by H. Nelson Tracey/Cinemacy.com
Legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg teams up with Disney for the very first time in his five-decade career to adapt “The BFG,” a classic Roald Dahl novel starring this year’s Best Supporting Actor and Oscar winner Mark Rylance (“Bridge of Spies”). It sounds almost too good to be true, especially when you add in the fact that there has never been a film adaptation of this beloved children’s book (other than an animated TV movie), and that all of Spielberg’s top-tier collaborators have joined him, including producer Kathleen Kennedy, composer John Williams, and cinematographer Janusz Kamiński. While this is a film that is almost hype-free, as an intellectual property that is not franchised, it should be a given that all of these combined forces should make a truly heartwarming film for all ages.
But frankly speaking, this is a film that doesn’t seem to work to its fullest potential. “The BFG” is a fantastical bedtime story full of wonder and imagination, and yet in this film adaptation, it is translated into something incredulously dull. The only thing worse than a poorly executed movie is a dull movie, and with such talent theoretically firing on all cylinders, it’s amazing that the result is so lackluster.
What it boils down to is the lack of two essential qualities that are crucial in a cinematic experience: spontaneity and tension. Take, for example, a sequence where the “Big Friendly Giant” (Rylance) takes the young-but-bright orphan, Sophie (Ruby Barnhill) to the Land of Giants where he catches dreams (in the form of colorful wisps) to later imprint on the sleeping children of London. This is a moment that has all the makings to be as spectacularly wondrous as “Avatar” or “Life of Pi,” and if you’ve seen still images of the sequence, you’d be persuaded into thinking as such. However, the whole enterprise lacks any sort of urgency or element of surprise. Even the camera movements, which are intend to serve as a guide into this magical world, feel so pre-ordained that my eyes somewhat glaze over. Spielberg utilizes his cinematic vision, which is often so marvelously executed, and yet here feels so obvious and on-the-nose that it’s impossible to generate any sense of magic.
To add insult to injury, Mark Rylance as the CGI-BFG, has all of the elements of a charming, delightful character that children will remember for years to come. And yet something in the film’s pacing tells me that the CGI translation removed any sense of looseness or impromptu behavior. For Rylance, every motion and step seems to follow a pattern and never strays into impulsive or erratic behavior, despite playing a character that is meant to be endearingly wacky. Compare this to a brilliant adaptation of a similarly loony Roald Dahl character: Willy Wonka, when, from his very first scene until his last, we never know what we’re going to get. Wonka’s unpredictability manages to feel so energized in both the mad-cap and sincere side of the character. The BFG character, on the other hand, never challenges our expectations. I can only imagine that the emphasis on the animation took away any room for creative enlightenment or alternatively, perhaps the take on the character was simply too mild. I could have envisioned the BFG coming across the way Yoda did in “The Empire Strikes Back,” a great mix of wisdom and silliness, yet neither are found in nearly the same capacity here.
In one particularly light and funny sequence involving the BFG and Sophie sitting for a royal breakfast, the film finally manages to break free of all of these criticisms for a solid, marvelous moment, where the audience finally gets to laugh and have some fun. There are no critiques to be had of this entire portion of the film. Sadly, it’s not enough to lift the weight that comes from the other sides. Despite absolutely stunning visuals in every frame, the molasses pacing and lack of unpredictability make this a bit of a slog to sit through. While “The BFG” has all of the makings to become a family classic, it unfortunately equates to one sleepy and uninspiring movie.
“The BFG” is rated PG for action/peril, some scary moments and brief rude humor. 117 min. Now playing in theaters everywhere.
