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Summary: big fish
Review: Well all i really can say about this movie is in one word...amazing. I saw it in theatres and i just cannot believe how amazing it is. The acting by Ewan McGregor and Albert Finney is just incredible. And of course, Danny Elfman's music is just wondeful just like in every other Burton film.Tim Burton did a great job on Big Fish.
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Summary: What a Whale of a Movie!
Review: You must go see this movie! (But for those of you who need a little more motivation, here's my review.) This is a mythical, lyrical story of an aging man who has spent his whole life telling the story of his life in, um, rather exagerated fashions. This is a real sweet adult fairy tale, sure to capture your heart. I was smiling a lot in this movie! And besides, girls: Ewan McGregor is an adorable creature!
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Summary: A wonderful tall tale of whimsy between father and son.
Review: Don't you know someone in your life that tells the tallest tales of life? You want to believe them because you love them but then all you know of them are stories almost lies at times. 'Big Fish' reminds you that sometimes you just have to see with the eyes of a child and to accept that their life is their tall tales. Edward Bloom [Albert Finney] has a son and tells the most unique tale of how his son was born while he was capturing a 'Big Fish' problem is he's been telling this story for all the 30 something years his son has been alive and Will Bloom [Billy Crudup] is not enchanted with his fathers tall tales of life and love. This film takes you on two journeys; the whimsical journey of a young Edward Bloom played by Ewan McGregor from his home town of Auburn on to the road of an ideal southern town, a moving circus, to the heart of the love of his life Sandra Templeton played by both Amy Lohman and Jessica Lang, on a secret military mission, and then the parallel journey of his later life with his son. This film had the feel of a Superhero film sprinkled with real life and fables. There is a lot of fun in this movie and a great story of acceptance between father and son. The casting of this film blew me away. Lots of big names and a great cast for Edward Bloom [Finney and McGregor] and Sandra Templeton [Lohman and Lang] not to mention all the supporting characters. Although I really enjoyed this film, I think it would have been better with a fresh director.
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Summary: Awsome Movie
Review: Big Fish, is a wonderful movie, with awsome visuals and a lot of love in the telling of it.
It is the story of Edward Bloom, a big fish, who came out of his small pond to see the world. Now his time has come to move on from this world to the next. His son, Will (Billy Crudup)is tired of the old stories that his father has been telling him and others for years. Growing up believeing that either his father was crazy, or had to make up a whole other world, because he was unhappy with his own.
We are taken on the glourious journey of Edward Blooms life, from Birth, to death. All told with amazing visuals, the colors and the scenery, give the whole movie a feel of wimsey and a child like wonder. A wonder that even the older Ed Bloom (Al Finney) still maintains.
It shows, how even though somethings sound too outrageous to be true, that it just might be true. To never loose your childlike sense of wonder, and I personally think to listen to those strange tales you hear from your own loved ones.
It is a wonderful childrens movie and a wonderful movie for adults. It has some great actors. Ewan McGregor and Al Finney play Edward Bloom. Jessica Lange and Alison Lohman, play Sandra Timpleton, Billy Crudup as Will. Also, Robert Guillaume, Helena Bohnam Carter, Danny DeVito, and Steve Buscemi. Buscemi was hillarious in this movie.
It is definetly a mush see.
