There’s no denying that The BFG is brimming with earnestness, but while it’s visually impressive and occasionally gripping it leaves you feeling a bit cold in the end. I came out feeling that an opportunity had been lost. It’s far from one of Spielberg’s unmissable gems.

There is not much drama, not much wit, the villains (the big, bad giants come off as high-school bullies) are one-dimensional – it’s all very forgettable.
Frankly, The BFG is a sub-par film in Spielberg’s oeuvre.

The spectacle of BFG’s world is imaginative enough but the story doesn’t really grow on you and the build-up is entirely botched. While this is not a bad movie by a lesser director’s standards, it just does not live up to the standards set by Steven Spielberg (during his heyday) himself.