Review: ‘Big Fish & Begonia’ is a luscious Chinese fairy tale.

BIG FISH & BEGONIA

From ancient Chinese legends comes a beautiful tale of love and sacrifice. There is a mystical race of beings that control the tide and the changing of the seasons. But one of these beings, a young girl named Chun, wants to experience the human world, not simply observe it. When she turns sixteen, Chun is allowed to transform into a dolphin and explore the human world. However, she soon learns this world is a dangerous place. Chun is nearly killed in a vortex, but saved by a human boy at the cost of his own life. Moved by his kindness and courage, she decides to give the boy life again, but this power comes at a price. Chun will have to face adventure and sacrifice in order to protect the boy’s soul until it is ready to return to the human world.

Big Fish & Begonia is part love story, part fable, and all elegant Chinese animation. This visually luscious film follows in the steps of Studio Ghibli delights in both wonder and overall feel of the storytelling. While you do feel the entire 105 minute run of the film that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The story has enough going on to engage an age-appropriate audience. With a PG-13 rating, some themes will go over the heads of younger viewers. It is the perfect film to enjoy, just sitting back, listening, and watching the vivid colors and curious characters that pop up along the way. It has a bit of a Hans Christain Anderson’s Little Mermaid feel but most definitely has more going on. And without a doubt, it deserves to be viewed on the largest screen possible. Big Fish & Begonia opens today. Check out the trailer below for a taste of the film.

Shout! Studios will release the film in New York and major cities across the country starting April 6th with a national rollout to follow on April 11th.

 

Big Fish & Begonia made its international debut at the prestigious Annecy International Animation Film Festival and BFI London Film Festival. Already a great box-office success overseas, the film is China’s foremost animated feature film

 

New & Returning to HBOGO – ‘X-Men’ ‘Young Frankenstein’ ‘The Great Gatsby’

hbogo-logo_featureIt’s that time again! Here’s the new stuff to HBO and what’s returning.

Name Expiring
12 Years a Slave 5/16/2015
A Good Woman n/a
About Time 7/31/2015 Returning
The Amazing Catfish 6/30/2015
Battle for Terra 5/31/2015 Returning
Before Night Falls 6/30/2015
Before Sunset 6/30/2015 Returning
Being Flynn 6/30/2015 Returning
Best In Show n/a
The Beverly Hillbillies 6/30/2015
Bogus 5/31/2015
Bull Durham 6/21/2015
Catch a Fire 10/31/2015
Class Act 8/31/2015 Returning
Contact 9/30/2015
The Cure n/a
De-Lovely 7/31/2015
Deck the Halls 7/31/2015
Desk Set 7/31/2015
Dirty War n/a
Doctor Zhivago 8/31/2015 Returning
Dolphin Tale 2 n/a
Emma n/a
Empire 5/31/2015
Ender’s Game 8/31/2015 Returning
Eye For An Eye 8/31/2015
Eyewitness 6/30/2015
Fellow Traveller n/a
The Fever n/a
Fflolkes n/a
For a Good Time, Call… 6/21/2015 Returning
The Great Gatsby 5/31/2015 Returning
He Got Game 6/21/2015
I Dreamed of Africa 7/31/2015 Returning
In & Out n/a
In the Mouth of Madness 6/30/2015 Returning
Jersey Boys n/a
King Kong 6/14/2015 Returning
Kuffs 6/30/2015
The Lake House 6/30/2015
The Last of the Blonde Bombshells 8/31/2015
Leap Year 6/27/2015 Returning
Life Is Beautiful n/a
Little Shop of Horrors 6/30/2015 Returning
Living Out Loud 5/31/2015 Returning
Love and a .45 n/a
Lovely & Amazing 6/30/2015
The Magnificent Seven 5/31/2015
Mary and Martha n/a
Mr Nice Guy 10/31/2015 Returning
Must Love Dogs 7/31/2015
Narrow Margin 7/31/2015 Returning
Next of Kin 6/30/2015 Returning
Night at the Museum n/a
Nothing to Lose 6/21/2015
Oh, God! 6/30/2015
Oh, God! Book II 6/30/2015
Oh, God! You Devil 6/30/2015
Once Around 5/31/2015
Picture This n/a
Pleasantville 9/30/2015 Returning
Prime 6/26/2015 Returning
The Producers: The Movie Musical n/a
Pure Luck 6/30/2015 Returning
Queen of the Damned 10/31/2015
Restraint 9/30/2015
The Return of the Musketeers n/a
Save the Last Dance 9/30/2015
Scary Movie 6/21/2015
Serial Mom n/a
Shout 6/30/2015 Returning
Star Trek: First Contact 6/30/2015 Returning
Stop! or My Mom Will Shoot 6/30/2015 Returning
The Story of Us 6/30/2015 Returning
Talk Radio n/a
Tequila Sunrise 6/21/2015
That Thing You Do! 8/31/2015
Hangover Part III 5/31/2015 Returning
Thelma & Louise 5/31/2015 Returning
The Trouble With Spies 6/30/2015
The Truth About Cats & Dogs 5/31/2015 Returning
Twilight Zone: The Movie 7/31/2015
Two of a Kind 6/30/2015
The Upside of Anger 6/30/2015 Returning
Uptown Girls 10/31/2015
Walk of Shame n/a Returning
White Oleander 6/30/2015
X-Men n/a
X-Men: Days of Future Past n/a
The Year of Living Dangerously 6/21/2015
Young Frankenstein 6/21/2015 Returning