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Summary: Tim Burton finally hits a home run
Review: Tim Burton makes strange movies, and this movie is no exception to that rule. He doesn't follow 'normal' story lines, and he breaks a lot of rules. I've enjoyed many of his movies in the past, but this is the first of his that I absolutely love. It seems people are either completely entranced with this movie, or they are impressed by the imagery and disappointed by the story. In this movie, a father has told fantastic stories all his life, much to the delight of everyone around him, except his son. As an adult, father and son are estranged, until the father is on his deathbed, and the son returns home hoping to understand what is the truth about his father. Everyone seems to agree that the telling of these tales is a great feature of this movie. The special effects are done well, and the tales all seem magical, so much so that everyone is happier (or sadder) and everything is shinier in the version of events told by the father than in the 'real' world seen in the eyes of his son. These tales make this movie worth the price of admission alone. The overall theme of the movie is perhaps a little harder to see than many folks would like. All of these people in the movie love the story teller, and love the stories, and they play with him. The son, wanting to know the truth, eventually realizes that it doesn't matter what the truth is, because he loves his father. In the end, he finds it easier to accept his father's tales for what they are, and does what he can to make his father's passing easier. There is no perfect ending, no large lessons learned, simply the acceptance of a father by his son. The actors for this movie are well chosen, and particularly well done. Jessica Lange and Alison Lohman do particularly well as the young and old Sandra Bloom (and they look alike, as well). Ewan McGregor's constant smile works well with this character, and the sombre Helena Bonham Carter is right on. My only complaint was that Billy Crudup was a bad choice for the son, his voice is too entrancing to be the voice of a character as lost as the son. It would be like casting James Earl Jones as a wallflower. All in all, I think this movie is fantastic (in the old and modern senses of the word) and very well done.
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Summary: More unevenness from Burton
Review: What is it with so many Tim Burton movies? Visually they are an absolute treat...full of invention and a sense of almost childlike wonder. But when it comes to revealing the workings of the human heart or clarifying plot developments, he so often falls short. BIG FISH presents us with the best of his good traits, and frankly, the worst of his lesser habits. Visually the movie is stunning. We've all seen the trailers where Ewan McGregor has time stop for him when he meets the love of his life, and he brushes bits of flying popcorn out of the air as he approaches her. Very cool. Sets and costumes are whimsical, in the best sense. His performers all work hard to get into that same spirit of wacky, not-quite-reality that the film strives to evoke. I say try. Often, they fail. BIG FISH is the story of a 30 something son come home to be with his dying father. They have a strained relationship, because the boy feels he knows nothing about dad. Dad always just told fanciful stories about his life and adventures...stories far too incredible to be true...and now the son wants the truth, darn it, so he can know dad. Okay. Fine. Dad tells some of his old stories again, and the movie shows them played out for us. The son tries to dig into what really happened. That's fine too. But nowhere do we really understand WHY the son needs this (Billy Crudup plays him like the world's biggest party-pooper...he just wants to take dad down a notch or two it would appear). Dad (played in old age by Albert Finney) clings to his stories, but never seems to acknowledge that his son wants to know if they are true or not. He just keeps telling them. He never says "Yeah, they're true," or "no, they ain't" or even "what do you thing?" He just tells them. With a twinkle in his eye, true, but he's just a frustrating old-cuss who apparently has not learned to really connect with people. We hear him talk about the "love of his life," yet he marries her, finds a job as a traveling salesman, and is hardly ever home to be with the woman he went to huge lengths to win. And she seems to just glow with love for him...yet we have NO idea why she would love him. Again, Burton fails to reveal any truths about the human heart. He's just messing with his viewer. Many of these stories are amusing, true, but there are plenty that aren't all that interesting either. The mysterious forest that McGregor goes through when he leaves town are phony, phony, phony. Feel like rejects from the set of Burton's SLEEPY HOLLOW. Anyway, what of the performances by the VERY promising cast? BILLY CRUDUP is just boring and unlikeable. Right up to the end. Even when he comes to some sort of "realization" that kinda makes no sense. ALBERT FINNEY, one of my absolute favorite actors of all time, is okay but unmemorable. JESSICA LANGE, as Finney's wife, has very little to do but look loving. ALISON LOHMAN, as the younger Lange, has a great blend of freshness and "spunk." She was great in MATCHSTICK MEN and good in WHITE OLEANDER, and her winning streak continues here. HELENA BONHAM CARTER is okay in a strange role as one of the many people McGregor meets. And what of Ewan McGregor? He's another very fine actor, but he's lost here. I feel like I'm watching his "fake" character from the amusing DOWN WITH LOVE dropped into this film. The over-the-top accent and goofy smile are EXACTLY the same. As appealing as McGregor is (he just seems like such a nice guy!), his work in BIG FISH is disappointing. The whole movie is disappointing. I know some people LOVED it, but I was left unmoved and vaguely confused.
