Rating: 
Summary: Let Your Imagination Run Wild
Review: I'm always amused when I read radically divergent reviews of a movie. Big Fish seems to be one that people either love or hate. This is, in short, an homage to the art of the story--to imagination. If you are a person who likes movies that follow a linear progression, with clear good guys and bad guys and a standard plot, this is not a movie for you. This movie is a hall of mirrors, with worlds within worlds and characters that transform and transcend themselves, often appearing or disappearing inexplicably. The cinematography and direction are highly stylized; the colors are vivid and the characters are, in some cases, quite literally larger than life. I loved the sense of wandering into one enchanting or enchanted place after another; it was never clear if a place was in some alternate universe or just down the road. I couldn't wait to visit the next magical scene--it had a very Alice in Wonderland quality about it.The movie asks several questions. What is better, truth for truth's sake, or a great story for the sake of a great story? Do we have the right to hold onto illusions at the expense of real life and real loved ones? Is the desire to reinvent oneself a noble quest or a pathetic, self-aggrandizing exercise in futility? While it is clear that Burton leans in the direction of the "big fish" tale, he doesn't offer easy answers. He shows the frustration experienced by the son, Will, who has been kept at an emotional distance from his father who seems not to be able to incorporate the reality of his less-colorful boy into his wild tales. Although Will comes around at the end and gives his father an emotionally wrenching last "gift," the audience still gets a sense that the son is not all wrong--his father's unwillingness to bend and share authentic experiences with boy did come at a heavy cost. My unwillingness to give this movie 5 stars is mostly based on a few performances that seemed less than stellar; Billy Crudup is good but not great in a part that could have been handled with so much more sensitivity. I believe he was supposed to be more likable, but he came across as a bit of a whiner. I typically love Ewan McGregor but I couldn't quite get a handle on his character; he seemed not to fully commit to the character and thus, he didn't convince me that he was the perfect casting choice for this. Jessica Lange is wonderful as always, but her part is relatively small and she plays a type more than anything; she is supposed to be an archetypal love of a man's life, and so she is angelic and two-dimensional. It would have been great to see the effect of her husband's constant storytelling on her life, but perhaps this would have been too much to cover. Several of the smaller parts deserve special mention; Steve Buscemi brings another delightful character to the big screen as the unbelievably untalented poet Norther Winslow. Danny DeVito continues to impress; he's at once grating, conniving, and emotionally vulnerable. Another standout was Marion Cotillard as Will's French wife, Josephine. She manages in a very few lines to convey such depth and warmth; she's a beautiful young woman who should get some notice in the future. Another wonderful performance is Matthew McGrory as the giant, Karl, a fantastical creature who manages to be one of the most real characters in the movie with his wistful melancholy and realistic outlook on life. If you have an open mind and want to escape to another dimension, this movie is not to be missed.
Rating: 
Summary: A dark enchanting story...
Review: Tim Burton directs an enchanting story about storytelling and the magical properties of fantastic tales. The story begins with the son, William Bloom, who has moved to France with his expecting wife, Sophie. and after three years he is forced to return to the US to see his dying father, Ed, with whom he has not spoken in three years. William is determined to find out the truth behind his father as everything that he has heard since childhood about his father has been fantastic imaginations about giants, miraculous adventures, and big mysterious fish. However, as William returns to his childhood home the fairy tales told by his father continue, and the question is whether William will have time to find out the truth before the old man dies. Big Fish is a powerful cinematic experience as it combines the traditional and contemporary manners of storytelling and as the tale unfolds it leaves the audience with both entertainment and notions to ponder.
Rating: 
Summary: Parents corner
Review: Just wanted to say, on top of being drab, it was filthy. with crude coments and nude shots frome behind, I would not recomend it to any family who is sensitive to movie content.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliantly told story.
