I received a sample for this review/feature. Opinions expressed are my own.
Disney and Amblin Entertainment, in association with Walden Media, present the fantasy adventure film The BFG, the first-ever motion picture adaptation of Roald Dahl’s resonant tale of childhood, the magic of dreams and the extraordinary friendship between a young girl and a big friendly giant.?Directed by three-time Academy Award winner Steven Spielberg, the film reunites the director with his Oscar-nominated collaborator on ?E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,? Melissa Mathison, who adapted the children’s author’s timeless adventure for the big screen. This magical tale of an extraordinary friendship loaded with exciting extras will brighten the holidays for the whole family! The BFG is now available on Digital HD, Blu-ray and Disney Movies Anywhere!
?The BFG? unites the talents of three of the world’s greatest storytellers ? Roald Dahl, Walt Disney and Steven Spielberg ? to bring to life the classic tale of a courageous little girl named Sophie (newcomer Ruby Barnhill) and a gentle and charming Big Friendly Giant (Oscar?-winner Mark Rylance) who introduces her to the wonders and perils of Giant Country. Spielberg employs a new, hybrid style of filmmaking blending live-action and performance-capture techniques, resulting in genuine, heartfelt performances and super-photorealistic animation.
Spielberg’s directorial debut with The Walt Disney Studios was a labor of love, as he’s been a fan of Dahl’s for years. In fact, he read ?The BFG? to his own children when they were younger. According to Spielberg, ?It’s a story about friendship; it’s a story about loyalty and protecting your friends; and it’s a story that shows that even a little girl can help a big giant solve his biggest problems.? ?The BFG? is a Golden Phizzwizard* come true for Spielberg, Dahl fans and audiences around the world.
?BLU-RAY & DIGITAL HD:
- Bringing ?The BFG? to Life ? Ruby Barnhill (Sophie) hosts a phizz-whizzing journey through the making of ?The BFG.? This behind-the-scenes documentary details the film’s progression through interviews with Roald Dahl’s daughter Lucy Dahl, screenwriter Melissa Mathison, executive producers Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall and Kristie Macosko Krieger, and numerous members of the talented cast and crew.
- The Big Friendly Giant and Me ? Sophie wasn?t the first bean in Giant Country?many illustrations were created as if drawn by a little boy who was there long before Sophie.? This charming, in-world short will bring the drawings to life with animation and narration, recounting the friendship and the dreams shared between the boy and the Big Friendly Giant.
- Gobblefunk: The Wonderful Words of The BFG ? A whoopsey-splunkers tutorial on the meaning of the gloriumptious gobblefunk in ?The BFG.?
- Giants 101 ? Jemaine Clement (Fleshlumpeater) and Bill Hader (Bloodbottler) introduce us to the loathsome giants in ?The BFG,? along with movement choreographer/motion capture performer Terry Notary, who collaborated with the actors and Director Steven Spielberg prior to filming to develop their movements and character traits.
- Melissa Mathison: A Tribute ? An homage to Melissa Mathison, the extraordinary, Oscar?-nominated screenwriter of ?The BFG? and ?E.T.,? whose talent and heart were as immense as the giants in ?The BFG.?
DIGITAL/VOD:
- John Williams: Scoring A Dream ? A journey through the film’s concept art and memorable moments, interwoven with the sights and sounds of legendary composer John William’s scoring session.
DVD:
- Gobblefunk: The Wonderful Words of The BFG and Melissa Mathison: A Tribute
Feature Run Time: Approximately 117 minutes
Even though I have never even read The BFG (I know that is terrible) this movie is an absolute delight to me and my entire family. A little different than other Disney movies but still has the charm I have come to expect from Disney films. As a parental note this movie may be a little too much for kids that scare easily. Sophie, a ten year old girl in an orphanage stays awake reading through the nights due to her insomnia. At 3:00 AM she sees an elderly giant outside her window that captures her and takes her into Giant Country. He explains that Sophie must stay with him for the rest of her life because she saw him and must not be allowed to reveal the existence of the man-eating giants. After learning that she doesn’t believe he can control dreams, he manages to give her a nightmare about failing to escape and being eaten by another giant. Just reading that should be the explanation as to why it might be too scary for little ones but the movie is actually really great! Both my 8 and 5 year old love it! Make sure to watch all the fun bonus features especially bringing the BFG to life as it shows kids how in the end it is all just a movie and that a lot goes into making just one movie. A great addition to any Christmas list!
Connect: You can connect with The BFG on Facebook and?Walt Disney Studios on Instagram and @DisneyStudios on Twitter.
