Big Fish
Big Fish
Big Fish - 
Overview
Positives
Negatives
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Brief Review
Tim Burton delivers a brilliantly emotional tale about a crippled father-son relationship based around elaborate tall tales. The story works well and bounces between reality and fiction at a relatively good pace. Some of the scenes set in reality do drag though which is a shame for this polished fantasy tale. The special effects are top notch and the art direction works equally as well, splashing bright, vivid colours throughout the elaborate tales. Well worth a watch.
Full Review
Tim Burton is known for combining the bizarre nature of fantastic fantasy tales and spinning them to fit into the current trend of films and Big Fish is no exception to the rule. Released in 2003, Big Fish is an emotional tale that strikes the right chord throughout. The middle does drag slightly but overall the film delivers on all fronts.
The story follows a Father and Son's crippled relationship which deteriorates further due to the elaborate tales his Father tells. After realizing his Father is dying and wanting to reconcile their differences before the end, his Son retells the tales his Father told him while dabbling in reality and dealing with the imminent death of his Dad.
The story works well but at 2 hours and 5 mins the middle of the story does drag a bit and the scenes set in reality fail to shine or stand out over the spectacular grandeur of the tall tales. That's not saying they're bad as there's enough here to keep attention spans but the real meat of the story is the fantasy setting with Ewan McGregor.
Speaking of McGregor, his portrayal of Edward Bloom is right on the money in my opinion and he shines above the rest of the cast that don't really stand out at all. There's enough variety here from different characters but its really Edward Bloom's tale and it shows through the effortless performance from Ewan McGregor.
The visuals and special effects on display are top notch and some of the scenes are delivered brilliantly and realistically. The special effects department really outdid themselves here and both the costumes and make-up are equally good, backed up by the effects.
The main part of the film that will keep you watching is the spectacular grandeur of each tale from Edward Bloom's childhood all the way up to present day and ending on a bittersweet note. Without giving too much away, the ending is expected but when it arrives its still gut-wrenching to watch but handled well here.
Overall then, Big Fish is a decent fantasy tale that brings something new to the table with a magnificent tale of love and excitement. Ewan McGregor is excellent here and shines above everyone else effortlessly, stealing the show for himself. The ending is handled well too and overall this tale makes for excellent watching and consequently a decent film. Well worth a watch, even if the middle does drag a bit.