RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
RT's Blu-ray HQ
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | In Theaters
  • | Opening
  • | Upcoming
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
  • | Showtimes
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / On DVD / Big Fish
Big Fish

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Get this Movie
  • Buy Poster External Icon
  • Visit Official Site External Icon
Bookmark and Share

Big Fish (2003)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
77 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

Reviews Counted:203

Fresh:156

Rotten:47

Average Rating:7.2/10

Consensus: A charming father-and-son tale filled with typical Tim Burton flourishes.

Rated: PG-13 [See Full Rating] for a fight scene, some images of nudity and a suggestive reference

Runtime: 2 hrs 5 mins

Genre: Dramas

Theatrical Release:Dec 10, 2003 Limited

Box Office: $66,257,002

Synopsis: In Tim Burton's family film BIG FISH, a gifted storyteller named Edward Bloom (Albert Finney), who lives in a small town in Alabama, recounts tall tales of his wild worldly adventures. These are... In Tim Burton's family film BIG FISH, a gifted storyteller named Edward Bloom (Albert Finney), who lives in a small town in Alabama, recounts tall tales of his wild worldly adventures. These are shown in flashback with Ewan McGregor playing the young Bloom. Wonderful special effects and vibrant colors that pop off the screen make this Burton film a much sunnier experience than his macabre gems EDWARD SCISSORHANDS and BEETLEJUICE. Yet his signature quirky artistry is unmistakable, and the movie benefits from crisp production values and a loveable, bizarre cast of characters. Told through a series of vignettes, Bloom's stories involve a witch, a giant, a haunted forest, and yes, a big fish. A self-described small-town hero, Bloom explains how he left home at 18 determined to experience anything and everything life could dish out. He worked for the circus, took on daring assignments as a WWII soldier, and rambled across the country as a zany traveling salesman. Utterly unbelievable yet magical and delightful, Bloom's stories just don't translate to his son Will (Billy Crudup) who wants to know his dad's "true" life story. But little by little--through increasingly outlandish tales at which Will cannot resist smirking--the two begin to understand each other, and Bloom weaves his stories into their genealogical fabric. [More]

Starring: Ewan McGregor, Albert Finney, Billy Crudup, Jessica Lange

Starring: Ewan McGregor, Albert Finney, Billy Crudup, Jessica Lange, Alison Lohman, Helena Bonham-Carter, Robert Guillaume, Steve Buscemi, Danny DeVito, Marion Cotillard, Matthew McGrory, Loudon Wainwright

Director: Tim Burton

Director: Tim Burton
Screenwriter: John August
Producer: Richard D. Zanuck, Bruce Cohen, Dan Jinks
Composer: Danny Elfman
Studio: Columbia Pictures

[See More Credits]

  • Trailers
  • Pictures
  • Big Fish Trailer
    >
1 of 1

See More Movie Trailers & Pictures

Get This Movie

Rent DVD
 
 

Click on the "ADD" button to put this movie into your Netflix queue.

 
 
Buy DVD
 
 
Release:

Apr 27, 2004

No Details Exist
 
 

Reviews for Big Fish

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
 
 
61 - 80 (sorted by date)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

...a magical movie sure to become a classic...

Full Review Source: Talking Pictures (U.S.) | comment Comment
01/14/04
Tony Toscano
Tony Toscano
Talking Pictures (U.S.)

Big Fish is the cinematic equivalent of a big fish story—fun, entertaining, too crazy to be true, and all the more enjoyable for it.

Full Review Source: Film Quips Online | comment Comment
01/14/04
John R. McEwen
John R. McEwen
Film Quips Online

Don't you mean Big Turkey, Tim?

Full Review Source: Movie Boeuf | comment Comment
01/13/04
David N. Butterworth
David N. Butterworth
Movie Boeuf

The movie divides its characters into two groups: those who’ve opened themselves to the possibility of the sublime, and those who’ve confined themselves to reality.

Full Review Source: Coast (Halifax, Nova Scotia) | comment Comment
01/13/04
Mark Palermo
Mark Palermo
Coast (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

This flick was like a breath of fresh air.

