I finally got around to watching BIG purely because it's one of the biggest movies of the 1980s. I should not that I'm not really a huge fan of family comedies like this, so if this is your type of thing I'd add at least a couple of stars to my rating which comes from someone who isn't the target audience.
BIG is one in a sub-genre of movies about kids who have the chance to be, well, big. Instead of going down the body-swap route, this film simply has a child version of Tom Hanks making a wish at a fun fair and waking up, adult-sized, the next morning. It's as straightforward as that, with all of the fish-out-of-water hijinks that ensue (taking the form of a child trapped in an adult world).
What I liked about this film is that it turns out to be rather touching and with an interesting subtext that explores the loss of innocence and the importance of the formative childhood years. In some ways it evokes a lot of nostalgia in the audience, as well as identifying with us adults who sometimes feel like we're still kids ourselves despite our advancing years. Tom Hanks gives a sweet and likable turn as the lead, but matching him are Robert Loggia (ever the scene-stealer) and Elizabeth Perkins, whose transformation is quite eye-catching. The dancing sequence with Loggia and Hanks is the undoubted highlight here.
BIG is one in a sub-genre of movies about kids who have the chance to be, well, big. Instead of going down the body-swap route, this film simply has a child version of Tom Hanks making a wish at a fun fair and waking up, adult-sized, the next morning. It's as straightforward as that, with all of the fish-out-of-water hijinks that ensue (taking the form of a child trapped in an adult world).
What I liked about this film is that it turns out to be rather touching and with an interesting subtext that explores the loss of innocence and the importance of the formative childhood years. In some ways it evokes a lot of nostalgia in the audience, as well as identifying with us adults who sometimes feel like we're still kids ourselves despite our advancing years. Tom Hanks gives a sweet and likable turn as the lead, but matching him are Robert Loggia (ever the scene-stealer) and Elizabeth Perkins, whose transformation is quite eye-catching. The dancing sequence with Loggia and Hanks is the undoubted highlight here.