SHOULD I TAKE THE KIDS - The BFG
THE DETAILS:
Rating: PG
Running Time: 117 minutes
Genre: Adventure
In Theaters: July 1, 2016
Starring: Mark Rylance, Ruby Barnhill, Rebecca Hall, Bill Hader
Screenwriter: Melissa Matheson
Director: Steven Spielberg
THE PLOT:
The young and plucky orphan Sophie discovers a giant outside her orphanage window. Discovered, the giant decides to kidnap Sophie to prevent her from revealing his presence to humanity. But this giant, dubbed the Big Friendly Giant, isn’t one that favors the taste of humans. He is a giant that specializes in capturing dreams and learning to read. Unfortunately, the other giants, more massive in size and light on intelligence, pick on the BFG as they bully him into fixing their boo-boos. It’s up to Sophie to help the BFG summon the courage to stand up for himself.
CONTENT:
The BFG is very light on content that might be deemed offensive. There are some slightly scary moments as when the BFG first appears in the shadows and when Sophie has a dream about being eaten by a giant. The BFG speaks of a previous kid he knew that was eaten by the evil giants, but the gobbling is never once shown. The most violent part of the movie occurs when one giant accidentally smashes his head into the groin of another giant. Sophie finds herself in quite a bit of peril as she hides from giants in old cars and trees. There’s a gross moment where Sophie hides in a disgusting vegetable to avoid the giants. Worth noting is that the movie features fart jokes thanks to the BFG’s special drink. One particular scene features him sharing the drink with a room full of humans that all fart with ridiculous wind and leverage. There’s no cursing and not a hint of sex or romance.
SHOULD I TAKE THE KIDS:
MAYBE: 5 and Under
The opening scenes are slightly scary and some of the magical elements may dwell a bit long for kids with lesser attention spans. If they can handle that, they’ll be able to enjoy the simple joys of the visuals and the fantasy.
YES: 6 to 12
The BFG is inoffensive and whimsical enough that kids six and older will be able to enjoy its wit and wonder.
MAYBE: 13 and up
While The BFG isn’t overly juvenile, it is written, directed and acted with a childlike whimsy that may not be as applicable to older kids who are not as favoring of fantasy.
Photo: Walt Disney Studios
REVIEW:
Steven Spielberg’s take on Roald Dahl’s classic novel may not have the same magic as his family classic E.T. (considering it was written by the same screenwriter), but it does have all of the charm I’d expect from such an accomplished director. Visually, it’s a work of art the way Mark Rylance is perfectly transformed into the gangly and towering title character. His performance is stellar as a big-eared monster that does his best to form words in his giant babble of “Frobscottle” and “whizzpoppers.” Credit should also be given to Ruby Barnhill as the exceptionally determined Sophie who is not afraid of loud drunks or man-eating giants, a perfect heroine for little girls. The world of the giants, dubbed Giant Country, is a sight to behold with caves of old junk and forests of tangible dreams. Backed by a score from John Williams, there’s a fun and magical tone throughout the picture that invites the viewer into its strange and beautiful world.
What holds The BFG back from being a perfect family film is that it dwells a little too long on its own wonder and never establishes much danger. The lingering on the capturing of dreams and the meeting of the Queen of England takes away from the threat of standing up to the human-eating giants. It’s not until the third act that the movie really comes into its own with charm and comedy. Even though the biggest laughs in the picture come in the form of fart jokes, I can’t deny that I did laugh out loud at this low-brow element I’ve seen time and time again, but never this bombastically hilarious. What it all comes down to is that Spielberg has made a wondrous fantasy picture for children to admire its magic, grossness and sense of adventure.
OVERALL:
The BFG is a solid bit of family fantasy that may not challenge its audience, but will certainly make them smile at its genuine magic that’s a pleasure to get lost within.
GRADE: B+
COMPANION FILMS (for viewing with the kids at home):
Given that the screenwriter Melissa Matheson passed away late last year, I have to recommend her stellar work on Spielberg’s masterpiece, E.T. the Extra Terrestrial. I’d also recommend Spielberg’s more recent family picture, The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn, as an example of how the man can apply his Indiana Jones style adventures into an animated movie perfect for families.
Mark McPherson has been writing about movies since 2010 for various websites and is the author of The Great Animated Movies. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Media Arts and Animation and lives in Minnesota. You can learn more about Mark by visiting his professional website Madness Mark.
