Rating: 
Summary: An adventure as big as life itself
Review: With films like Edward Scissorhands, A Nightmare Before Christmas and Sleepy Hollow under his belt, it seems that my favorite director, Tim Burton, can do no wrong when it comes to imaginative storytelling. I hardly ever get a chance to go to the movies so I've been wanting to rent this for the longest time now but the wait was well worth it. I've always enjoyed weird, quirky films that are slightly off the beaten path and "Big Fish" is definitely one of those films. Based on the novel by Daniel Wallace, this movie is pretty much about a son trying to understand his dying father whom he never really knew while incorporating elements of tall tales and myths through flashbacks of the eccentric adventures his father, Edward Bloom (played by Ewan McGregor when he was a young man) told him growing up, such as his brave encounter with a witch who has a glass eye that foretells the way one will eventually die if they dare stare into it (and that's simply the tip of the iceberg, so to speak). Finding it hard to believe the fables his father tells to be true he sets out to unravel the truth by visiting Jennifer Hill (played by Helena Bonham Carter) after finding a deed to a town he'd thought to be make-believe called Spector. "Big Fish", however, is not as it appears. It is every bit a drama as it is a fantasy. It may not be my favorite Tim Burton film but it's uniquely different yet similar in feel to the other projects he's worked on, and that's probably because it's unlike anything in the theaters for Tim Burton is known to take risks by straying far from the usual. He's a visionary and a dreamer and "Big Fish" is a charming, delightful journey not to be missed... Hope this review wasn't too brief but I don't wish to explain what happens in too much detail. You must discover this gem for yourself, not really knowing what to expect.
Rating: 
Summary: A little disappointing
Review: This film is OK. I can enjoy fantasy and symbolism in a movie, but the whimsical and circus-type elements in this particular film were a little too much for me. Although, by the end of the film it does all makes more sense. This is the kind of film that you could watch a second time and experience it again like new. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy it enough the first time to want to watch it a second time. I think the father's character should have been fleshed out a little more. It didn't like his character much as an old man. I did like him as a young man, but the episodic bits didn't give me enough to really sympathize with him. The son's character was well done, however. The acting, directing, and special effects are good. I imagine Tim Burton fans will enjoy this movie. The average person may not enjoy it as much. As far as moral content, it was refreshing to see a character choose to remain faithful to his wife. However, disappointingly, the "family values" merit of the film is undercut by its nude scenes (as well as some swearing). As far as the DVD elements, it's got the standard "plot rehash, with comments by the actors" stuff, as well as running commentary by the director, I believe. There were a few other things too, like a quiz, but I wasn't interested enough to look into those.
Rating: 
Summary: Falls short.
Review: Being a huge admirer of Tim Burton's work, I eagerly anticipated seeing "Big Fish." However, I was completely disappointed by it. This was supposed to be a very personal film for him and yet it feels utterly impersonal. There is no point at which I was pulled into the story. Although Billy Crudup's character knows his father is dying, he treats him father as a child and seems to have no emotion about the eventual loss. This seemed unbelievable. I was also expecting something more colorful and visually stunning. Expect for one tender scene in which Albert Finney and Jessica Lange are in the bathtub fully clothed together, this film unfortunately falls short of it's potential. It's possible that I had expectation that were too high, but nevertheless, it just didn't grab me.
Rating:
Summary: Makes you feel just as good as Forest Gump did!
Review: Big Fish didn't do that great in the box office and also wasn't as well appreciated as it should've been. Critics seemed to take more of a liking to the foreighn film Barbarian Invasion. Since both came out around the same time and both are about an old man's last hours with his family. So most critics gave Big Fish lower ratings because they liked The Barbarian Invasion more. Some critics did notice it and appreciate it a lot but not enough did. Meanwhile I think Big Fish deserved the sort of appreciation that Forest Gump got. Hell for me it made me feel the way I did when I first saw Forest Gump as well. It's touching, uplifting, funny, romantic and highly imaginative. The performances are great as well. Ewan McGregor is fantastic as young Edward Bloom and Albert Finny is equally great as old Edward Bloom. Billy Crudup (Almost Famous), Jessica Lange (Tootsie), Danny Devito, Helen Bohen Carter (Fight Club) and Steve Buscemi (Ghost World) are all good in supporting roles as well. Critic Roger Ebert said that Tim Burton does better work when he focuses more on a story than effects like with Sleepy Hollow and Edward. He makes it sound like Big Fish doesn't focus more on the story when it does. It's all story and all heart. Burton isn't George Lucas, he can make a good movie even without eye popping effects. He proved that with EdWood and I think he proved that with Big Fish too. When it was over, I was thinking about the acting, direction and the story and about how good of a movie I just saw.
