“I like a good adventure.“ – Nicholas Hoult as Jack
What’s good: The story is fun and entertaining to watch.
What’s not good: Horrible CGI used for the giants.
What happened: Fairytales have permanently shaped our view of the world. Many of us still dream of becoming a hero by rescuing the damsel and saving the day. Our parents always told us that these stories were not real; but what if they were? ‘Jack the Giant Slayer’ shows that fairytales just might actually be true.
Jack (Nicholas Hoult) has spent his entire life reading fairytales. All he’s ever wanted was to become a courageous hero and save the day. It doesn’t look like his dreams will ever come true as long as he is stuck working on a farm. Jack still holds on to the belief that fairytales are real despite his father telling him otherwise. His favorite tale was the story of a king that magically defeated the giants who came from the sky. Jack gets in trouble when he gives away prized possessions for a few magic beans. Little does he know that he will soon get the chance to be the hero he always wanted to be.
Isabelle (Eleanor Tomlinson) may be a princess, but she is extremely unhappy with her life. Her father, King Brahmwell (Ian McShane), keeps her isolated in his castle to shield her from evil. The king is so protective of Isabelle that he forces his best guardian Elmont (Ewan McGregor) to follow her at all times. Isabelle wants nothing of the life chosen for her and is desperate for an adventure of her very own. Roderick (Stanley Tucci) is the king’s most trusted confidant. His hidden agenda just may lead to the destruction of the world. Meanwhile, the giants have been plotting their revenge and are determined to overtake the earth at any cost. Jack must rescue the princess and save the kingdom before the giants destroy the human race.
‘Jack the Giant Slayer’ is a decent film with one major flaw. The entire cast delivers great performances including Ewan McGregor and Stanley Tucci. Tucci always delivers and is devilishly good in this one. This movie is quite predictable and still fun to watch. The story is a good one that mixes some biblical and fairytale elements together. Make sure to pay close attention to the important information provided in the opening minutes of the film. The biggest issue with ‘Jack the Giant Slayer’ is how the giants were portrayed. The giants looked awful and acted utterly stupid at times. For example, one picks his nose and eats what he finds. The way they looked felt out of place for the tone of the movie. This makes it difficult to understand which audience is being targeted. On one hand, the violence may be a little too scary for younger children. Though on the other, the giants seem to be created with little kids in mind. This puts the movie in an awkward position of being too childish for adults yet too mature for children. Making the giants look and act more menacing would have made the film so much better.
Bottom Line: ‘Jack the Giant Slayer’ is a decent film that’s more for preteens than adults. Unfortunately, you won’t miss much if you wait until it becomes a rental.
Grade: B-
Rating: PG-13 Run time: 1 hour, 54 minutes
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