Actors: Mark Rylance, Ruby Barnhill, Penelope Wilton, Jemaine Clement, Rebecca Hall
Directors: Steven Spielberg
Rated: PG
Studio: Walt Disney Studios
Release Date: November 29, 2016
Run Time: 118 minutes
Film: 1 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2 out of 5 stars
Urgh, “The BFG”. I have been dreading watching this film since I saw the especially awful trailers. Before any of that I was quite excited I figured that Spielberg could have some fun with adapting Roald Dahl’s The BFG but it was just a failure from then on out. The visual effects are good but I really just was bored with it at the same time. I feel like so much more could have been done with this except it was just bland and full of missed opportunities. Filled with not funny fart jokes throughout (and trust me I usually fall hard for a good fart joke) but this was a complete failure in my book.
Official Premise: “The BFG” unites the talents of three of the world’s greatest storytellers – Roald Dahl, Walt Disney and Steven Spielberg – to bring to life the classic tale of a courageous little girl named Sophie (newcomer Ruby Barnhill) and a gentle and charming Big Friendly Giant (Oscar-winner Mark Rylance) who introduces her to the wonders and perils of Giant Country.
“The BFG” is a big flop of visual effects. They are transferred well though on Blu-ray. The 1080p transfer does give the visual effects some justice, even though boring. The DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 works well with the films score and action sequences. The special features are rather bland like the film. There is only one that stands out amongst the rest. “Bringing The BFG to Life” runs just under 30 minutes and feature cast/crew discussing all aspects of the feature behind-the-scenes.
“The Big Friendly Giant and Me” is a super short animated version of the film in a nut shell. “Gobblefunk: The Wonderful Words of the BFG” goes into the giant’s very strange language and use of words created by Dahl. “Giants 101” is a casting feature for the nine giants in the film. Lastly “Melissa Mathieson: A Tribute” is a feature in memory of the late screenwriter. There is a DVD included along with the Blu-ray as well as a Disney digital copy to round out this release.