Rating: 
Summary: extremely rich, funny, and deeply emotional film
Review: i loved it completely today, as i opened and viewed my glorious new dvd! truly tim burton's masterpiece, it cracks you up, gets you so involved and wrapped up in it, it's hard to let it end! the acting by the entire cast is wonderful, the cinematography is breathtaking, the story so full of imagination, humor, and heartwarming events, you may find it irrestable as i did, and view it all over again. the dvd ac-3 sound is incredible as is the digital transfer. it is, at times, astounding! do not pass this one by-it is a marvel.
Rating:
Summary: They way Movies Used to Be
Review: I'm a huge fan of Fantasy Movies. Neverending Story, Dark Crystal, Black Hole, Tron, etc. This movie is in the vein of those classic films. Todays movies rely way too much on star power and special effects and not on heart. This is by far Tim Burton's best film and really a great movie.
Rating:
Summary: Complete Catharsis
Review: This is by far, the best movie ever. I was so moved not only because of the fact that the plot is wonderful, but because it was like looking me in a mirror... One tells stories to amused people and sometimes they don't like them, or don't enjoy them but in a way, that stories are building up memories that will never be forgotten. Is kind of making history on a life of someone else. You will be hardly being forgotten.
Rating:
Summary: What makes a "good film?"
Review: There are a lot of movies people say they love, or are "great movies." But what makes a "good film" or movie? Big Fish has it all in pleasantly satisfying measure. This is not the greatest film of all time, but it might have been the best movie of its year. In a time when a film would be hard-pressed to win an Oscar without being a blockbuster cash cow, Big Fish shone through as both a financial success (if not a blockbuster) and also a cinematic success. If you enjoy a good story, inspiring cinematography, lovable (if not believable) characters, and compelling moments, then you will like Big Fish. Coming from a guy who loved The Matrix, Couching Tiger, and The Princess Bride... Big Fish swims! (I cried like a little kid with a finger caught in the car door).
Rating:
Summary: Tim Burton's masterpiece
Review: Big Fish is the best movie of the year. It is full of magic, adventure, comedy, romance, love. It's not only a movie to entertain, but to teach you something in life. Ewan MacGregor's performance is excellent. At present, I think he is the best actor and also the most handsome! I will definitely buy this DVD and recommend it to all my friends!
Rating:
Summary: Best movie of the year!
Review: I took a liking to this movie a bit more extremely than the general public. I really thought this was a major contender with other great films of 2003/04 such as Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King and Mystic River. Althought, I was astonished to see that Big Fish was only up for one Academy Award this year, and it was only for scene creation; not for Movie of the Year or something along those lines. I will be writing this review assuming that you know the plot of this film. Tim Burton is a pretty popular guy in the movie business. Having done other movies such as Big Fish such as The Night Before Christmas, he is known for making different and unique tales exciting and enjoyable. Big Fish is no acception. The actors all create interesting and meaningful characters that really exciten you as you follow the journey that they persue. Particularly found in the character of Edward Bloom, many/most of the characters are funny, interesting, and exciting. Not too many movies matched up to this character development this year. What makes this movie so good is the fact that nothing even close to this kind of thing has been created before. This movie is one of the most interesting and different movies to ever be made. It has a lot of traits that only independant films possess like the extremist story line and the outlandish characters and scenes, but it really does teach you a lesson and it does, more importantly, make a huge mark in your mind; comparing other films to Big Fish is almost impossible because there's nothing to compare it to. I love that about movies. While Big Fish is no Godfather, it is a must-see movie of the year; it is definitely worth just about any movie-goer's time.
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