Review: I went into Big Fish with high hopes. I love Tim Burton movies. He has an amazing imagination, which is lacking in many directors today. Directors like Roland Emmerich, Renny Harlin, and of course the big one, Michael Bay. These directors only use special effects and big explosions, while the story gets lost. Meanwhile Burton's genius is that his beautiful visuals compliment his stories. So as the curtains rose, and the theater went dark I was overcome by a childish glee. Then to my disdain, the lights came back on, then went on, and off about 15 more times before the movie finally started. But what a movie it ended up being. Big Fish tells the story of a young man trying to sort out the facts and lies that his father has been telling him for his whole life. As the story opens Will Bloom (Crudup) hasn't spoken to his father in almost three years. He got tired of listening to his tall tales, but when he gets a call from his mother (Lange) telling him that his father doesn't have much time he rushes down as a latch ditch effort to learn the facts about his father. Albert Finney plays Edward Bloom, a man nearly confined to his bed, trying to get his son to accept who he is. The majority of the film is told through flashbacks, showing the amazing life that young Edward Bloom (Mcgregor) has lived. From giants to circus, from war to salesman, the film gives you the glimpse of a life as Bloom sees it. Is it true? Is he lying? Or is he embellishing the facts? Who knows and who cares. The actors in this movie shine. Ewan McGregor and Albert Finney are absolutely charming in this movie. You want to believe his stories, and you can see why others do. The convincing shed their accents and pick up a southern accent without you really noticing. Other notable performances include Jessica Lange and Helena Bohnam Carter. But another surprise would have had to be Lohman. This was the first movie I had seen her in, and I was amazed. She is extremely talented and even with the limited screen time she was given manage to catch my attention. Now on to the inevitable visuals. Everyone knows of Tim Burtons visuals. Heck he has made it a trade mark., now known as Burtonism. This movie surprised me in the aspect that although very visual, it was the least of all his movies. What stood out to me? Well the town of Spectre along with the path to get there. It was a beautiful town, which represented Heaven on earth. Another notable section was the circus, where time froze while Ed Bloom saw the women of his life. The screenplay by John August captures the beauty of Daniel Wallace's book while expanding on it. The screenplay looked tailor made to be directed by Tim Burton. Which brings us to the score which was beautifully written by Danny Elfman. I have gotten so used to his dark and moody scores that I forgot how brilliant and light some of his scores can be. This is one of the best, compliments the movie perfectly. So when the lights came back on after the movie was over I was smiling. My imagination was just blown away again by Tim Burton. I was talking about the movie with a few friends after we got out of the theater and they noticed the same reaction from the audience as with me. I remembered being afraid when I sat down originally because it was the late showing and the audience consisted of teens. I was expecting a lot of dumb comments but they were as blown away as I was. Even now a few months later as I watch it on dvd I still can't stop smiling at how much I like this movie. This is a movie for everyone.
Rating: 
Summary: Underdeveloped dialogue and script
Review: The dialogue did not support the story or plot. I found it boring and cliched retelling of the father-son who don't understand each other story. I didn't enjoy the movie much, except for the funny bits.
I like Tim Burton's work, but found this movie silly.
I would not recommend this film very highly. See Last Samurai instead.
Rating: 
Summary: Just Not That Good.
Review: This movie could have been as good as Forrest Gump, but it lacked a great screenplay. There are some great moments, but those moments don't come around often enough. The movie seems to drag quite a bit. Ewan McGregor stars as the young Albert Finney, and he would have been great had the script not led him astray. This movie had a LOT of potential, and I think that is why I was so disappointed. Tim Burton fans might still like it because of the quirkiness of the storyline and filming, but I'm not a superfan of Burton. Save your cash, rent it, don't buy it. See ya next review.
www.therunningirl.com
Rating:
Summary: Tragically Poor
Review: Big Fish was probably a book never ment to be made into a movie. But when has that stopped anyone before? Just look at "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" or the even worse "Cat in the Hat". There's no way to SHOW these events other that using uncontrollably ridiculous special effects. Is it just me or is there something entirely souless and dead about trying to get emotional performances from stuff that doesn't actually exist? As a few people have already noted, most of the characters (with the exepton of Jessica Lang's character) are compellingly unlikable, and their endless rationalizing, defending of a repeatitive and irritating old man, or just being an irritating old man can really drive one up the wall. I know very well that saying this will almost certainly cause all around hatered of me, but i really believe Tim Burton isn't all that talented. I mean really, he made Beetlejuice, Nightmare Before Christmas, and Sleepy Hollow, none of which are really GOOD movies, just unusual ones. Not well made at all, but appealing to a specific cult audience (mostly gothy kids) that will defend him to the death. I Really didn't care for this movie. Think "Life as a House" with a lot of fluff. And here i thought that movie was fluff enough...
Rating:
Summary: Too Forrest-Gumpish
Review: This movie felt a little too much like Forrest Gump. The movie definitely carried Burton's stamp with its dreamy, gothic surrealism; fantastical characters; and the familiar lofty themes from Danny Elfman's score. However, the story-line seemed a little too familiar...just a different person telling a tale to a different listener. Is it a coincidence that the main characters in both movies loved story-telling, lived larger-than-life adventures and were from Alabama? Nice approach...but already been done. Skip it.
Rating:
Summary: Big Movie
Review: Upon first hearing about this movie, I was unimpressed. It sounded kind of cheesy. It wasn't until I saw an extended trailer, and the beautiful images that are captured by the ever so talented Tim Burton that I knew I had to see this movie. This movie made up for Planet of the Apes being so bad. Ewan McGregor is great as the sweet and somewhat innocent Ed Bloom, a saleman with a big imagination. He has a story for everything. However, his son Will, did not inherit his imagination and believes that all of the stories are phony. Once he delves into the world his father lived in, he starts to see the reality of the life his father claimed to live, and the myth becomes the man. This is one of the sweetest stories ever told. And the imagery is breathtaking. I have nver been so captivated by a film in my life. A must see for any film lover.
Rating:
Summary: Some really wacky imagery and enjoyable characters....
Review: Tim Burton once again proves that if nothing else, he's capable of very odd and arresting visuals done at the service of his story. Some quite funny moments (my favorite is the North Korean ventriloquist) and just some really odd and unusual images, along with some endearing and likeable characters made this an entertaining film. However, I found the "moral" of the story to be fairly wishy-washy and lukewarm (we live on in our stories), devoid of any real intellectual sustenance. Still, a film certainly worth watching (and yes, that really tall guy is pretty much really that tall-about 7 feet), especially for the humor and visuals.
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