Throughout his life Edward Bloom has always been a man of big appetites, enormous passions and tall tales. In his later years, he remains a huge mystery to his son, William. Now, to get to know the real man, Will begins piecing together a true picture of his father from flashbacks of his amazing adventures.
A long-winded indulgence in tear-and-a-smile whimsy.
– Mick LaSalle,
San Francisco Chronicle,
26 Dec 2003
fresh:
A compelling look at the relationships between fathers and sons, and the child coming to terms with the parent's mortality.
– Paul Clinton (CNN.com),
CNN.com,
8 Jan 2004
rotten:
Burton shows the rivalry between father and son but not the rancor, which seems to fit with the film's calm lyricism. But the father-son conflict is meant as the dramatic crux, and a forceful actor would have given it some much-needed bite.
– Jonathan Rosenbaum,
Chicago Reader,
16 Mar 2004
rotten:
Overall, the film feels like it issues from a place Burton doesn't inhabit.
– Peter Rainer,
New York Magazine/Vulture,
7 Aug 2004
rotten:
The film doesn't so much reject history as selectively rewrite it to its own reactionary, even offensive ends. This might perhaps be just about tolerable were the film funny, illuminating, insightful or moving. It is not.