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Big Fish Details

2003 DVD Certificate PG.gif
  • Rated:
  • 70
  • from 44,963 members

Edward Bloom has always told tall tales of his life, that charm everyone apart from his son Will. When Will's mother Sandra tries to bring the pair back together, Will must try and learn what parts of his father's epic tales of giants, witches and blizzards are fact and which are fiction. Read more

Starring Ewan McGregor, Albert Finney, Billy Crudup, Jessica Lange
Director Tim Burton
Genres Drama

Buy From: £4.93

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Big Fish

Edward Bloom has always told tall tales of his life, that charm everyone apart from his son Will. When Will's mother Sandra tries to bring the pair back together, Will must try and learn what parts of his father's epic tales of giants, witches and blizzards are fact and which are fiction.

Starring Ewan McGregor, Albert Finney, Billy Crudup, Jessica Lange, Alison Lohman, Helena Bonham-Carter, Robert Guillaume, Marion Cotillard
Director Tim Burton
Studio COLUMBIA TRI-STAR HOME VIDEO
Run time DVD: 2 hrs
Blu-ray: 2 hrs
Certificate DVD Certificate PG.gif
Genres Drama
Language English
Dubbed Hungarian, Italian
Hearing-impaired English
Subtitles Arabic, Bulgarian, Croatian, Danish, English, Finnish, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Romanian, Serbian, Slovenian, Swedish
Released DVD: 04 Jun 2004
Blu-ray: 09 Apr 2007
Production year: 2003
Format DVD
  • Critics' reviews (3) of Big Fish

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  • 2 stars out of 5

    After his foray into the dangerous world of remakes with Planet of the Apes, director Tim Burton returns to more familiar territory — a strange place somewhere between reality and fantasy, dream and nightmare. Albert Finney plays Edward Bloom, an Alabama travelling salesman whose apparent neglect and selfishness, coupled with ridiculous stories of his exploits, have driven a wedge between him and son Will (Billy Crudup). Called to his father's deathbed, Will is infuriated when his wife is regaled with tall tales in which young Edward (Ewan McGregor) encounters a giant, a witch, a shape-changing circus ringmaster and a big fish no one can catch. Intent on exposing his father, the disgruntled son sets out to learn the truth. Despite being confined to his bed, Finney conjures up the charisma of the fabulist — brought to life in flashback by McGregor, performing his familiar, but effective, cheeky chappie routine. Essentially a road movie, Big Fish drifts colourfully along, but ultimately lacks the edge that made Edward Scissorhands so powerful, as well as so strange.

    • Radio Times
  • 1 stars out of 4

    Meandering and unenlightening whimsy, though its cast search valiantly for some meaning in Burton's light, bright fantasies.

    • Halliwell's Film Guide
  • Most helpful member's review of Big Fish

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  • 84 out of 90 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 5 stars

    Real life and fantasy in one great movie

    Tim Burton is well known for his amazing directorial skills, and all of his movies are extremely visual. From Edward Scissorhands to Nightmare Before Christmas, he stamps his mark of 'oddness' on everything he is involved with.

    Big Fish is no different, though it may surprise some of his fans. Although fantastical in places (giants, witches, hidden villiages, siamese twins, and floods of biblical proportions), the story is essentially very human, very emotional, and very true-to-life.

    The acting is commendable all around, Ewen McGregor's trademark grin flashing through his lines with delight, while Finney (playing the same character, older) lends a heaviness of years and illness to the part without ever becoming depressing - the tearful portions of the film WILL have you reaching for a hankie, but are never overstretched.

    While not completely mystifying, Big Fish does leave you with some questions, and your interpretation may not be the same as the people you watch it with.

    Well acted, beautifully shot, and masterfully directed. An utterly joyful movie to immerse yourself in.

      • Sawdon from North East of England
  • Most recent members' review of Big Fish

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  • 3 out of 3 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 5 stars

    I had doubts about whether to watch this film as it was raved about so much, which normally leads to disappointment, but this was not the case by any means. A truly magnificent film. It is based around the relationship between a father & son. The son has only ever been told stories of his fathers life in a fairytale fashion. The film follows the sons journey to find out the real truth about who his father really is & what he has done in his life as he nears death. Wonderfully told throughout in its fairytale manner intertwined with the fathers "real" life. A touching story which truly shows that life can be looked at in many ways but whatever way it is looked at it is a treasured thing. A definate must see for all.

      • Christina#29 from DUNSTABLE
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Rating breakdown

44,963 Member ratings
  • 100
4,098
  • 90
4,355
  • 80
7,432
  • 70
7,574
  • 60
8,108
  • 50
5,178
  • 40
3,390
  • 30
2,331
  • 20
1,676
  • 10
821

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    • Big Fish - BLU-RAY Version
    • Blu-Ray: £8.93
      Free Delivery
    • RRP £17.79 (you save: 50%)
    • In Tim Burton's family film BIG FISH, a wonderful storyteller named Edward Bloom (Albert Finney), who lives in a small town in Alabama, recounts tall tales of his wild worldly adventures. These are ...

    • Big Fish
    • DVD: £4.93
      Free Delivery
    • RRP £19.79 (you save: 75%)
    • Edward Bloom has always told tall tales of his life, that charm everyone apart from his son Will. When Will's mother Sandra tries to bring the pair back together, Will must try and learn what parts ...