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Summary: "Sandra Templeton, I love you and I WILL marry you."
Review: "There comes a point when any reasonable man will swallow his pride and admit he made a mistake. The truth is . . . I was never a reasonable man."
-Young Edward Bloom Tim Burton's "Big Fish" proves the truism that memory can never be totally accurate or complete. Making matters worse is that sometimes the person recalling the past will embellish his or her memories to the point where fiction and fact become inseparable. Yet, is this necessarily a bad thing? Who amongst us after all has not been amused by the occasional tall tale? Edward Bloom (Albert Finney) is and has always been a master storyteller. His son, Will (Billy Crudup) has heard all of the tales of his father's youth many times over while growing up. He loved listening to them when he was a small boy but became annoyed by them as he grew older and began to recognize them for what they really were - tall tales. When Edward falls ill, Will returns home and asks his father if he would finally come clean and tell him the truth about his life. Will is desperate to find out who his real father is since surely he was not the man who during his youth had adventures with a legendary catfish, a witch with a glass eye, a giant, a circus run by an unusual ringmaster, a mermaid, and two Asian singers joined at the hip? Or was he? At first glance it might appear that "Big Fish" is a whimsical story about a man who lived a fascinating life in his own mind. However, a closer inspection reveals it to be a much more deeply layered film than that. On an individualistic external level, it explores the notion of legacy by examining one man's desire to make himself seem more fascinating than he really was. And on an individualistic internal level, it explores the psychological importance of utilizing the imagination to alleviate the personal disappointment felt when one's life does not turn out to be as colorful as had been hoped. Yet, despite the profound themes circulating throughout "Big Fish," the film never feels too heavy-handed as Burton skillfully includes just the right amount of amusing moments from start to finish to keep you smiling. Much credit must also go to the amazing group of actors and actresses in the film. There is not a single miscast performer as Jessica Lange, Alison Lohman, Helena Bonham-Carter, Danny DeVito, Matthew McGrory, Robert Guillaume, Steve Buscemi, Ada Tai, and Arlene Tai are all great in their respective roles. Ewan McGregor deserves special recognition for his portrayal of the young Edward Bloom as he is totally convincing in every scene he appears in no matter how outlandish the surrounding circumstances may be. Kudos to Burton for making amends for his disappointing re-imagining of "Planet of the Apes" (2001) with this film. Here's hoping that "Big Fish" is the start of another creative winning streak for him.
