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Summary: Big Fish is a "move-me" not just a "movie"!!
Review: Big Fish is the best movie I have ever seen and I have sent many, many people to see it and none have been disappointed. The easiest way to describe the movie would be "Terms of Endearment" for Sons and Fathers. The son knows that his father is dying, but is unable to let go without at least trying to distinguish between his Father's "Fish" stories and his father's real life. The viewer never knows until the very end of the movie where the truth lies in this senerio. I assume many viewers will find themselves in this "non-chick" flick and so you may need some tissue, I did. Also this is a Tim Burton masterpiece in production, visual effects, plot, music, and character interplay.
The sexiest scene I have ever viewed in a film takes place in Big Fish and yet there is no nudity in the scene. Jessica Lang provides the viewer with her usual superb performance and the young version of her character looks so much like her the viewer forgets they are two different actors and both their performances are outstanding. McGregor, although has lots of scenes in the movie, plays his part of the confused and somewhat angry son flawlessly. The father and his younger version keep the viewer so entertained that you never want this film to end. I would recommend this film to everyone over the age of 12. It is not a good choice for real young children because Tim Burton has done such an outstanding job of producing this film and most of the scenes are bigger than life and would easily scare younger audiances, although this is not a scary movie. It is brilliant and I do not understand why Hollywood has not given this picture more oscar attention and it is rare that I ever want to view a film more than once I intend to buy this DVD and watch it 100 more times.
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Summary: "I'm drying out...."
Review: Director Tim Burton's off-beat blend of fantasy and reality, comedy and drama, boasts an all-star cast and an unsatisfying script.Will (Billy Crudup) has been called to his Alabama home to be with his dying father, Ed (Albert Finney). Father and son never got along, due to Dad's incessant tall tales of his fantastic exploits as a youth - befriending a giant, working in a circus, being a war hero, robbing a bank, and catching the world's biggest river fish, etc. As the bedside vigil continues, Will relives some of these stories to try to understand his father. I realize I am going against the majority feeling here, but I didn't like Big Fish. None of the characters were likeable or sympathetic and I didn't care about them; indeed, Albert Finney's character is thoroughly unpleasant, and the whole movie revolves around him. The funny parts weren't quite funny enough, the fantasy parts weren't exciting enough, the episodic vignettes were never resolved, and it was much too long. Given all this, the ending was surprisingly touching and there wasn't a dry eye in the theatre, but this didn't was too little, too late to redeem the film. Big Fish is one of those movies you'll either love or hate; most people clearly seem to love it.
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Summary: Best Tim Burton Film EVER!
Review: This movie made me think of my grandpa and all the crazy stories he used to tell. It is magical, beautiful, powerful, and really makes you think about your place in the world and how you affect those around you. A must see movie for everyone! Tim Burtons best film yet... and one of his brightest.
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Summary: My Favorite Movie!
Review: I saw Big Fish in theaters, and as a picky movie-goer, I was suprised how much I loved it! The best word I can think to describe this movie is magical! I really did love it. All of the actors have incredible performances and I highly suggest seeing Big Fish ASAP. I also loved how this movie could be for teenagers (like myself), my parents, and my grandparents! I loved this movie so much I bought the soundtrack and book (I enjoyed both)
Rating: 
Summary: How could you not love it?
Review: Visually stunning, a wonderful score and soundtrack, coupled with a touching story and endearing characters. It's the story of a married man, soon to have a child, trying to reconnect with his dying father, after only knowing him through the tall tales of his life. The movie is a dozen stories in one, with something for everybody. Action, adventure, comedy, romanance, whimsy, fantasy and wit - it has it all. A film for artistic types who refuse to grow up, and would sometimes rather hear the nice, exaggerated story than the awful, dull truth. This movie allows each of us to let our imaginations run wild and let go of cynicsm and stress, if only for a few hours. If this movie doesn't make you smile, laugh, and even get a little misty at times, you might be made of stone.
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Summary: Slightly flawed but essentially exquisite allegory
Review: Famed cult director Tim Burton's "Big Fish" was greeted by generally positive reviews, but some of the negative ones were scathing - dull and preachy, belabored, pretentious, long-winded, strained. So, as a Burton fan, it was with some trepidation that I saw the movie. I'm glad I did. It's got its weaknesses - some of the fantasies don't work as well as Burton had hoped they would, I suspect. But, for the most part, it does work as a delicate, almost magical allegory. It also contains some great performances, especially by Albert Finney, Jessica Lange and Helena Bonham Carter. What if, when you were a kid, your father filled your head with fantastic stories of his own youth? Stories about his encounters with a very big fish, amazing exploits in a war, encounters with a giant, his travels to a town that exists in its own space and time, etc.? And you, as a young man, with your limited imagination, could not accept your father's filling you with these stories? What if you could not relate to him because you felt his whole life was a lie? And, finally, what if you discovered that his crazy stories were not, after all, that far from what really happened? What would you do? These and other questions are what confront Will Bloom [Billy Crudup] when he returns home from New York City to the rural South where his father, Ed [Finney] lays dying. Hostile and angry, Will confronts his father. [Of great importance to the story is Will's mother [Lange], who loves Ed unconditionally and is enchanted by his wild tales. But, of course, she loves Will unconditionally as well.] As Will fights Ed, we see flashbacks of the young Ed [Ewan McGregor] living out these improbable tales in sequences of amazing visual detail. At first, Will may have the upper hand, but as we watch, it is Ed who wins the battle and our hearts. He may not have always told the truth, but it is his life, not Will's, which is the more heroic and worthwhile. Will, we learn, merely clungs to surface realities, while Ed has fully embraced the realities that lay just beyond our reach.
