During my childhood, my reference point for giants came from Jack and the Beanstalk, and the giant in that book was far from friendly.  My children and I both really enjoyed the antics of the awkward yet whimsical giant featured in Disney’s latest movie The BFG, which stands for “Big Friendly Giant.”  

The movie, The BFG, is based on the children’s book The BFG by Roald Dahl.  Unfortunately, we did not have a chance to read it before we attended the screening but after seeing the movie, both of my kids want to read the book so that they can see how it compares!

In the movie, Sophie, a young orphan girl who suffers from insomnia, wanders around the orphanage at 3 in the morning (which she has defined as the “witching hour”) and eventually settles into her bed to read when the giant “BFG” plucks her from the window and carries her off to Giant Country.

When they arrive in Giant Country, BFG urges Sophie to be careful because his fellow giants are “bone cruncher” “meat dripper” “man gobbling cannybullies” who prefer “beans” (humans) as a food source rather than for their company.  He quickly realizes he has met his match with feisty little Sophie who refuses to follow any of the directives he gives.  Ironically, BFG is the one who is scared, while “Brave Sophie” emphatically proclaims that she is not!

Sophie and BFG have a number of magical adventures including catching a “golden Phizzwizard” (wonderful dream), sharing dreams with families, trying to avoid the other giants, and even meeting the Queen of England!  You’ll laugh hysterically at things like the Frobscottle which produces epic Whizzpoppers and be on the edge of your seat at other moments as you wonder if little Sophie will be able to pull through and avoid the other giants yet again.

I have talked to so many people who say they haven’t heard of this book or weren’t sure what The BFG meant.  Don’t pass this one up!  My kids and I absolutely loved this movie from start to finish and will definitely see it again after we read the book!   It’s everything you’d expect from a Steven Spielberg movie!

Grab a copy of the book to read with your kids here–> The BFG book by Roald Dahl

Make sure you download the GobbleFunk Dictionary to help you decode The BFG’s funny language!  Your kids will love these BFG Coloring sheets, too!

Check out the trailer below:

Have you seen the movie? What did you think?

DISCLOSURE:  My family and I had the opportunity to attend the screening of The BFG.  All opinions are 100% mine.

DISCLOSURE: My kids and I were given the opportunity to attend the Cinderella screening. All thoughts are 100% mine!

“Have courage and be kind” were the last words of wisdom spoken by Ella’s mother before she died.  When I asked my ten year old daughter what her favorite part of the movie was, I expected to hear about the ball and the beautiful dresses.  Surprisingly, it was those last few moments between mother and daughter because “it was the theme that was replayed throughout the entire movie.”

Several years after Ella’s mother passes away, her father decides to marry again and with his new wife, Lady Tremaine comes two new step-sisters, Anastasia and Drisella.  Ella calmly reminds herself of her mother’s advice as she meets them all for the first time and many other times throughout the movie, especially when her stepmother and step sisters treat her cruelly after her father dies, and even give her the nickname “Cinderella” after she falls asleep near the ashes of the fireplace one night.  As a parent, the idea that our children learn from us and follow our example wasn’t lost on me, either. The “wicked step-sisters” were petty and selfish like their mother while Ella was kind like her parents had been.

Growing up, I loved to watch the animated version, and as an adult, it was fun to watch it come to life so to speak, and I fell in love with the story all over again!  After watching Maleficent, I was expecting some sort of plot twist, but if you’ve seen the animated version or read the story at some point, it’s the same basic storyline except we get to experience her childhood and “meet” both of her parents.  I felt like a kid again as I watched her fairy godmother transform her for the ball and as she snuck away for a few private moments with Kit, her Prince Charming, before the clock struck midnight.  It was a sweet reminder that the magic of fairytales is not just for children (and according to my son, “not just for girls, either”).  It’s still nice to have a fairytale “happily ever after” ending!  I’m a huge Downton Abbey fan, too, and it was fun to see Lady Rose as Cinderella and Daisy as an evil stepsister!

Make sure you arrive early enough to catch Frozen Fever, which plays before the movie!  My kids and I couldn’t stop laughing as we watched the latest antics of our favorites – Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, Olaf, and Sven.  We can’t WAIT for Frozen 2 to come out!

If you’ve seen the movie, what did YOU think?

My husband and I went on our first “date” to see Monsters Inc, so it has been a favorite movie in our house through the years.  We have all been looking forward to the release of Monsters University, and ironically the official release date is one day before our 11th wedding anniversary!  One of the benefits of being a blogger is that I get to attend movie screenings before the movies are actually released.  Unfortunately, my husband and son had to stay home because my son got hurt.  My daughter and I LOVED it, though, and I can’t wait for us to go again as a family!

Monsters University Review:  Where it All Started

The movie starts with young Mike Wazowski (braces and all) on a field trip to see the “Scaring Floor” at Monsters Inc.  From that moment on, his dream was to attend the Scaring School at Monsters University and then become a “scarer” at Monsters Inc.  Fast forward a few years and it looks like his dream is coming true as he arrives at the university!

The movie had a few surprises.  The biggest one for me was that Mike and Sully were actually rivals in the beginning!  Mike’s role as the resident “nerd” was not overly surprising, but after seeing Monsters Inc, I was surprised the Sully started out as an arrogant “jock” trying to get by on his family’s name!  The two join together after being kicked out of Scaring School.  Their only hope at redemption is to team up with a crew of misfits to try to win the Scare Games.

Kids enjoy the antics of the monsters as they attempt to one up each other and win the competition.  Adults will enjoy it, too, and may also be reminded of some of their own college experiences along the way!  The movie teaches that dreams can come true, but not always in the way that you expect.  Mike gets his job at Monsters Inc, but not in the exact role he was hoping for! It also teaches about teamwork and shows how lasting friendships can come in unexpected ways.

To get your kids ready for the movie, enjoy some of these free activities:

• Monsters University Coloring Sheets
• Design your own Monsters U ID
• Monsters University Memory Game

Watch the trailer here:

If you’re looking for a deal on tickets, get BOGO free tickets from Fandango–> Fandango BOGO free movie tickets