Rating:
Summary: "There are some fish that can't be caught"
Review: I think that those who are disappointed in "Big Fish" need to keep one thing in mind. Tim Burton directed this film, but it is based on the novel by Daniel Wallace. Those who are disappointed by this film probably feel so because the ending does not reach the lyrical height of "Edward Scissorshand" and the powerful idea of why it snows sometime in that suburban town. I was actually thinking along those lines, wondering what wonder Burton would pull out of his hat this time, when it dawned on that this was not that sort of a movie. "Big Fish" twists time between the present, in which old Ed Bloom (Albert Finney) is dying, and the mythical past, in which the young Ed Bloom (Ewen McGregor) has the adventures that he is always telling everybody about. Ed has been telling stories all of his life, to the complete enjoyment and captivation of everybody who hears them, except for his son, Will (Billy Crudup). After a flare up at his wedding, where he thinks the day should finally be about him rather than his father, Will goes off to Paris with his wife to work as a wire service reporter and stops talking with his father. But then the old man's health takes a final turn for the worse, William comes home and finally demands that his father finally tell him something about his life that is real before he dies. Ed is not worried because when he was young he looked into the glass eye of a witch (Helena Bonham-Carter) and he knows how he dies and this is not it...yet. What I picked up early in this movie is that Will is wrong. Ed is not a blowhard. Forget what Billy says and listen to him tell a story. Look at the faces of his wife, Sandra (Jessica Lange), his daughter-in-law Josephine (Marion Cotillard), and the people in the audience when Ed tells his story. Even when they let Ed know that they already know the story, such as the one about the car and the maple tree, these women have such love for Ed on their faces. Only Will misses the point, and apparently he takes some of the audience members with him. But when Burton gives cinematic vision to Ed's stories we can see the magic as well as hear it. So we get to see the stories about Ed meeting Karl the Giant (Matthew McGrory), the circus run by Amos Calloway (Danny DeVito), his meeting Ping (Ada Tai) and Jin (Arlene Tai) during the war, and his wooing of the beautiful young Sandra (a postively glowing Alison Lohman). Because this is Tim Burton these sequences are as fantastical as you would expect. However, ironically, there is a moment in "Big Fish" where Burton goes too far and gives Will a brief glimpse of the fantasy world of which his father spins his tales. However, that moment is a mistake, because it sets up the idea the film's final payoff might be along those lines and is at odds with both the conclusion and the overall film. The trap in this film is quite clear to me now. Audience members think they are supposed to identify with Will rather than Old Ed. The truth is that we are supposed to identify with young Ed. How can we not? It is young Ed who hits the long homerun, who wins the girl, and who saves the town of Spectre. But do not feel sorry for old Ed, because his wife is perfectly willing to climb into the bathtub with him, even when they are both dressed. Will is the one that his been missing the magic and who realizes an ephihany when he proves himself to be his father's son.
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Summary: weak story for adults, but great for little kids
Review: We all know the plot of Big Fish. Father tells crazy stories, son thinks his father is full of crap, then son comes to realize he is a retard. well, something like that... =p I really respect and love Tim Burtons movies. Pee Wee's Big Adventure wouldn't have been great without Tim. Tim even took a dumb silly comic like Batman and made it cool. Not only did he make great movies, but they are still great now and stand the test of time. Unfortunatly because Tim is so great, people are going to exagerate and pretend that this film is a masterpiece. Much like the plot of the movie, they will create their own big fish and tell people that this is the greatest film in the world. Unfortunaly this film is less a big beautiful fish and more like a big dead shad for adults! Kids will like this film. Adults who can be unbias from liking Tim Burton will not like this film as much as kids. Not only was the casting bad, but the acting was silly. People smiled so much in the stories, I wasn't sure if I was watching Big Fish or an Enzyte commercial. Somewhere deep in space their is a box labeled overated garbage. In that box you will find KILL BILL, LORD OF THE RINGS, and BIG FISH. acting=3.5 stars
ending=3.5 stars
Directing and Editing=2 stars
storyline=4 stars
replay value=2 stars
Music=NA OVERALL= SOLID 3 stars As David Spade would say, I liked it the first time.....uh, when it was called Forrest Gump.
Rating:
Summary: Extremely Good Movie, A Must See
Review: I won't say much, but let me start off by saying that I am a 17 year old male who loves to watch war, action, and suspense movies. Big Fish can be placed into the categories of fantasy, drama, and a little into romance. .....Aaand I thought this movie was just flat out great. I can't wait for the DVD to show up. I think one of the main reasons why I ended up liking this movie is because it was directed by one of the directing greats, Tim Burton. Quick Plot: The son of a man dying with cancer realizes that his father's fantastical and very unbelievable life stories were no more than tall tales, true stories filled with hyperboles. Big Fish is very fun to watch (also filled with lots of meaning), and it is even filled with some hilarious moments. So uummmm.....5 stars from me....I will definitely buy the DVD....and I think this is a great movie for anybody of any age.
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