bale in Empire of the Sun (1986), to the kids from Jurassic Park 1993), he gets great performances from every child actor he works with. Add Ruby Barnhill to that list because she is simply wonderful as Sophie. She’s cute, funny, sassy, and really holds her own on during acting up against a green screen. For her cinematic debut, she starts her career of with a bang. Mark Rylance, who recently won an Oscar for Bridge of Spies, kills it as the Big Friendly Giant. I actually liked his performance in this film more than his performance in Bridge of Spies. He really shines here, giving a great motion-capture performance. The BFG is such a nice, tentative giant who loves making people happy by placing beautiful dreams in their heads. Barnhill and Rylance’s chemistry is infectious and slaps a smile on your face right from their first meeting.
Like all Spielberg movies, The BFG is a technical marvel. This is one movie I wish I saw in 3-D, because I am sure everything would have popped off the screen and came alive more than it did in 2-D. The visual effects and cinematography are astounding. The settings are beautiful, the vibrant colors are light up the screen, especially during the Tree of Dreams scene, and the action exciting. And of course, we get a whimsical John Williams score that will end up being one of the year’s best.
The BFG felt like it was Spielberg channeling his E.T. roots. In between all the fun and excitement, this is a movie about the unlikely friendship between Sophie and The BFG. It definitely reminded me of the relationship between Elliot and E.T., as both relationships are about two people from two different worlds who grow to love each other. We are rooting for Sophie and The BFG to succeed and overcome all their obstacles because we are rooting for their friendship to last. It’s classic Spielberg.
The BFG is everything I wanted and more. The ending gets a little weird, but that didn’t affect me too much. This is a visually stunning, enjoyable, fantastical ride with as much action as their is heart. The film also continues Spielberg’s streak of great movies, a streak I don’t think will be ending anytime soon.
MY RATING – 3.5/4
Did you see The BFG? What did you think? Comment below or hit me up on Twitter @kevflix or on Facebook at Kevflix.