SpuffyWeb Sadly Over-hyped

Micitype Pretty Good

Allison Davies The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Zandra The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

zkonedog Every child ever born on this earth, at some point in his/her life, wants to experience life as a grown-up before their time. Well, this comical little film shows what would happen if one of those children were to get their wish.For a short synopsis, this film tells the story of a 13-year old boy, Josh, who loses the "girl of his dreams" due to his short stature and lack of adult characteristics (such as driving). So, in a moment of self-pity, Josh makes a wish on a carnival game machine that he wants to be "big". The next morning, Josh wakes up with is 13-year old mind in the body of a 30-year old, and hilarity (and some emotional drama) ensues for the rest of the film.Tom Hanks, one of the few truly great actors of our day, plays the "old Josh", and really does carry this film in what turned out to be the start of his brilliant leading-role career. Hanks absolutely nails the silliness and mannerisms of a young teenager, which makes for some hilarious physical and situational comedy. Plus, the script is also very conducive to his acting, as the plot feeds into the mentality of a child (I mean, what could have possibly been a better job for the old Josh than Toy Tester?!). Whether Hanks is failing to convince his mother that, at heart, he is still 13, goofing around with his best buddy, or trying to maintain an adult romantic relationship, Hanks is brilliant in every nuance of the character.A particularly touching scene comes towards the end of the film, when the Old Josh must decide whether he wants to revert back to childhood. As he walks through his old neighborhood, he observes the simple moments that make childhood great, such as playing in a pile of leaves, a junior-high class picture, or starting a pick-up baseball game. I'll leave you in suspense as to what Old Josh decides to do, but suffice it to say that the scene will have you wondering whether you would have made the same choice.I don't consider this film to be one of my all-time favorites, thus the 4-star rating instead of five, but it is a very engaging little film that can be enjoyed by pretty much all ages. Children will love Hanks' crazy antics, while adults will appreciate Hanks' performance and be drawn into the conundrum he ultimately faces.

aliuelic Every child wants to become a grownup at some time. And a young boy named Josh had his wish come true by accident in the movie. This lucky big boy is portrayed by Tom Hanks. Wow, he is fabulous! I was so impressed by the scenes when big Josh had to spend the first night alone in a flophouse. He really made an 30-year-old adult with a 13-year-old mind come alive. There's a girl's version of Big called 13 Going on 30, but in my opinion it's not that good or charming by comparison.

Hitchcoc Of course, the premise sets up the possibility for an actor to either succeed or fail. If we don't buy into the innocence and the joy of a little boy, it isn't going to happen. By Tom Hanks being cast here, a mediocre script is brought to life. This was later a Broadway play, and when I saw it, I felt a bit cheated. Then it dawned on me that I was so involved in Hanks portrayal that the actor I was watching, as gifted as he was, was a step down. The plot, of course, involves a boy who maintains his childish being in a man's body. The man has choices in his world where the boy did not. Someone could fall in love with him in a romantic way. He, naturally, is clueless and this is bewildering. I remember Peter Sellers in "Being There." They are what they are and their environment is in conflict with them. Yet they don't have the intellectual wherewithal to change to adapt. A very nice movie. Unfortunately, a shameless commercial for F.A.O. Schwartz. But that's only a minor point.

Steve Pulaski NOTE: This film was recommended to me by Kimberly Winters Gautier for the "Steve Pulaski Sees It." If there's one genre of films that has never particularly done much for me, it's the "body swapping" genre of films, and while Penny Marshall's Big takes a creative new spin on the genre, it still can't overcome its pretty uninteresting concept. The film revolves around a thirteen-year-old named Josh Baskin (David Moscow), who lives in New York with his parents who decide to visit the local carnival one day. After trying to impress a schoolgirl with his bravery by going on a roller-coaster and subsequently being shooed away because he isn't of adequate height, Josh uses a fortune teller machine to wish he was bigger.The next morning, Josh wakes up a thirty-five-year-old man and utterly horrified by his growth spurt. He quickly darts out of his home after his mother mistakes him for a burglar, and knowing he can't go home and explain the situation to his mother, he calls on his best friend Billy (Jared Rushton) to assist him in his new adult adventures. Before long, Josh goes to work for a toy company, using his own prior knowledge as to what kids enjoy in order to become a successful employee at the company. He also winds up developing a crush on his coworker Susan Lawrence (Elizabeth Perkins) over time, despite her not knowing his unbelievable secret.Adult Josh is played by a very young Tom Hanks in what is often considered his breakout role, and to his credit, Hanks is a commendable, charismatic presence all the way through Big. His role requires a boatload of energy and charm, which he has no problem delivering, and his cheery smile is enough to warrant at least some pleasure in this film. The problem with Big, despite its wholesomeness and its innocuous premise, is that it's simply not a very interesting film and it all starts with its bogus storyline. For one, we never really get an explanation of whether or not Josh is functioning with the mind of a thirteen-year-old in a thirty-five-year-old body or if he has a thirty-five-year-old mind in a thirty-five-year-old's body. Right there, it sets up a conflict of interest based around the character since we're not entirely sure on what wavelength he is operating.Second of all, the humor in the film is not particularly funny. Isolated scenes like the famous rendition of "Chopsticks" on a life-sized piano are fun, but little in the film is humorous or very memorable because of its situational comedy. When a film tackles a premise like this, there should at least be some kind of consistent humor coming from the plot, but all there seems to be a string of ironic, coincidental, or predictable sequences involving the bizarre concept of a thirteen-year-old inheriting the body of an adult (in a screenplay written by Gary Ross and Anne Spielberg, the sister of Steven Spielberg).It's that and the film's general predictability that wore on me; when the relationship between Josh and Susan begins to brew, the film almost effectively abandons any attempt at being funny to take a more romantic route. Right there, we have three genres - fantasy, comedy, and romance - that all feel like they're being handled in a half-baked manner that lacks any kind of narrative conviction. While Big may have spirit and a talented cast of talents - its leading performer going on to earn Oscar nominations and being regarded as one of the finest American actors working today - it lacks the kind of humor that its premise so readily demands and settles on being simple, basic cable entertainment.Starring: Tom Hanks, Elizabeth Perkins, Jared Rushton, and David Moscow. Directed by: Penny Marshall.