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Summary: "I'VE ALWAYS BEEN A FOOL"...
Review: The truth for me, like Edward Bloom, is that I have never been a reasonable man. I believe that this fact taints my views on Big Fish the movie. (I confess I have yet to read the book.) The thing about movies of late is that the public, though demanding more and more in the way of special effects, is less and less willing to suspend their disbelief. This kills a culture's ability to hear (or view) story. Yet Big Fish is FULL of story. Big Fish is, in my opinion, a masterpiece. As much as I loved Return of the King's apocryphal Lord of the Rings, Big Fish was the best picture last year (incidentally, Finding Nemo receives my vote for runner up). So why the dirth of recognition elsewhere? Our culture has stuck its head in the sand when it comes to accepting the wonderful. By wonderful I do not mean "great." I mean those things that are full of wonder. Be they things that put us in awe, or things that merely make us smile, we have all forsaken, at least to a degree, the wide-open life before us. Have we become too seared by a false sense of maturity and the tepid self-assuredness in the everyday to ever wake to the true and the beautiful? Not really... ...though some of us, if we are not terribly care-full, will never know the difference. Get a copy of Big Fish. It is not The Answer, though it may "prime" you--may open your eyes. Your heart may just follow.
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Summary: Extravagantly Whimsical and Sentimental Family Drama.
Review: "Big Fish" has been adapted from the novel of the same name by Daniel Wallace and directed by Tim Burton. This whimsical tale of a strained parent-child relationship is Burton's most personal film to date. It's a story of a son returning to his childhood home, where his father is fatally ill, in hopes of discovering the man behind the myth that his father has always cultivated. "Big Fish" is in many ways a family drama with typical family themes, yet its otherworldly elements lend the film a distinct Burtonesque tone and appearance. Edward Bloom has been a personable man and a great storyteller all his life. His fantastic tales have been loved by all, no matter how much truth or myth they may contain. But ever since his son, Will Bloom (Billy Crudup), was old enough to realize the stories couldn't be entirely true, he has resented his father's unwillingness to say things the way they are. Estranged as adults, Will visits his dying father (Albert Finney) in hopes of learning the truth behind the magnificent tales of Edward's youth and gaining an understanding of the man he has known only through elaborate myths. Although "Big Fish" is telling us the story of Edward and Will's relationship, Edward, true to form, tells us his life's story in fantastic tales. So the film spends most of its time recounting Edward Bloom's life story as he tells it, with young Edward played with great charm by Ewan McGregor. These adventures are a visual feast and don't seem to compete with the film's present-tense father-son drama. The myth and the drama are blended seamlessly, much to Tim Burton's and screenwriter John August's credit. The faults I find with "Big Fish" are that some of its stories would have been more interesting told rather than seen, and the odd conglomeration of stories that constitute Edward's repertoire sometimes give the film an uneven pace. It goes without saying that "Big Fish" is sentimental. It most closely resembles Burton's "Edward Scissorhands" in tone. The DVD: Bonus features include two multi-part featurettes, which can also be viewed during the film by activating a feature called "Fish Tales", a trivia quiz, and an audio commentary by director Tim Burton. When activated, "Fish Tales" displays an icon on your screen during the film's playback that will take you to the relevant featurette. The first featurette, "The Character's Journey" contains three parts, each focusing primarily on one of the film's characters: the young Edward Bloom, circus ringmaster Amos Callaway, and Will Bloom. The film's cast and director Tim Burton discuss the characters in interviews. The second featurette is "The Filmmaker's Path", which has four parts. Tim Burton talks about the film's themes and inspirations. The production designer and effects coordinators discuss their role in expressing those themes. The fourth part, which is entitled "The Author's Journey" and features interviews with author Daniel Wallace and screenwriter John August, may be of interest to those who have read the book. "The Fine Points: A Trivia Quiz" is a game which allows you to view a short documentary about filming the circus scene if you answer the trivia questions. Tim Burton's audio commentary has an unusual format. It's an interview, so there is someone asking Burton specific questions as the subjects come up during the movie. This makes the commentary kind of low-key, but very informative. Burton talks about every aspect of the film, from its themes in relation to his own life to comments about the performances to technical details of filming. Subtitles are available in English and French. Dubbing is available in French. There are two unavoidable previews on the disc.
Rating: 
Summary: "Tell me who you are, dad."
Review: "I'm a pudgy, pasty, emotionless man who couldn't act his way out of a wet paper bag, son. Who do you want me to be?" This movie could've been very good, but it wasn't. The characters seem randomly selected and create very little chemistry. The cut and paste plotline isn't well established, either. I wanted so badly to like this movie, but wow, it just drags on and on.
Rating:
Summary: A moving story about an old man's stories and his son
Review: There's a 'rule' in movies that I've always believed in: if most of the people either love or hate the movie (i.e. barely no three-star reviews) then it tends to be worth seeing. "Big Fish" was not the exception to this 'rule'. Tim Burton has grown with time to become one of the directors I respect the most, and with "Big Fish" he combined the talents of a host of great performers to deliver a movie that moved me like few flics have. Maybe it was the fact that I am now in a point of my life, with my father over 75 years old and my son who is not even one, but I could identify with the main character and his struggle to dig the truth buried inside his father's extraordinary stories he grew up listening to over and over. I felt compelled to follow the story through the world of fantasy that Burton assembled for us, to a point where everything started making perfect sense. He has done it before and he did it again, and for that I thank him. Should you watch this movie? Absolutely. Don't let other people's negative opinions about it push you away from it: you may find, like I did, that behind Burton's fantasy lies a world of truth and hope to be found.
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