STEVEN SPIELBERG’S ‘THE BFG’ FAILS TO CAPTIVATE THE DISNEY AUDIENCE

Sadly, the new Disney film “The BFG” is best seen in the imagination of readers not on the big screen!

Walking in to see The BFG (Big Friendly Giant), I was optimistic for this Roald Dahl adaption by Disney and Steven Spielberg. The expectations were high but the film did not deliver.

As the movie opened, we were introduced to Sophie (Ruby Barnhill) who was quickly swept away from her London orphanage by a giant (Mark Rylance) and transported into a world larger than life, “Giant Country.” The giant fears Sophie will reveal his existence so he vows to keep her safe yet not let her return to her world.

Unfortunately from there the story was slowly told and while the whimsical details of “whizpopping” and “frobscottle” sent children in the audience into giggling fits, most of the 117-minute movie grasped to keep their attention. Even the amazing visual effects when the villainous Flushlumbeater (Jermaine Clement) and his squad of giants appeared on the screen didn’t engage much reaction of fear or wonder from the audience filled with children at the premiere screening at Disney’s El Capitan 

Maybe in this time and age we have trained our children that movies must have non-stop action, constantly changing plot lines with in 90 minutes, and soundtracks where the lyrics are sung for years. That being said, it may be difficult for a movie like this to succeed with just a simple and classic theme to ‘keep dreaming’ without incorporating any of those aforementioned gimmicks.

While Sophie and the BFG became the best of friends and impart magical dreams to children, we can’t say the same for this movie! Perhaps some literary classics should remain just that. Our take? Give your children the book and wait for it to come to Netflix.

Reported by Paige Brooke Oliver