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Big Fish Review

Other Critics provided by Metacritic.com

Critics scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 3.0
    57

    out of 100

    Metascore®
    Mixed or average reviews
    based on a weighted average of all
    critic review scores.

  • 40

    out of 100

    The Hollywood Reporter Kirk Honeycutt

    A misfire. The film that wants to be lighter than air instead crashes to earth with the swiftness of a concrete parachute.

    Read Full Review

  • 50

    out of 100

    Variety Todd McCarthy

    The imaginatively illustrated but precariously precious film offers up a string of minor pleasures but never becomes more than moderately amusing or involving.

    Read Full Review

  • 50

    out of 100

    The New York Times Dana Stevens

    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.

    Read Full Review

  • 60

    out of 100

    Wall Street Journal Joe Morgenstern

    Simultaneously beguiling and frustrating -- the product of an imagist and dramatist uncomfortably conjoined.

  • 63

    out of 100

    Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

    Big Fish of course is a great-looking film, with a fantastical visual style that could be called Felliniesque if Burton had not by now earned the right to the adjective Burtonesque.

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  • 70

    out of 100

    Los Angeles Times Manohla Dargis

    There's delight to be had from watching Burton conjure up one fantastical Edward-inspired scenario after another.

    Read Full Review

  • 75

    out of 100

    Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman

    The movie is a gently overstuffed cinematic piñata, crammed with tall tales -- with giants and circuses and fairy-tale woods, plus a huge squirmy catfish, all served up with a literal matter-of-fact fancy that is very pleasing.

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  • 88

    out of 100

    USA Today Mike Clark

    Has enough tasty bait to satisfy an array of moviegoers: Burton fans, Albert Finney fans, fans of tall tales well spun by experts and fans of movies that don't look like any other.

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  • See all Big Fish reviews at Metacritic.com

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For Families provided by Common Sense Media

OK for kids 12+

Delightful, sad father-son story for teens and up.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this movie has brief nudity, mild language, and fantasy peril. Sensitive kids may be upset by the death of a parent.

  • Families can talk about some of their favorite stories -- factual and fictional. Who tells the best tall tales in the family?

The good stuff
  • rolemodels true2

    Role models: Strong African-American and female characters.

What to watch for
  • violence false0

    Violence: Fantasy peril, death of a character.

  • sex false3

    Sex: Brief nudity.

  • language false0

    Language: Mild language.

  • consumerism false0

    Consumerism: Not an issue

  • drugsalcoholtobacco false3

    Drinking, drugs and smoking: Drinking.

An independent nonprofit dedicated to providing families the information they need to help kids thrive in a world of media and technology.

© Common Sense Media Inc. 2010. All rights reserved.

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Fan Reviews provided by

Average Rating: 4.018
Read all reviews Write a review at Fandango
5

A must see whimsical film... by HeapsyBeapsy
One of my favorite movies. Great cast and classic Burton.

5

by ChrisInPit

1

Camo? by kaitlyn619

4

by curtisa

5

Big Fish review by wildtulips
I love this Big Fish! It is absolutely magical and almost 10 years later, it's still in my top three favourite movies ever!

4

Big Fish review by JDubWhite3
Tim Burton's masterpiece of a movie!

Read all Big Fish reviews at Fandango
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