--- title: "The BFG: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-bfg/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-bfg" critics_score: 66 critics_reviews: 29 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The BFG (2016): what the critics said Critics' score 66 from 29 reviews: 14 positive, 12 mixed, 3 negative. Most critics like The BFG without loving it. The praise gathers almost entirely around Mark Rylance, whose gentle voice and motion-capture performance are credited with giving the digital giant his soul, and around the dream-gathering sequences in Dream Country, which several reviews call the most magical thing in the film. Spielberg’s effects work and the warmth of the bond between Sophie and the giant are noted approvingly throughout. The reservations are about story rather than craft. Many reviews find the middle section slow and repetitive, the plot skimpy, and the whole slighter than Spielberg’s earlier children’s fantasies, with E.T. the comparison most often made and rarely won. Several think it will please small children more than adults. The spread is wide: a handful of raves sit alongside a few dismissals, with The New Yorker finding it forced and overmanaged and Den of Geek calling it dreary and boring. Even the harshest reviews tend to spare Rylance. ## Variety — Peter Debruge Fi1m's normalised score 82/100 (inferred from the text). 14 May 2016. Festival review. Debruge finds the adaptation splendid and charming, with the makings of a family classic. He especially praises Mark Rylance’s nuanced performance and the hypnotic dream-gathering sequence. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2016/film/reviews/the-bfg-review-steven-spielberg-1201774476/) ## Little White Lies — Sophie Monks Kaufman Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). Festival review. The critic finds it a delightful Spielberg film, though not a great adaptation of Roald Dahl. She praises its moments of wonder, spectacle and joy, especially the scene in which the BFG catches Sophie as she falls. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/festivals/the-bfg-first-look-review) ## Time Out — Dave Calhoun Rating 4/5. 13 May 2016. The review presents the film as a magical adaptation of Roald Dahl’s children’s story. It singles out Spielberg’s reunion with Mark Rylance as a strength. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-bfg) ## Total Film — Jamie Graham Rating 4/5. 18 July 2016. The review finds the film a soulful, imaginative delight, though not one of Spielberg’s definitive works. It especially praises Mark Rylance’s performance and the dreamlike visuals of Dream Country. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/the-bfg-review/) ## RogerEbert.com — Matt Zoller Seitz Rating 3/4. 30 June 2016. The review finds the film charming but uneven. It praises the warmth of Sophie and the BFG’s bond, brought to life through Spielberg’s visual craft. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-bfg-2016) ## Slant Magazine — Christopher Gray Rating 3/4. 26 June 2016. Gray finds the film mild and emotionally slight, but says its visual wonders make it worthwhile. He especially praises its quietly inventive dream imagery and photorealistic visual magic. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-bfg/) ## The Guardian — Xan Brooks Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 14 May 2016. Festival review. Brooks finds the film sweet-natured and carefully made, with its strongest moments in the BFG and Sophie’s nocturnal adventures. He praises Mark Rylance’s gentle performance and the film’s dreamlike imagery, while noting a conservative misstep in its use of the Queen. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/may/14/the-bfg-review-steven-spielberg-roald-dahl) ## IndieWire — Eric Kohn Rating B-. 14 May 2016. Festival review. Kohn finds the film likable and visually impressive, but ultimately conventional and short of Spielberg’s more inspired work. He singles out the dream-country sequence and its distinctive effects as especially magical. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/culture/cannes-review-the-bfg-is-spielberg-by-the-numbers-290600/) ## Vulture — David Edelstein Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 30 June 2016. Edelstein finds the film visually sublime and affectionate, though its middle section becomes overly airy and ungrounded. He especially praises Mark Rylance’s tender, musical voice performance as the BFG. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2016/06/movie-review-the-bfg.html) ## Empire — Anna Smith Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 18 July 2016. Smith finds the film magical and visually delightful, though its middle section is slow and repetitive. She especially praises Mark Rylance’s gentle performance and the thrilling final act. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/bfg-review/) ## Evening Standard — David Sexton Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 16 May 2016. Festival review. Sexton finds the film a worthwhile but only partially successful return to children’s fantasy, ultimately a treat for kids rather than a crossover. He praises Mark Rylance’s warmly charming performance, while noting that some of Roald Dahl’s nastiness has been softened. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/cannes-2016-the-bfg-film-review-mark-rylance-shines-in-bighearted-fantasy-a3248861.html) ## Los Angeles Times — Justin Chang Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 30 June 2016. Chang finds the film only partly successful but ultimately warm, graceful, and full of childhood feeling. He especially praises Mark Rylance’s performance, whose distinctive voice gives the digital giant his soul. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-the-bfg-review-20160627-snap-story.html) ## Screen Daily — Tim Grierson Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 14 May 2016. Festival review. The visible page identifies this as Screen's Cannes review of Spielberg's 2016 film. The paywall hides the critic's verdict and any specific praise or complaint. