Big [VHS]

Maybe I always read too much into what was supposed to be a fairly light 1980’s movie. Everyone has been a kid and unable to do something because of their size and age and wish we were grown because grown-ups can do everything, right? Big presents the perils of wanting to grow up too soon and the dangers of thinking too much like an adult. Of course no one can avoid growing up, but it really does make one pause and consider the things that we lose as we grow up.While its meant to be a comedy, there’s an underlying darkness or melancholy that surrounds elements of this movie because Josh knows he doesn’t belong in the adult world because he’s 12, but yet he feels things in the adult world that can’t be taken back. I prefer to think of Big as a message to never lose that childhood element of yourself that is imaginative and creative mixed with the spirit of anything is possible. All too often it vanishes with age.These are just a few thoughts I have.

As a person who loves extras on DVDs, this product is a real winner. It has both a Blu-ray and DVD disk. The DVD only has a trailer as an extra as all the other bonus items are on the Blu-ray copy. These disks come in the normal smaller Blu-Ray keepsake box and each has its slot to fit into. I had absolutely no play issues with either disk.The movie, of course, is wonderful. It's a great comedy and pretty much my type of movie. There's not much I'd change, except for a line of profanity that I never like. Regardless, my review here is focused on the bonus material and the set itself.The one thing I really disliked about the set up of the extras was that instead of utilizing the entire screen to show a list of the extras, there is just a small box near the bottom that had two lines only of description. You have to use the down arrow to move from item to item and sometimes from left to right to make a selection. This was not user friendly in my view. Also, while they had a wonderful play all option for deleted scenes that even included the option of whether or not to include director Penny Marshall's comments, they did not include a play all button for all of the trailers and TV spots.The rest is pretty much all good. There are several featurettes on how the movie came to be with Gary Ross and Anne Spielberg being interviewed. As mentioned, there are several deleted scenes, including some with the Marshall intros. Frances Fisher is included in one of those. There is a featurette that deals with the real life toy makers, like the ones depicted in the film. An episode of Hollywood Backstories focused on Big is included. There's also a short piece on a carnival that was part of the premier with Tom Hanks.The Blu-ray disk contains both the original theatrical cut and the extended version that has all of the deleted scenes included in the movie. In addition, there is commentary by Ross and Spielberg. However, the commentary is not like what is normally found. In the features, you hear a lot about audiotapes that Spielberg made while she and Ross were brainstorming and developing Big. In the commentary, they actually play several large sections of the tapes. Then they talk about it. It is not a case of them watching the movie and then talking about what is happening; rather, it's the playing of the tapes and then talking about how things happened. It's pretty fascinating if you enjoy really learning about the evolution of a project.Finally, there are a couple of Zoltar Speaks cards included.My only regret about the extras is that apparently Tom Hanks did not participate at all. He's seen in vintage clips from the day, but he did not do any of the updated clips from when the disks were released. I did enjoy seeing the two young boys featured as Josh and Billy, now grown up, in the extras.The extras were well done and made me a happy one for adding this movie to my collection. Even with my frustration at the special features set up and the lack of Hanks' participation, I'm still giving it 5 stars.

An iconic movie that still holds up today.. Just rewatched this 80s flick with my son and I was a bit concerned that the movie would fall flat on its face. But I was wrong. There are a few things that are odd like Hank's character working in the "computers" department, lots of wired phones, and the sort of creepy dramatic irony that comes with an adult woman getting turned on by a character that the audience knows to be just a boy (actually goes much farther than that but you will have to watch to see what I mean).... But the iconic moments (chopsticks, "I get to sleep on top," etc.) of the film resonated with my son just as they did with me almost 30 years ago. Is it time for a remake? Anyway, defiantly great for a night in with the family, just be ready for a few PG-13 moments...

If your here then i'm going to assume that you have seen the movie, so i'm not going to comment on the movie itself. The biggest draw in picking up this release for me was the extended cut that is 2 hours and 10 minutes( Original Was 1 hour 44 minutes) of material that only extends the film we have grown to love and presented in 1080p. You can tell they took care with this release because the film really never looked this good and as i watched it i felt like i was seeing it all over again.The Original packaging had a slipcover that played the piano theme from the movie when you opened the flap and latter pressing's just had the common blu-ray case with one blu-ray disc inside. I Personally like the standard cases most because when i put it with the rest of my movies it sit's flush and for someone with OCD that's just a must ;).There are plenty of special features including the theatrical version that i will list below.+ Deleted Scenes+ "Big" Beginnings+ Chemistry of a Classic+ The Work of Play+ Hollywood Backstory: Big+ Carnival Party Newswrap+ Trailers and TV SpotsOverall if you seen the movie this is a fantastic edition for someone's collection and if you haven't then what are you waiting for it does not get any better then this ;).

BIG is a classic movie that will remain a classic for years to come. The concept and premise of this movie is so relatable to kids today, especially if they are short for their age or simply those who wish they could grow up faster than they are. While there is some adult humor that suggests that this movie is more for adults looking back on their childhood rather than kids looking forward to their adulthood, it really suggests to the adult world that life can be a whole lot less complicated than we actually make it. It is worth a trip to IMDb app to see all the goofs and trivia associated with the making of this movie. Big definitely needs to be a movie that remains in your home library for years to come.