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Movies / On DVD / Big Fish
Big Fish

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Big Fish (2003)

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Reviews Counted:203

Fresh:156

Rotten:47

Average Rating:7.2/10

Consensus: A charming father-and-son tale filled with typical Tim Burton flourishes.

Rated: PG [See Full Rating] for a fight scene, some images of nudity and a suggestive reference

Runtime: 2 hrs 5 mins

Genre: Dramas

Theatrical Release:23-01-2004

Synopsis: In Tim Burton's family film BIG FISH, a gifted storyteller named Edward Bloom (Albert Finney), who lives in a small town in Alabama, recounts tall tales of his wild worldly adventures. These are... In Tim Burton's family film BIG FISH, a gifted storyteller named Edward Bloom (Albert Finney), who lives in a small town in Alabama, recounts tall tales of his wild worldly adventures. These are shown in flashback with Ewan McGregor playing the young Bloom. Wonderful special effects and vibrant colors that pop off the screen make this Burton film a much sunnier experience than his macabre gems EDWARD SCISSORHANDS and BEETLEJUICE. Yet his signature quirky artistry is unmistakable, and the movie benefits from crisp production values and a loveable, bizarre cast of characters. Told through a series of vignettes, Bloom's stories involve a witch, a giant, a haunted forest, and yes, a big fish. A self-described small-town hero, Bloom explains how he left home at 18 determined to experience anything and everything life could dish out. He worked for the circus, took on daring assignments as a WWII soldier, and rambled across the country as a zany traveling salesman. Utterly unbelievable yet magical and delightful, Bloom's stories just don't translate to his son Will (Billy Crudup) who wants to know his dad's "true" life story. But little by little--through increasingly outlandish tales at which Will cannot resist smirking--the two begin to understand each other, and Bloom weaves his stories into their genealogical fabric. [More]

Starring: Ewan McGregor, Albert Finney, Billy Crudup, Jessica Lange

Starring: Ewan McGregor, Albert Finney, Billy Crudup, Jessica Lange, Alison Lohman, Helena Bonham-Carter, Robert Guillaume, Steve Buscemi, Danny DeVito, Marion Cotillard, Matthew McGrory, Loudon Wainwright

Director: Tim Burton

Director: Tim Burton
Screenwriter: John August
Producer: Richard D. Zanuck, Bruce Cohen, Dan Jinks
Composer: Danny Elfman
Studio: Columbia Pictures

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Reviews for Big Fish

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1 - 20 (sorted by rotten rating; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 >> >|
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N/R

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Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
04/09/04
Guardian [UK]
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N/R

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Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
11/11/03
Channel 4 Film
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N/R

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Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
02/09/06
Time Out
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Full Review Source: UK Critic | comment Comment
03/07/04
Ian Waldron-Mantgani
Ian Waldron-Mantgani
UK Critic

This is a film that pasteurises both plot and sentiment with the efficiency of a Swiss milking machine.

Full Review Source: Times [UK] | comment Comment
04/29/04
James Christopher
James Christopher
Times [UK]
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

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Full Review Source: Independent | comment Comment
01/24/04
Ryan Gilbey
Ryan Gilbey
Independent

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Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
04/01/06
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Feelgood without being overly sentimental; romantic without being cloying; moving without being mawkish.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
12/05/03
Adrian Hennigan
Adrian Hennigan
BBC
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Tim Burton strikes gold with this genuinely warm adventure.

Full Review Source: FilmFocus | comment Comment
07/20/04
Joe Utichi
Joe Utichi
FilmFocus

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: ViewLondon | comment Comment
01/17/04
Matthew Turner
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon

Tim Burton atones for the disastrous Planet of the Apes 2001 with this lyrical and involving family drama.

Full Review Source: Shadows on the Wall | comment Comment
11/21/03
Rich Cline
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall
N/R

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Full Review Source: Boston Phoenix | comment Comment
12/27/03
Boston Phoenix
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

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Full Review Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch | comment Comment
01/10/04
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

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Full Review Source: Cinema Crazed | comment Comment
04/29/09
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Cinema Crazed
N/R

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Full Review Source: PopMatters | comment Comment
01/09/04
Jesse Hassenger
Jesse Hassenger
PopMatters
N/R

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Full Review Source: New York Magazine | comment Comment
08/07/04
Peter Rainer
Peter Rainer
New York Magazine
N/R

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Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
10/18/08
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile

The most curious thing about this magical-realist fable ... is how thin and soft it is, how unpersuasive and ultimately forgettable even its most strenuous inventions turn out to be.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment 1 Comment
12/10/03
A.O. Scott
A.O. Scott
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Fails to engage

Full Review Source: culturevulture.net | comment Comment
01/17/04
Ben Stephens
Ben Stephens
culturevulture.net

This feels awkward, like a film made by someone who thinks he has something to prove - or maybe to atone for.

Full Review Source: Bryant Frazer's Deep Focus | comment Comment
12/08/03
Bryant Frazer
Bryant Frazer
Bryant Frazer's Deep Focus
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by rotten rating; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 >> >|
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Latest News for Big Fish

May 11, 2007: The Rock as Captain Marvel?
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October 19, 2006: Helena Bonham Carter Joins Tim Burton's New Project
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