The BFG

One of the best formats of films there is, is that film which is based on an incredible storytelling origin. Hans Christian Andersen, Roald Dahl, even Rod Serling are talents that allow us to be able to go to another world and be entertained with such amazing stories. With "The BFG", the talents of three of the world's greatest storytellers-- Roald Dahl, Walt Disney and Steven Spielberg finally unite to bring Dahl's beloved classic to life.

Ten-year-old, lonely orphan Sophie (Ruby Barnhill) is in for the adventure of a lifetime when she meets the Big Friendly Giant (Mark Rylance). Naturally scared at first, the young girl soon realizes that the 24-foot behemoth is actually quite gentile and charming. As their friendship grows, Sophie's presence attracts the unwanted attention of Bloodbottler (Bill Hader), Fleshlumpeater (Jermaine Clement) and other giants. After traveling to London, Sophie and the BFG must convince the Queen of England (Penelope Wilton) to help them get rid of all the bad giants once and for all.
You see, Sophie is an insomniac, so her penchant in staying up to wee hours in the very early mornings is quite common. So when she was looking out of her window and saw this giant, she reacted making enough noise as to attract attention of the giant. He then grabbed her and took her back to 'Giant Country' so she couldn't tell others that there are giants in the land. From there, they were able to come to an understanding, especially since this giant isn't a meat-eating one. Let the adventure begin.

Others to round out the cast are Rebecca Hall as Mary, assistant to the Queen, Rafe Spall as Mr. Tibbs, head of security for the Queen, Olafur Darri Olafsson as Maidmasher, Adam Godley as Manhugger, Michael Adamthwaite as Butcher Boy, Daniel Bacon as Bonecruncher, Jonathan Holmes as Childchewer, Chris Gibbs as Gizzardgulper and Paul Moniz de Sa as Meatdripper.

This was directed by visual storyteller, Steven Spielberg ("Jaws" '75, "Raiders of the Lost Ark" '81, "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial" '82, "The Color Purple" '85, "Jurassic Park" '93, "Schindler's List" '93, "Saving Private Ryan" '98, "The Terminal" '04, "Munich" '05, "War Horse" '11, "Lincoln" '12, "Bridge of Spies" '15) plus many others. By this filmmaker's resume, he is a consummate artist. His ability to persuade his actors to emit the array of emotions given the particular scene is awe-inspiring-- this film being of no exception. He's worked with countless actors and has proven himself time and again. It was wonderfully written by the incomparable Melissa Mathison ("The Black Stallion" '79, "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial" '82, "The Indian in the Cupboard" '95) based on the beloved book by Roald Dahl. This story simply flowed incredibly from the first frame to the last. It did have a couple of very small slower areas in script, but I feel they were caused intentionally to create a snowball effect as the film starts to climax. Certainly Dahl's story is already a great origin to work with, but it still takes a talented screenwriter to pull off all the nuances it takes to make this story move the way it did to capture its audience. And what can I say for the visual effects predominantly designed by ILM (Industrial, Light & Magic) and Weta Digital? They simply rocked and actually enhanced the story! Kudos to these guys.

Sadly, we won't see another film written by Mathison since she lost her battle with cancer back in November, 2015. She was an inspiring storyteller herself and will be sorely missed. Certainly, if you want to escape into a fantastical story replete with wonderful storytelling, photography, music and visuals, this is the film for you. This is a film that will entertain all ages for generations to come in a nifty IMAX and 3D format.

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                   Rated: PG                                  117mins.