Film Review - The BFG (2016)

The BFG is based off of the Roald Dahl book and is directed by Steven Spielberg and written by the late Mellisa Mathison who also wrote ET in 1982, the story here concerns Sophie (Ruby Barnhill) who is whisked away to Giant Country by a Big Giant (Mark Rylance) but could this Giant be Friendly or Enemy?

I've been something of a Steven Spielberg agnostic for a number of years now, I just can't help but feel that he peaked somewhat after that group of films consisting of Jaws, Close Encounters, Raiders of the Lost Ark and ET there were some bright spots along the way like Jurassic Park but most of the films he's made since haven't really done much for me so I went into this film somewhat apprehensive.

To my surprise I actually thought this film was pretty good I went along with it, the music by John Williams was really good one of the better scores he's made in the last little while, the look of the film and the visual effects were very nice and Spielberg's own direction felt very alive and fast paced the kind we used to see from him in those films like Jaws and Raiders of the Lost Ark.

And also Rylance was great as the BFG and thinking about him in the role it's hard to imagine anyone else playing that character now but all of this was in the first two thirds of the film as the last third sadly went a little off the rails and got a little too silly for my liking and also it became a waste of Rebecca Hall who I love as an actress and was so good in the Gift last year, how sad to see her in such a nothing role in this film.

And so that was the BFG a great first two thirds is undermined by a silly 3rd act but still it is worth a watch, 3 out of 5.