Full Review Source: Broomfield Enterprise | comment Comment
01/12/04
Dan Marcucci and Nancy Serougi
Dan Marcucci and Nancy Serougi
Broomfield Enterprise

This is the masterpiece Tim Burton has been itching and scratching his way toward ever since he introduced us to "Beetlejuice" in the '80s.

Full Review Source: Roanoke Times (Virginia) | comment Comment
01/12/04
Beth Jones
Beth Jones
Roanoke Times (Virginia)

A minnow of a movie camouflaged within the gaudy spines and barbels of some exotic species...

Full Review Source: Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN) | comment Comment
01/12/04
John Beifuss
John Beifuss
Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN)

The story shows a lot of heart and I found it very absorbing. One of Burton's better movies.

Full Review Source: Laramie Movie Scope | comment Comment
01/11/04
Robert Roten
Robert Roten
Laramie Movie Scope

Stocked to the gills with glorious visuals and delightful whimsy, 'Fish' is a reassuring return to form for director Tim Burton...

Full Review Source: Kalamazoo Gazette | comment Comment
01/11/04
James Sanford
James Sanford
Kalamazoo Gazette

There was something nagging at me, something that didn't become clear until the final, awful scenes, where Burton and company get to their point.

Full Review Source: Goatdog's Movies | comment Comment
01/11/04
Michael W. Phillips, Jr.
Michael W. Phillips, Jr.
Goatdog's Movies
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch | comment Comment
01/10/04
St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Director Tim Burton combines his visual wizardry with touching down-home verities [in a movie that] bounces between poignant reality and beguiling fantasy...

Full Review Source: Las Vegas Review-Journal | comment Comment
01/10/04
Carol Cling
Carol Cling
Las Vegas Review-Journal

For all its occasionally sputtering puffery, Big Fish’s tales are woolly and waggish enough to tickle your fancy for two hours.

Full Review Source: Vue Weekly (Edmonton, Canada) | comment Comment
01/09/04
Brian Gibson
Brian Gibson
Vue Weekly (Edmonton, Canada)

Just as Preston Sturges' 1940s classic Sullivan's Travels has stood as a definitive ode to the value of humor, Big Fish may survive as a strong statement on imagination.

Full Review Source: Rochester Democrat and Chronicle | comment Comment
01/09/04
Jack Garner
Jack Garner
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

Philippe Rousselot's cinematography and Dennis Gassner's production design conspire to create a magical alternative universe in which the mundane and the marvelous happily coexist.

Full Review Source: Kansas City Star | comment Comment
01/09/04
Robert W. Butler
Robert W. Butler
Kansas City Star

Sentimental, even a bit treacly, but it's also appealing and full of warmth. And it's probably [Burton's] best film.

Full Review Source: Deseret News, Salt Lake City | comment Comment
01/09/04
Jeff Vice
Jeff Vice
Deseret News, Salt Lake City

Finney's a superb storyteller, dominating the film as he lies immobile, and McGregor has precisely the right blend of cockiness, enthusiasm, zeal and charm.

Full Review Source: Charlotte Observer | comment Comment
01/09/04
Lawrence Toppman
Lawrence Toppman
Charlotte Observer

Big Fish is simply a magical catch.

Full Review Source: Sun Newspapers of Cleveland | comment Comment
01/09/04
Gerry Shamray
Gerry Shamray
Sun Newspapers of Cleveland

A well-meaning, visually boisterous film that tries so hard you can practically hear it huffing and puffing.

Full Review Source: Fresno Bee | comment Comment
01/09/04
Donald Munro
Donald Munro
Fresno Bee

The annoying question becomes, 'Why isn't this working better?'

Full Review Source: Salt Lake Tribune | comment Comment
01/09/04
Sean Means
Sean Means
Salt Lake Tribune
 
 
61 - 80 (sorted by date)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 >> >|
all

Latest News for Big Fish

May 11, 2007: The Rock as Captain Marvel?
From the "strange but (possibly) true" department. Director Peter Segal looks like he'll be directing the "Shazam" movie ... and will he be casting Dwayne... More...

April 09, 2007: "Captain Marvel" Screenwriter Shakes Up the Fanboys -- Shazam!
Gotta give it up for screenwriter John August. Not only is he entirely forthcoming about his upcoming "Shazam!" (aka "Captain Marvel") adaptation, but he's... More...