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/the-bfg-cannes-review/5103901.article) ## The New York Times Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 1 July 2016. The page’s URL identifies this as a review of the 2016 film, but the article itself is inaccessible. Its verdict and any specific praise or criticism cannot be verified from the available text. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/01/movies/the-bfg-review-steven-spielberg-mark-rylance.html) ## The AV Club — A.A. Dowd Rating C+. 27 June 2016. Dowd finds the adaptation overly faithful yet unable to capture the book’s charm, leaving its fantasy feeling diminished on screen. He praises Spielberg’s visual effects and highlights the atmospheric London opening as a standout. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/not-even-steven-spielberg-can-make-the-bfg-a-good-fit-f-1798188241) ## Radio Times — Alan Jones Rating 3/5. Jones finds the adaptation visually dazzling but emotionally remote and muted. He praises Mark Rylance’s motion-captured performance, while criticizing the sluggish first half and awkward lowbrow humour. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-ixi181/the-bfg/) ## The Independent — Geoffrey Macnab Rating 3/5. 14 May 2016. Macnab finds the film enjoyable but slight, and says it is not Spielberg at his best. He praises its gorgeous visuals, inventive effects and Mark Rylance’s understated performance, while faulting the skimpy plot. [Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/the-bfg-film-review-gorgeous-and-technically-excellent-but-not-spielberg-at-his-best-a7029756.html) ## The New Yorker — Richard Brody Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 1 July 2016. Brody finds the film mostly forced, bland, and overmanaged, despite a brief moment of genuine danger. He praises the early scenes of the giant moving through London for their simple, authentic sense of wonder. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/richard-brody/steven-spielbergs-the-bfg-is-a-forced-march-of-fun) ## The Playlist Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 14 May 2016. Festival review. The headline signals a strongly positive verdict. It singles out the film as wondrous and heart-melting, but the review text was inaccessible. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/cannes-review-steven-spielbergs-wondrous-heart-melting-bfg-starring-mark-rylance-20160514/) ## The Skinny — Josh Slater-Williams Rating ★★★★. 20 July 2016. The review finds Spielberg’s adaptation charming and a lovely swansong for screenwriter Melissa Mathison. It praises the film’s patient focus on small moments and Mark Rylance’s motion-capture performance. [Read the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/the-bfg) ## Digital Spy Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 17 May 2016. Festival review. The review finds the film spirited and fun, though it falls short of becoming a Spielberg childhood classic. It singles out Mark Rylance’s gentle, expressive performance as especially winning. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/cannes-film-festival/a794388/the-bfg-review-can-spielberg-capture-the-magic-of-et/) ## Collider — Talia Soghomonian Rating B-. 15 May 2016. Festival review. The review finds the film charming in places but ultimately unable to resonate with adults. It singles out the phosphorescent dream-gathering world as its most mesmerizing scene. [Read the review](https://collider.com/the-bfg-review-cannes-2016/) ## Deadline — Pete Hammond Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 27 June 2016. Hammond finds the film a charming, old-fashioned family adventure, though not quite in the league of E.T. He especially praises Mark Rylance’s performance and the CGI work that makes the BFG feel human and expressive. [Read the review](https://deadline.com/2016/06/the-bfg-review-steven-spielberg-disney-roald-dahl-video-1201780286/) ## Eye for Film — Richard Mowe Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 14 May 2016. Festival review. Mowe finds the film charming but less magical than Spielberg’s E.T., with some repetitive scenes that drag. He praises Ruby Barnhill’s performance and the comic energy of the later Buckingham Palace scenes. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-bfg-2016-film-review-by-richard-mowe) ## Paste — Michael Snydel Rating 6.2. 3 July 2016. Snydel finds the film visually magical but narratively flat and unsure of its purpose. He praises Spielberg’s staging of Sophie’s perilous encounters with oversized objects, while criticizing the story’s lack of earned spectacle. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/the-bfg) ## Consequence — Allison Shoemaker Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 28 June 2016. Shoemaker finds the film charming and technically impressive, but uneven when its sentiment becomes too precious. She especially praises Mark Rylance’s subtle performance and the playful Buckingham Palace sequences. [Read the review](https://consequence.net/2016/06/film-review-the-bfg/) ## Den of Geek — Edward Douglas Rating 2.5/5. 17 June 2016. Douglas calls the film a dreary, boring adaptation that fails to capture the source material’s wonder. He praises Penelope Wilton’s lively Queen sequence, while criticizing the film for talking down to all but the youngest children. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-bfg-review/) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 14 May 2016. Festival review. The critic finds the film fitfully amusing but not especially magical, with its character more memorable than the movie. Mark Rylance’s melancholy performance as the BFG is singled out as its heart. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/the-bfg-cannes-review-steven-spielberg-roald-dahl-have-a-great-character-not-a-great-movie/) ## Polygon — Julia Alexander Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 21 June 2016. The critic finds the film charming in places but ultimately underwhelming and forgettable. The friendship and vulnerable moments between Sophie and the BFG earn praise, while the tedious pacing and focus on derivative action disappoint. [Read the review](https://www.polygon.com/2016/6/21/11988888/the-bfg-review/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-bfg.md