The BFG is directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Melissa Mathison, who wrote other films such as E.T. and The Indian in the Cupboard. It tells the story of a ten-year-old orphan named Sophie (Ruby Barnhill) who is stolen by the Big Friendly Giant (Mark Rylance) and taken to Giant Country. Sophie begins to enjoy her time there and becomes friends with the BFG but soon she finds herself in danger of being eaten by other giants who are not so friendly and much, much bigger. I was initially shocked when I read that The BFG wasn't doing well financially but was doing well critically, but then of course, I was brought back into reality. It may be Disney and Spielberg working together, but it is a movie based off an old kid's book with good writing that isn't dumbed-down and has a story-line that we haven't seen a hundred times already. I hope this meager review of The BFG will encourage people to see it even though it is competing with Finding Dory and The Secret Life of Pets right now. This film is offering audiences something that we rarely see in films anymore, particularly children's films. I actually predict it to be one of, if not the most underrated movie of the year. Of course, it is too early to tell.
First, I need to talk about the incredible casting. This was Ruby Barnhill's first movie and she did an amazing job. There couldn't have been a more perfect Sophie. She was adorable and smart and very likable. I hope Ruby Barnhill continues to make movies for a long time. Mark Rylance brought the BFG to life in the best way possible. His accent was great and his eyes are just so bright and happy. Jemaine Clement as Fleshlumpeater and Penelope Wilton as the Queen were also wonderful casting choices. As a fan of Flight of the Conchords, it was fun to recognize Jemaine in little ways in this gigantic computer-animated creature. And Wilton played the Queen as both dignified and fun-loving, just how she was in the book.
The effects really were quite amazing. They used the real actor's faces (probably using motion capture or something similar) and contorted them to look like giants and of course constructed these huge bodies. It made the giants, particularly the BFG, look so much more real. The giants are obviously an important part of this story and they needed to be tangible, as-real-as-possible creatures and I think this movie achieved that. One of my favorite aspects of the film was how the filmmakers created the dreams. They were all different colors and they reminded me of little pixies. I love the part where Sophie is laying down surrounded by bottles of dreams and they keep lighting up in different colors. It was very beautiful and, well, dreamy. An amazing scene involves the BFG and Sophie going to Dream Country so that Sophie can see how her new friend catches dreams. Dream Country is absolutely beautiful. It is hidden on the underside of a giant pool of water. It consists of a giant tree. The only lights are those from the millions of dreams flying around. The stars are all completely visible. The whole scene is just so pretty and magical. And of course, I have to mention the Whizpoppers. If you've read the book, you'll remember that Whizpoppers is one of the fun words used by the BFG to describe out-of-this-world flatulence caused by a drink called frobscottle. I was very interested to see how the filmmakers would portray this in the movie and, I must say, they did quite a good job. I won't give too much of this part away because I think it's probably the most fun the first time you see it.
I also have to mention the magical score by John Williams. His fantasy scores are just incredibly top-notch. His music in The BFG gave you the same feelings you felt when you watched E.T. and the first few Harry Potter films. Williams can give moments the whimsy or the awe they deserve with the most perfect music. He really can do no wrong.
There definitely were changes made from the book, as there always will be in book-to-movie translations. The biggest difference, to me, was the ending. In the book, Sophie and the BFG were given their own houses right next to the Queen's. This was not the case in the movie. But for me, the ending the filmmakers went with wasn't terrible and it certainly did not ruin the film for me. Overall, I think this movie did the book justice. The film had a cast that represented the characters well, used a lot of the same language from the book, and had the same basic plot. Avid Dahl fans may not be happy with the changes, but personally, I was not put off by them.
When my mom and I left the theater and were talking about The BFG on the way home, we both agreed we haven't seen a new film like that in a long time. And that's because there hasn't been one made like this for a long time. This is a fantasy film on par with some of the classic magical movies you grew up loving. After watching this movie, I was reminded of when I saw Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone for the first time when I was eight years old. There was no movie like that at the time. It was magical, it mixed practical and CGI effects, it had an incredible story, and the children in the movie reacted to the strange and wonderful things the same as you would. My mom thought The BFG reminded her more of watching The Wizard of Oz as a kid. Those films, or even something like E.T., stayed with us until we grew up because they were both relatable and remarkable. Many recent fantasy films lack the charm and the appeal of the ones we loved, and are often bogged down in giant explosions and gratuitous amounts of CGI, all complete with boring storylines and so-so characters. This is why I argue that The BFG will be the underrated film of this year, because I think a lot of people, especially kids, don't want to give it a chance. Kids now don't have Hook or Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. They have Minions and Warcraft. If you are in need of a simple, beautiful fantasy film that is going to make you feel nostalgic and lightheated and happy, then you need to see The BFG. It's a film that is great to see in theaters and we need more people going to see this movie, so that we can have more movies like The BFG.
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