BLU-RAY REVIEW

Big Fish

Featured In Issue 120, May 2007

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Basic Information on new release titles is posted as soon as titles are announced. Once reviewed, additional data is added to the database.
(Studio/Distributor):
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
(Catalog Number):
16220
(MPAA Rating):
PG13
(Rating Reason):
For a fight scene, some images of nudity, and a suggestvie reference
(Retail Price):
$28.95
(Disc Type):
Single Side, Dual Layer (BD-50)
(Widescreen Edition):
Yes
(Full Screen Edition):
No
(Running Time In Minutes):
125
(Color Type):
Color
(Chaptered/Scene Access):
Yes
(Closed Captioned):
Yes
(Regional Coding):
A
(Theatrical Year):
2003
(Theatrical Release):
Yes
(Direct-To-Video Release):
No
(Disc Release Date):
03/20/07
(THX® Digitally Mastered):
No
(Director):
Tim Burton
(Screenplay/Written By):
(Story):
(Music):
(Director Of Photography):
(Production Designer):
(Visual Effects):
(Costume Designer):
(Editor):
(Supervising Sound Editors):
(Re-Recording Mixers):
(Executive Producers):
(Co-Producers):
(Producers):
(Academy Awards):
(Principal Photography):
(Theatrical Aspect Ratio):
(Measured Disc Aspect Ratio):
(Disc Soundtrack):
Dolby Digital 5.1
(Theatrical Sound):
(Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
(DTS Bit Rate):
(Dolby Digital Bit Rate):
(Additional Languages):
(French Language):
(Spanish Language):
(Chinese Language):
(Subtitles):
(Cantonese Language):
(Mandarin Language):
(Japanese Language):
(Italian Language):
(German Language):
(Portuguese Language):

Edward Bloom (Finney) didn't want to be the Big Fish in the small pond of his life. While raising his son William (Crudup), Edward would share his larger-than-life stories...but it left the grown William wondering who his father really was. Called to visit Edward on his deathbed, William and his wife Josephine (Cotillard) attempt to get inside Edward's tall tales and separate the man from the myth. Inevitably, William learns what a wonderful man his father was and that sometimes stories are better told with embellishments. Tim Burton's "Big Fish," based on the novel by Daniel Wallace, is a captivating tale! (Suzanne Hodges)

Special features include filmmakers' commentary, previews, and up-front ads.

With deep blacks, good shadow delineation, and bold colors, the 2.32:1 Blu-ray Disc can look very good. The two time frames depicted in the movie have different looks, with the story-world looking bright and overblown, with a subtle softness that gives it a dreamy look. The "present time" looks more balanced, with well-captured details but slightly desaturated colors. There are scenes, however, where the details in the "present time" are noticeably softer than it normally is. (Danny Richelieu)

The uncompressed linear PCM 5.1-channel encoding provides very good fidelity with effects and dialogue. Danny Elfman's score is mixed and encoded wonderfully, and the surround channels are incorporated well. (Danny Richelieu)