October 19, 2006: Helena Bonham Carter Joins Tim Burton's New Project
It's a piece of casting news that'll please many, but shock no one: Helena Bonham Carter has been cast opposite Johnny Depp in Tim Burton's movie version of "Sweeney... More...

June 29, 2006: New Line Greenlights "The Golden Compass" -- for $150 Million
Fans of Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" series have reason to rejoice this morning: New Line Cinema has given an official greenlight and production date to... More...

See All

More DVDs

Close
Top Rentals
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
36% 36% Angels & Demons
25% 25% Four Christmases
68% 68% Funny People
95% 95% Star Trek
14% 14% The Ugly Truth

More Rentals…

New On DVD This Week
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
32% 32% Terminator Salvation
44% 44% Night at the Museum: B…
86% 86% A Christmas Tale
60% 60% Paper Heart

More New Releases…

RT On Current TV

DIRECTV 358 | Comcast 107 | DISH Network 196

What’s Hot On RT

Disney Countdown

Disney Countdown

Look back on Disney's best animated movies!

RT's Gift Guide

RT's Gift Guide

Give the best movies, gear, and more!

Jason Reitman

Jason Reitman

The Up in the Air director's Five Faves

Friday Harvest

Friday Harvest

This week's best pics, vids, and posters!

Other News

Close
  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • Spielberg Hops Away from Harvey Source: Variety
21
  • Tarantino Could Have Directed Green Lantern Source: MTV
24
  • Will Duvall be Gilliam's Don Quixote? Source: Collider.com
26
  • No Hobbit Until 2012? Source: The Wrap
22
  • Don't Hold Your Breath for Hancock 2 Source: HitFix
42
  • Peter Berg Talks Battleship Source: CHUD
2
  • Summit Ponders Twilight Finale Source: Variety
159
  • First Look at Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Source: USA Today
56
  • Jeremy Renner Talks Hawkeye Possibilities Source: Superhero Hype
14
  • Todd Phillips Talks The Hangover 2 Source: Entertainment Weekly
18
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Total Recall: Natalie Portman's Best Movies
76
  • Five Favorite Films with Jason Reitman
53
  • Critics Consensus: Everybody's Fine Is Just OK
49
  • 10 Horrifically Profitable Films
46
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: Vampires and Football Break Thanksgiving Records
43
  • Five Favorite Films with Jesse Ventura
40
  • Sundance 2010: RT's 10 Most Anticipated Movies
39
  • Weekly Ketchup: Tron Team to Remake The Black Hole
33
  • Awards Tour: National Board of Review Winners List!
26
  • RT on DVD & Blu-Ray: Terminator Salvation and a Smithsonian Battle
22
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • Director Ruben Fleischer Talks Zombieland
2
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
17
  • Eric Bana talks Love the Beast - RT Interview
12
  • Fight Club Sound Designer Reflects on Film's 10th Anniversary
22
  • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview
8
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
15
  • Terry Gilliam Talks Doctor Parnassus
22
  • Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
9
  • Wolverine Creator Len Wein Talks About the Film
28
  • Gavin Hood Talks Wolverine; Possible Sequel
28
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

  • Big Fish at Rotten Tomatoes
  • Big Fish at IGN
  • Big Fish at AskMen

Fresh Links

Featured
History of Disney Animation
History of Disney Animation External Link

MSN Movies offers a little background on the success of Disney Animation.

90 Years of Screen Vampires
90 Years of Screen Vampires External Link

TIME takes a look back at the history of vampires on film.

Virtuoso Vistas of Lovely Bones
Virtuoso Vistas of Lovely Bones External Link

Techland examines the visual splendor of Peter Jackson's upcoming film.

Recent Headlines as TV Movies
Recent Headlines as TV Movies External Link

AOL put together a list of 10 recent news items that would be perfect as TV Movies.

The Death of Original Thought
The Death of Original Thought External Link

Hollywood.com's C. Robert Cargill explores how remakes and reboots have warped our thinking.

Promos
Follow RT on Twitter
Follow RT on Twitter External Link

Get the latest Tomatometer updates on upcoming movies!

 
 
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Games| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN Logo

IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.