The BFG – Now on Home Video (Jason’s 1st Impressions)

The BFG, the Big Friendly Giant, is on Blu-Ray, DVD, and Digital HD/Disney Movies Anywhere today.   The film is directed by Steven Spielberg and reunited several members of the team that had worked on E.T. back in 1982 (which coincidentally is the year the BFG book was published) including Melissa Mathison wrote the screenplay for both and Kathleen Kennedy.   The film is based on the Roald Dahl’s classic in which an orphaned girl befriends a giant who at first is her captor and becomes her friend.  The two of them recruit the Queen of England to take on the less friendly giants.

I have not read the book so I went into the film as a blank slate.  I knew a little about it from the theatrical release, which I also missed, but that was it.  I am not a big fan of motion capture films.  They always seem a little off to me and border on creepy at times.  This was no different.  The movie itself was ok, but not overly entertaining to me.  I really was not engaged by it.  Not sure if it was because of the fantasy element, motion capture, or what but it just did not work for me.   The humor was not that interesting to me either.

This home video release features only a handful of bonus features.  The material is not plentiful but is well done.

• Bringing The BFG to Life – This roughly 30 minute piece was interesting. It was part traditional bonus material and part video diary of the young star of the film (Ruby Barnhill was 10 during filming).  I would have really liked to have seen them do this as two or maybe different piece and expand them all slightly.  One could focus on the team for the film, one on the tech, and then her diary.  Here are three clips released from this feature:

• The Big Friendly Giant And Me – This is an animated short about a previous friend of the BFG before Sophie
• Gobblefunk: The Wonderful Words of the BFG – Part dictionary and part game show, this short piece looks at the language of the BFG.
• Giants 101 – A short piece looking at a little more closely at what went into creating the giants including learning to move like a giant, wardrobe, and motion capture.
• Melissa Mathison: A Tribute – A piece paying tribute to the writer for the film who passed away before the release.

For more details on the home video release here is the full press release.

In conclusion if you are a fan of the book and film and want to visit Giant Country again then The BFG may be worth considering adding to your collection.

For a listing of all our BFG posts click here