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Gigantic (A Tale of Two Johns) (2002)

tomatometer

82

Average Rating: 7.1/10
Reviews Counted: 45
Fresh: 37 | Rotten: 8

A clever, absorbing documentary about They Might Be Giants, a musical duo whose brainy, idiosyncratic brand of pop has earned them decades of cult success.

84

Average Rating: 7/10
Critic Reviews: 19
Fresh: 16 | Rotten: 3

A clever, absorbing documentary about They Might Be Giants, a musical duo whose brainy, idiosyncratic brand of pop has earned them decades of cult success.

audience

88

liked it
Average Rating: 4/5
User Ratings: 940

My Rating

Movie Info

John Flansburgh and John Linnell are a pair of musicians who met when they were fellow junior-high misfits in the town of Lincoln, MA. Sharing a fondness for off-center pop music and absurdist humor, the pair decided to form a band, and later moved to Brooklyn, NY, in search of their big break. Adopting a rather unusual two-man lineup (guitar and accordion accompanied by a drum machine), the duo began performing as They Might Be Giants, and their shows were part concert, part performance art,

Nov 18, 2003

Cowboy Pictures

All Critics (50) | Top Critics (19) | Fresh (38) | Rotten (8) | DVD (3)

Prepare yourself for nights wandering around the house singing unshakable tunes.

October 3, 2003 Full Review Source: Globe and Mail | Comment
Globe and Mail
Top Critic IconTop Critic

The flabby, fawning film Gigantic comes across as 102 minutes of rib-nudging by one of the duo's annoyingly self-satisfied connoisseurs.

September 12, 2003 Full Review Source: Denver Post | Comment
Denver Post
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Predictably, Flansburgh and Linnell are the saving grace of the movie, both in their interview segments (refreshingly witty, although the editing could have been tighter) and particularly in the live footage.

September 12, 2003 Comment
Denver Rocky Mountain News
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A modest amusement.

August 8, 2003 Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle | Comment
San Francisco Chronicle
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As tooting-your -own-horn documentaries about innovative alt-rockers who've been around for 20 years go, Gigantic: A Tale of Two Johns goes very well indeed.

August 7, 2003 Full Review Source: Philadelphia Inquirer | Comment
Philadelphia Inquirer
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Clever in a good way, this spirited documentary delves gently into the story of indie band They Might Be Giants, building a case for a couple of good-natured visionaries and pioneers who blazed trails for non-hair bands in the early days.

July 10, 2003 Comment
Hollywood Reporter
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Gigantic documents how much work goes into the making of twee music.

May 14, 2004 Full Review Source: Low IQ Canadian | Comment

Gigantic may not be as different a music movie as it thinks it is, what with its by-the-book fluffiness. But that's OK, really, since it's a fun watch anyway.

January 2, 2004 Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | Comment
eFilmCritic.com

An extremely entertaining documentary. It has an excellent mix of interviews, archival footage and live performance.

November 10, 2003 Full Review Source: DVDTalk.com | Comment
DVDTalk.com

Engrossing, fun and oddly touching, Gigantic makes you wish the best for these guys.

October 31, 2003 Full Review Source: Oregonian | Comment
Oregonian

Comforting and pleasant.

August 24, 2003 Full Review Source: New Times | Comment
New Times

Suffers the same banal fate of most band documentaries. It's essential for rabid fans but even ordinary ones will live rich and meaningful lives without ever having seen one minute of it.

August 21, 2003 Comment
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

As a film, Gigantic is excessive and poorly structured.

August 15, 2003 Full Review Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer | Comment
Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Tries to be as irreverent and bouncy as a song by its subject, and succeeds for the most part.

August 15, 2003 Comment
Seattle Times

Even at face value the world of TMBG is still wonderful and fascinating, making for an engaging film.

August 8, 2003 Comment
San Francisco Examiner

Should be sent out to fan club members, not exhibited in movie theaters.

July 22, 2003 Full Review Source: EricDSnider.com | Comment
EricDSnider.com
More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for Gigantic (A Tale of Two Johns)

Being a huge fan of TMBG I am obviously biased but I thoroughly enjoyed this movie! I admit that if you are not a TMBG fan you probably aren't going to be as impressed with it (though if you are not a fan I am not sure why you would want to see it.) I don't know that it would necessarily win new fans but it does seem

July 13, 2007

I'm not sure how interesting it would be for non-TMBG fans, but for those already in the fold, it's a real treat. A fascinating insight into songwriting, popular music, and of course, They Might Be Giants

June 13, 2007

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