Disney’s “BFG,” by Roald Dahl, Opens Friday! #TheBFG #BFGMovie

Who is this giant and why is he lurking around the streets of Britain? And does he take every child that catches a peek at him like he did with Sophie? See the Disney’s BFG to find out how this gentle giant operates throughout our land and giant land!

The talents of three of the world’s greatest storytellers – Roald Dahl, Walt Disney and Steven Spielberg –finally unite to bring Dahl’s beloved classic “The BFG” to life. Directed by Spielberg, Disney’s “The BFG” tells the imaginative story of a young girl and the Giant who introduces her to the wonders and perils of Giant Country. “I think it was kind of genius of Roald Dahl to be able to empower the children. It was very, very brave of him to introduce that combination of darkness and light which was so much Disney’s original signature in a lot of their earlier works like in ‘Dumbo,’ ‘Fantasia,’ ‘Snow White’ and ‘Cinderella,’ and being able to do scary, but also be redemptive at the same time and teach a lesson, an enduring lesson, to everyone, it was a wonderful thing for Dahl to have done, and it was one of the things that attracted me to want to direct this Dahl book,” says Spielberg.

I was excited to take my son to this movie ever since I mentioned it to him and he told me they all read this Roald Dahl book in elementary school! I had no idea. I have also found Steven Spielberg’s films to be close to perfect, so I knew I was going to view a movie done by one of the top Directors of our time. I met Mark Rylance in Mr. Spielberg’s last movie, Bridge of Spies, so I also knew the BFG was being played by an extremely talented actor! All the ingredients for a terrific film were here!

The BFG (Mark Rylance), while a giant himself, is a Big Friendly Giant and nothing like the other inhabitants of Giant Country. Standing 24-feet tall with enormous ears and a keen sense of smell, he is endearingly dim-witted and keeps to himself for the most part. Giants like Bloodbottler (Bill Hader) and Fleshlumpeater (Jemaine Clement) on the other hand, are twice as big and at least twice as scary and have been known to eat humans, while the BFG prefers Snozzcumber and Frobscottle. Upon her arrival in Giant Country, Sophie, a precocious 10-year-old girl from London, is initially frightened of the mysterious giant who has brought her to his cave, but soon comes to realize that the BFG is actually quite gentle and charming, and, having never met a giant before, has many questions. The BFG brings Sophie to Dream Country where he collects dreams and sends them to children, teaching her all about the magic and mystery of dreams.

Having both been on their own in the world up until now, their affection for one another quickly grows. But Sophie’s presence in Giant Country has attracted the unwanted attention of the other giants, who have become increasingly more bothersome. Says Spielberg, “It’s a story about friendship, it’s a story about loyalty and protecting your friends and it’s a story that shows that even a little girl can help a big giant solve his biggest problems.” Sophie and the BFG soon depart for London to see the Queen (Penelope Wilton) and warn her of the precarious giant situation, but they must first convince the Queen and her maid, Mary (Rebecca Hall), that giants do indeed exist. Together, they come up with a plan to get rid of the giants once and for all.

I had not read the book and was pleasantly surprised by the sweet story. Sweet except for the parts where the bad giants want to eat Sophie! Be careful with your youngest kids, they may be a little scared at that part.

Sophie, as played by Ruby Barnhill, was  a delight! She was a precocious little girl, someone who seemed distance from the other children her age, so she was the perfect child to be swept away from the giant. Whatever slight fear she might have had at first quickly became keen interest and a sense of wonderment. Sophie was ready for this adventure. Until she met the giants that were not quite as nice as the BFG.

This part of the movie could be troubling to the youngest viewers, so perhaps show them the book and let them know the end is fine, no one gets eaten! What isn’t scary, but rather is greatly entertaining, is the way all of the giants speak, especially our friend the BFG! Their command of the English language is far from perfect, and actually quite hilarious to hear.

And then tears came to my eyes.

My whole family knows that I am a big mush, and when the Queen of England met and accepted the BFG, I was extremely moved!

This is a great family movie, perfect for the Summer!

Directed by three-time Academy Award® winner Steven Spielberg (“Bridge of Spies,” “Schindler’s List,” ”Saving Private Ryan”) from a screenplay by Melissa Mathison (“E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial,” “The Black Stallion”) based on the best-selling book by Roald Dahl, “The BFG” stars three-time Tony Award®, two-time Olivier Award and Oscar® winner Mark Rylance (“Bridge of Spies,” “Wolf Hall”), newcomer Ruby Barnhill, Penelope Wilton (“The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,” “Downton Abbey”), Jemaine Clement (“Rio 2,” “The Flight of the Conchords”), Rebecca Hall (“The Gift,” “Iron Man 3”), Rafe Spall (“The Big Short,” “Prometheus”) and Bill Hader (“Inside Out,” “Trainwreck”). The film is produced by Spielberg, Frank Marshall (“Jurassic World,” “The Bourne Ultimatum”) and Sam Mercer (“Snow White and the Huntsman,” “The Sixth Sense”) with Kathleen Kennedy (“Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” “Lincoln”), John Madden (“The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,” “Shakespeare in Love”), Kristie Macosko Krieger (“Bridge of Spies,” “Lincoln”), Michael Siegel (“Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “Rise of the Guardians”), Frank Smith and Naia Cucukov serving as executive producers.

“The BFG” opens in U.S. theaters on July 1, 2016, the year that marks the 100th anniversary of Dahl’s birth.