BIG FISH

Scifind.co.uk rating - 4 - out of 5.

Reviewed By: Liam O Brien

Starring: Billy Crudup, Ewan McGregor,

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With the horribly impersonal mess that was PLANET OF THE APES (2001) director Tim Burton broke a chain of great movies that included classics the like of SLEEPY HOLLOW and EDWARD SCISSORHANDS. POTA simply seemed like Burton had lost all the quirky zest and invention that had been so prevalent in his earlier works. It seemed like he was in a rut. Because of this, BIG FISH has much to prove. Coming out in a season where samurai battle and kings are just about done returning, the movie is not only a return to form for the talented auteur, but a refreshing change of pace from the films of late. It’s an intimate movie, with locations and set pieces galore, but this is nothing like the epic fare currently doing the box office rounds. It does however share traits with THE LAST SAMURAI and THE RETURN OF THE KING. It’s bloody good.

The basic plot revolves around the efforts of beleaguered son Will Bloom (an excellent B