Must See Movie...

After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

I never saw the 1989 film adaptation of Roald Dahl's children's book The BFG when I was growing up, and I don't know whether or not that's a good thing. On one hand, I could have enjoyed the film as a nostalgic trip down memory lane, yet I could have also been horrified at just how badly the film has aged. I did, however, read the book as a young nipper, along with other Dahl classics such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Matilda, so I'm familiar with just how good a word-smith Dahl was, and how he managed to forge these often creepy and macabre tales into something that children could enjoy without being too terrified.Brian Cosgrove's adaptation, for all its sporadic charm, has faded into obscurity since its 1989 release with good reason. Beginning at an orphanage run by the nasty Mrs. Clonkers (Myfanwy Talog), young girl Sophie (Amanda Root) sees the outline of a gigantic figure blowing a trumpet through the window of a house down the road. Before she has a chance to scream, she is grabbed by a huge fist and whisked away to another land inhabited by grotesque giants who feed on children. Lucky for her, she was taken by the Big Friendly Giant (David Jason), who is the only vegetarian giant in his world, and whose day job it is to blow happy dreams into the minds of sleeping children. But with the knowledge of the rest of the giants gobbling up scores of children, Sophie hatches a plan with the BFG to notify the Queen of England (Angela Thorne) and put a stop to the evil giants for good.The first twenty minutes or so of The BFG is actually quite delightful, as we meet the lovable lunk and learn of his diet of the disgusting snozzcumbers, and he is wonderfully voiced by national treasure David Jason. The song 'Whizzpopping' isn't particularly good or catchy, but there is a giddy delight to be had with watching the BFG and Sophie farting with glee. Yet, without Dahl's written narrative, the film quickly becomes tedious and the story grinds to a near-halt. Cosgrove Hall - set up by director Cosgrove and his friend Mark Hall - animated countless children's TV adaptations from the 1970's up until its demise is 2009, but the animation here is stodgy. There were obvious budget constraints and this shows in the backgrounds, which are often so bland ad static it drains the film visually. It has its charms, especially if you grew up in Britain, but I would stick with the beloved book.

I watched this with my little nephews last night. Judging by their reactions the six year old loved it but the four year old was not too sure. We thought it was great. The animation is pretty simple for this day and age but far better than a lot of TV stuff. The story was fun and the boys didn't seem to mind that the central character, Sophie, was a girl. I think we all got a bit bored in the last third with the whole queen bit but the Army and RAF going in with helicopters and the like pepped things up. It was nice to see a more restrained operation by the military rather than the guns blazing treatment. Dahl knew that himself so it was good that the film stuck to that. As the only adult I wanted the film to carry on the sinister aspect it started out with. All three of us agreed that the human eating giants were a lot of fun, though.All in all a good little film for little boys and girls. And grown-ups can enjoy it too. But when you have Roald Dahl as the writer that generally is the way.

Following from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and Danny the Champion of the World, this was the third feature length adaptation of one of the works of the great Roald Dahl, and the first to be a cartoon, from the creators of Danger Mouse and Count Duckula. Basically young orphan girl Sophie (Amanda Root) is taken from the orphanage, run by cantankerous and abusive Mrs. Clonkers (Myfanwy Talog) by a cloaked giant she sees blowing a trumpet into a bedroom window across the street. Sophie is taken to Giant Country, and into the cave of the giant (Sir David Jason), he tells that all other giants are eating children, but he is a nice giant, he is the Big Friendly Giant, the BFG, he will only eat the disgusting tasting "Snozzcumber". The BFG explains that he took Sophie to stop her telling others that she saw a giant, they are suddenly interrupted by the Bloodbottler Giant (Don Henderson) who overheard talking, he is eventually repelled from the cave by being tricked into eating Snozzcumber, Sophie hiding in it is almost swallowed before he spat her out. While cleaning herself, the BFG tells Sophie about his job of blowing dreams into the bedrooms of children, when she asks for a drink he treats her to a taste of fizzy drink "Frobscottle", its bubbles go downwards, causing the drinker flatulation, or "whizzpopping" as BFG says, and to soar. The next morning, the BFG takes Sophie to Dream Country to catch more dreams, on the way the other giants torment him, notably by the Fleshlumpeater Giant (Don Henderson), the largest and most fearsome. In Dream Country, the BFG shows his skill for dream-catching, Sophie joins him floating, but they are forced to go back to his Dream Cave when he catches a nightmare, or a "Trogglehumper", his cave is surrounded by hundreds of colourful dreams, all labelled to be mixed together to make stories for children. The BFG demonstrates his dream-blowing duties, Sophie watches with joy as children are made happy with their dreams, but they are interrupted and hide when the Fleshlumpeater has come to eat children, the BFG runs, leaving the giant to devour a child. Hearing that the giants have been talking about eating children in a school, Sophie comes up with a plan for the BFG to make a dream to blow into the bedroom of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (Angela Thorne), following the nightmare the Queen meets Sophie, meets the BFG, and believes their story. Following a meeting with the Head of the Army (Ballard Berkeley) and the Head of the Air Force (Michael Knowles), a fleet of Chinook helicopters to follow the BFG to Giant Country to capture the nine giants; also including the Manhugger, the Meatdripper, the Childchewer, the Butcher Boy, the Maidmasher, the Bonecruncher and the Gizzardgulper. The Fleshlumpeater is the only giant left loose, he attacks the BFG, before going after Sophie, he is stopped by the BFG blowing a nightmare dream, about Jack, the famous giant killer, cutting down his beanstalk, this is the only things giants, including the BFG himself, fear. In the end the giants are dropped into a large metal pit, and will be forced to eat Snozzcumbers from now on, Sophie has the opportunity to live in Buckingham Palace where they will create a new home for orphaned children, while the BFG must return to blow dreams, but Sophie wishes to remain with the BFG, and they go back to Giant Country together. Jason gives a great light-hearted voice with plenty of "gobblefunk" (his language with mixed and muddled words) to the lovable gigantic friend to the sweet little girl voiced by Root, and it is animated well enough, it does have it's slightly slow spots, but for the songs "Whizzpopping" and "Sometimes, Secretly", the adorable friendship and the nice simple story, it is good fun for all the family, a very pleasant animated fantasy. It was nominated the BAFTA TV Award for Best Children's Programme (Entertainment/Drama). Worth watching!

Well, you really can't expect much from a movie that has a song about flatulence(really!I hardly could believe it myself! Flying around because of it, geez..). it really was just okay, something kids can enjoy, but will probably annoy anyone older than 10. it is cute, however, but this isn't the perfect family film for kids under 4 because of some big scary giants. As I said, when a movie has a song about flatulence, it is really meant for little kids.