Big Fish Quick Movie Reviews

Logan D. McCoy - wrote on 06/07/2019

"Forrest Gump" meets Tim Burton's imagination in this charming fantasy drama.

Matthew Brady - wrote on 09/14/2015

Tim Burton's Big Fish is touching, beautiful, imaginative and a fairly tale worth seeing.

Unknown - wrote on 06/21/2014

A visual departure from Burton's usual darker, or offset, color pallet. This is an unexpectedly bright fantasy drama. The narrative is essentially a collection of fables told from one man. All of them being fantastical tellings of his actual life events. The father/son relationship is poised as the emotional core of the film and it just doesn't hold. I found that the stories were entertaining in individual nature, but the collection doesn't connect at all with the dramatically mundane present day part of film. I enjoy the short doses of creativity and not much else.

FSUNoles27TS - wrote on 12/30/2012

I was expecting this to be a great movie. I have seen this on many top lists for various categories, and Burton made it a must-see for me. Unfortunately, the movie failed to deliver on all fronts. I found the plot, characters, and twists to be very stale and forced. I felt like I was a teenager being told stories about Santa Claus. The magical factor just didn't it me. The ending though jumped my rating up 1 star, because it was a great way to end it. Other than that, this is a movie that can be passed by.

Yojimbo - wrote on 06/24/2012

Surprisingly (especially considering the pedigree Tim Burton has with gothic fairytales) the fantasy elements of the story failed to engage me as much as the more economically handled modern day "real world" part of the story. Always pleasant and mildly amusing, but rarely more than that, this film seems like the whole is less than the sum of its parts. Well worth persevering with for the heartwarming finale though.

Rod - wrote on 03/12/2012

Situated in a conflict of a father and a son, "Big Fish" is a story of both what is real and what is close to reality. Will Bloom, the son, refused to talk to his father Edward Bloom whom he thought told him stories of a non-real world. As Will comes back to his father, he discovers the world he never thought to be true. *** Clearly, the strength of this film is its story. Tim Burton executed it brilliantly while Ewan McGregor contributed to its over-all entertainment value. This film is simply beautiful, no question.

gzn - wrote on 11/28/2011

A film that stands in its own right against the equally wonderful book from which it sprang. This is a poignant film that asks big questions about our perceptions of ourself and others, and about the narratives we weave in order to make sense of life. The casting is perfect with Ewan McGregor turning out another faultless characterisation and Albert Finney making irascibility a winning trait. This film is enchanting.

Jenna - wrote on 07/01/2011

Said to be a modern day type of "Wizard of Oz" flick, in some ways, it's better. It's more captivating, with more interesting flashbacks and very visually different scenes. It's one of those films that are just impossible to forget. Brilliant cast and amazing story that only the legendary Tim Burton could think up. It's like a highly satisfying work of art; some amazing images.

mitchellyoung - wrote on 12/04/2010

One of Tim Burton's more whimsical films, Big Fish is, like most Burton films, always entrancingly beautfiul and visually brilliant. It does wear thin, plot-wise, at times and some of the odd characters don't quite hit their mark, but the film is surely very memorable.

Nerva - wrote on 03/27/2010

This movie is breathtaking. The way they chose to shoot this, as flashbacks of child hood tales makes this completely unique. They were then able to use effects in ways no normal movie could get away with without killing the realism. This movie was fantastic. The story, the effects, the acting. Everything in this movie was gold. It's unfortunate that this is more of a cult hit than a mainstream one as it deserves much more credit.