Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2445 in DVD
• Released on: 2004-06-07
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Dubbed, PAL
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: Arabic, Bulgarian, Danish, English, Finnish, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Romanian, Swedish
• Dubbed in: Hungarian, Italian
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 120 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
After a string of mediocre movies, director Tim Burton regains his footing as he shifts from macabre fairy tales to southern tall tales. Big Fish twines in and out of the oversized stories of Edward Bloom, played as a young man by Ewan McGregor and as a dying father by Albert Finney. Edward's son Will (Billy Crudup) sits by his father's bedside but has little patience with the old man's fables, because he feels these stories have kept him from knowing who his father really is. Burton dives into Bloom's imagination with zest, sending the determined young man into haunted woods, an idealised southern town, a travelling circus and much more. The result is sweet but--thanks to the director's dark and clever sensibility--never saccharine. The film also features Jessica Lange, Alison Lohman, Helena Bonham Carter, Danny DeVito and Steve Buscemi. --Bret Fetzer

DVD Description
Edward Bloom has always been a teller of tall-tales about his oversized life as a young man, when his wanderlust led him on an unlikely journey from a small-town in Alabama, around the world, and back again. His mythic exploits dart from the delightful to the delirious as he weaves epic tales about giants, blizzards, a witch and conjoined-twin lounge singers. With his larger-than-life stories, Bloom charms almost everyone he encounters except for his estranged son Will. When his mother, Sandra, tries to reunite them, Will must learn how to separate fact from fiction as he comes to terms with his father’s great feats and great failings.

Special Features

• Audio Commentary by Tim Burton
  
• Edward Bloom at Large featurette
  
• Amos at the Circus featurette
  
• Fathers and Sons featurette
  
• The Filmmakers' Path featurette
  
• A Fairytale World featurette
  
• Creature Features featurette
  
• The Author's Journey featurette
  
• The Finer Points - Tim Burton Trivia Quiz

DVD Technical Information:

• Running Time: 120 minutes
  
• Language: English, Hungarian, Italian
  
• Subtitles: Arabic, Bulgarian, Croatian, Danish, English, Finnish, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Romanian, Serbian, Slovenian, Swedish
  
• Audio: DTS 5.1 Surround
  
• Aspect Ratio: Anamorphic - 1.85:1
  
• Disc Type: DVD9
  
• Region Code: 2

Customer Reviews

Pure Delight
This is a great film, unlike any other you will have seen before. It tells the story of Edward Bloom (played by Albert Finney and Ewan Mcgregor)through the eyes of his sceptical son Will. Edwards life, as told by Edward himself, was a whirlwind journey across the world where he encounters giants, a fantasy village, and a half-man, half-horse circus conductor (played by Danny DeVito). As the film continues, it becomes clear that Will has strong doubts about all his fathers stories. But when he realises his father has little time left to live, he finally starts to explore his fathers life and it emerges that some of his stories may actually be true after all. This is a heart-warming tale of fantasy colliding with reality, and has a truly magical ending. You will not be disappointed. You do not have to be a fan of Ewan Mcgregor to enjoy this, as i wasnt before seeing this film, but i found his acting range superb. Excellent Film for all ages.

"We are storytellers, both of us"
When I watched the trailer for this movie I was left with mixed feelings, on one side I wanted to see it just because it was directed by Tim Burton, but on the other side, what I saw seemed too fantastic for my liking. Luckily, my wife was desperate to watch this film, so I was "forced" into watching it soon after the date of its release in DVD. I say luckily because the story is mesmerizing and the fantastic elements are fun and add a certain charisma to the film.

Will (Billy Crudup) is tired of listening to his father tell stories over and over and being the center of attention in every gathering. When at Will's wedding, Edward (Albert Finney/Ewan Mc Gregor) repeats his annoying behavior by retelling the story for the nth time of how he caught a big fish, Will gets extremely angry and they get into a confrontation. This leads to three years of silence between father and son, which is only broken when Edward gets seriously ill and the doctors have no hope left for him.

Will goes back with his parents' house and we get immersed into the different stories Edward told through the years, from a witch that showed him how he was going to die, to the time when he started growing extremely fast and had to spend three years in bed as a result. As the stories pile up, the son finally starts to understand who his father is and to appreciate that which has bothered him for so long.

Tim Burton leads us through a labyrinth of myths and legends, with skillful storytelling and scenes that will make even the toughest of you feel emotional and maybe drop a tear or two. It is definitely I movie I recommend everyone to watch!

A charming and heartwarming piece of whimsy
Tim Burton has often been, well, a little too weird for me. This film is one of his more accessible ones, and is very charming with it.

With a great cast (Billy Crudup of Almost Famous is particularly good, as are Ewan MacGregor and Albert Finney), the general impression is of a sort of Alice in Wonderland for the modern age.

A son and a father who haven't talked in 3 years are brought together when the father seems like he's about to die. The son has been embarrassed by his father's tall tales for years, and now he wants to REALLY know what his father did with his life. It appears the truth is at least as stange as the fiction, as we are taken through numerous flashbacks to see the incredible life he led.

There's no huge drama here, and nothing in the way of explosions or other obvious Hollywood tools for manipulating the audience. Just a darn good tale and some wonderful photography to set it off.

The extras on the DVD are excellent too, making this well worth buying for those kind of Saturday nights where you just want to relax and watch a NICE film.