BFG, The (11/29/2016)

Rated PG for action/peril, some scary moments and brief rude humor.

Starring Rebecca Hall, Mark Rylance, Jemaine Clement, Bill Hader, Penelope Wilton and Ruby Barnhill

Directed by Steven Spielberg (ET, Jaws, Raiders of the Lost Ark)

Big Friendly Giant is a big friendly movie.

Directed by Spielberg, Disney’s The BFG tells the imaginative story of a young girl and the Giant who introduces her to the wonders and perils of Giant Country. The BFG (Mark Rylance), while a giant himself, is a Big Friendly Giant and nothing like the other inhabitants of Giant Country. Standing 24-feet tall with enormous ears and a keen sense of smell, he is endearingly dim-witted and keeps to himself for the most part. Giants like Bloodbottler (Bill Hader) and Fleshlumpeater (Jemaine Clement) on the other hand, are twice as big and at least twice as scary and have been known to eat humans, while the BFG prefers Snozzcumber and Frobscottle. Upon her arrival in Giant Country, Sophie, a precocious 10-year-old girl from London, is initially frightened of the mysterious giant who has brought her to his cave, but soon comes to realize that the BFG is actually quite gentle and charming, and, having never met a giant before, has many questions. The BFG brings Sophie to Dream Country where he collects dreams and sends them to children, teaching her all about the magic and mystery of dreams. Having both been on their own in the world up until now, their affection for one another quickly grows, but Sophie’s presence in Giant Country has attracted the unwanted attention of the other giants, who have become increasingly more bothersome. Sophie and the BFG soon depart for London to see Queen Victoria (Penelope Wilton) and warn her of the precarious giant situation, but they must first convince the Queen and her maid, Mary (Rebecca Hall), that giants do indeed exist. Together, they come up with a plan to get rid of the giants once and for all.

Let’s be honest, Spielberg is a master when it comes to mixing live-action and CGI with a great story. So when news broke about him taking the reigns of the children’s story, I was excited to see the final product.

Like E.T., The BFG is the tale of a child who befriends a scary and misunderstood creature from a different land. Each learns from the other, working out issues of fear and loneliness, coming together to battle evil forces. In E.T., the bad guys were scary G-men, but in The BGF, they’re a different kind of G-men – Giants…see what I did there?

Like the best children’s stories, The BFG captures the child-like dreams and packs in plenty of heart. There are more than a few smiles along the way and even a few laughs…a couple more if you like fart jokes.

My favorite scenes are the ones that take place in the “real-world” like when Sophie and BFG visit Buckingham Palace. There’s a lot of satire and slapstick that comes as a pleasant surprise.

It’s all so magical, and will keep you and your family entertained. It’s definitely worth a “Rental.”

SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
There is no sex, nudity or profanity. There are some mild scenes of violence depicted. The scenes may be unsettling for some younger children and would be more appropriate with parental guidance.

CONVERSATION STARTER:

1. How would you describe the relationship between Sophie and The BFG?


2. Why does their relationship work?


3. What are some reasons their friendship should not work?

Read 1 Samuel 16:7

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”


4. When was a time you have looked at a person’s outward appearance instead of their heart?


5. How can you better practice looking at a person’s heart and not their appearance?