The BFG
A young orphan in London named Sophie (Ruby Barnhill) discovers that magical creatures really do exist when a chance encounter with a Big Friendly Giant (Mark Rylance) ends up taking her to a far off land– Giant Country. Sadly, Sophie quickly learns that most giants aren’t so friendly, in fact they’re bone crunching, cannibalistic, knuckle dragging bullies. So, when more children seem to be vanishing around the city, it would appear the giants are behind their disappearances, swift action must be taken but will Sophie and her BFG have what it takes to stop the other giants before it’s too late?
Directed by Steven Spielberg and based on the story by Roald Dahl, this family fun romp certainly contains the polished flashiness we’ve come to expect from Spielberg combining well known themes of singled out children, magic, whimsy, and the incorrigible adults; meaning, this hearkens back to Spielberg from the early 80’s with the television series Amazing Stories, capable of sparking the imagination and bringing levity to what might otherwise be a darker world. Furthermore, John Williams’s score serves as a strong reminder as to just how much of a scene can be loaded up with music, performing right under the nose of the audience without drawing attention to itself, a score that elevates without distracting. Overall, positive marks for this family adventure worthy of a matinee dollar and maybe more. The BFG is rated PG.