By Travis Johnson
It’s genuinely surprising that this adaptation of Roald Dahl’s 1982 children’s book marks the first collaboration between Steven Spielberg and Disney – the ‘Berg and the Mouse House seem like such a perfect fit that it’s a little weird that it’s taken so long. Still, here we are, with Spielberg working from a script by the late Melissa Mathison.
It looks great, although the deliberate cartoonishness of the giants’ character designs takes some getting used to. Mark Rylance, fresh of his Oscar win for Spielberg’s Bridge of Spies, is the eponymous Big Friendly Giant, while the bookish heroine, Sophie, is played by Ruby Barnhill. Rebecca Hall, Bill Hader, Jemaine Clement, Matt Frewer and Rafe Spall also feature.
The BFG is released in Australia on June 30.
