Though his name is practically synonymous with groundbreaking artistic vision, Steven Spielberg’s second wind may just be his greatest, most unprecedented achievement yet. After Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull—the perfunctory sequel in which it was clear that all returning parties were running on autopilot with little personal investment in the result—Spielberg took an uncharacteristic three-year break, returning with a pair of energetic passion projects in the same year, 2011’s War Horse and The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn. Since then, he has helmed two of the most intelligent political docudramas in recent memory, Lincoln and Bridge of Spies.
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It’s in this vein that Spielberg’s adaptation of The BFG, as far as CG family movies based on preexisting properties go, is better than one might expect, even if it cannot help being dragged down by conventionality. Based on the beloved Roald Dahl book, The BFG tells the story of Sophie (Ruby Barnhill), a 10-year-old orphan who is whisked away by the eponymous Big Friendly Giant (Mark Rylance) after she spots him late at night sneaking through the streets of London. The BFG and Sophie are a perfect pair and learn from one another: The giant collects dreams while Sophie is an insomniac who has never had one, and Sophie is happy to give the BFG lessons in proper speech and etiquette. Meanwhile, the giant—a vegetarian who befriends Sophie instead of eating her—finds himself at odds with his cannibalistic brethren who are in hot pursuit after detecting her scent.
The BFG is first and foremost a visual delight. The days of the uncanny valley are behind us, and the motion-capture performance by Rylance is grounded and vulnerable, conveying as much emotion as most live-action actors. The other giants, led by “Flight of the Conchords”’ Jemaine Clement, range from cartoonish to terrifyingly real, and are always a marvel to behold.
When it comes to the story and the characters, Disney’s brand is a much stronger presence than Spielberg’s, resulting in an above-average product for the studio and a perfectly respectable film from the veteran director, even if it aims lower than his recent output. Though Spielberg is possibly the last person on Earth one might think of as underrated, it cannot be stressed enough how inventive he can be when given unlimited resources to make exactly the movie he wants.
Many reviews have compared The BFG to E.T., which was probably inevitable given the similar premise: a child who feels forgotten befriends an otherworldly creature with magical powers and proves the skeptics wrong. This connection has been made in some promotional materials for the film, which is unfortunate, because it only suffers from the comparison. E.T. was Spielberg’s childhood dream come true, the manifestation of an escapist fantasy he’d had his entire life, so The BFG never stood a chance of being anywhere near as good.
The BFG may be remembered more for its technological strengths than its emotional resonance, and it is unlikely to have the same sort of cultural longevity as the novel from which it was adapted. But despite never achieving greatness, The BFG is a loving adaptation by the world’s most accomplished filmmaker who has never forgotten what he wanted to see on the screen as a child.
Playing this week
Regal Stonefield 14 and IMAX
The Shops at Stonefield, 244-3213.
Central Intelligence
Independence Day: Resurgence
The Legend of Tarzan
Now You See Me 2
The Purge: Election Year
The Shallows
Violet Crown Cinema
200 W. Main St., Downtown Mall, 529-3000.
Central Intelligence
Finding Dory
Free State of Jones
Independence Day: Resurgence
The Legend of Tarzan
Love & Friendship
The Man Who Knew Infinity
Our Kind of Traitor
The Shallows
Swiss Army Man
