From Edward Scissorhands to Batman and Sleepy Hollow, Tim Burton knows how to tell a good story.

And the visionary director gives us chapter and verse in this fantasy-rich family drama about the relationship between a father and his son.

From his sick bed, Edward Bloom (Finney) tells tales about his oversized life as a young man to his son, Will. As Bloom recounts his unlikely journey from a small town in Alabama, round the world and back again, he tells epic tales about his encounters with giants, blizzards, a traveling circus, conjoined twins and a witch. From parachuting into China during the Korean War to visiting a mystical town where people live forever, his life is one big adventure.

For Will though, it's a tough story to swallow and, as he tried to separate fact from fiction, he hopes to discover the truth about his father - before it's too late.

Adapted from Daniel Wallace's popular novel, this weird and wonderful fable interweaves Burton's signature quirky visual effects, his dark sense of humour and his uncanny talent for making colourful characters larger than life.

With some heart warming and side splitting performances from Finney and McGregor (who plays the young Edward Bloom), this is a mesmerizing fairytale for grown-ups.