Jack the Giant Slayer

I went into the film expecting to be let down. While the movie wasn't perfect, it was decent. The filmmakers persuaded us to accept a traditional fairytale design that by extension allowed us to accept the story being told. The casting was well handled also. The 3D and special effects were not as good as they could have been but that is only because we are comparing them to other big movies. It is evidence of the impact that movies like "Avatar", "The Hobbit" and "Life of Pi" have had on our outlook of today's special effects.

This would have been an awful movie if it had not been for director Bryan Singer who brought us the first two X-men films, "Superman Returns" and "Valkyrie". Because Singer was working with screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie for the fifth time and his usual composer John Ottman, the story probably became better than it was before they signed on to the project. One thing they added was the back story of King Eric and the giants. That opening sequence with the two story times edited together got my attention. I felt sincerity in the filmmaking. The story of this movie definitely mirrors "The Hero's Journey" story motif. The hero is called to adventure when he is given the magic beans. He even refuses "the call" at first because he needs guaranteed payment. In terms of supernatural aid in the story, that is harder to identify but I think that the last bean that Jack keeps or the crown of King Eric could symbolize such aid that the hero is given to help him in his quest. He finds a mentor in Elmont and climbing the beanstalk is when he leaves his known world to enter a field of adventure. When Jack sneaks into the giant city he is in the "belly of the whale", completely cut off from his known world below. His love for Princess Isabelle provides more help on his quest. It is important that Jack meets & defends the princess early in the story and meets Elmont as well. This is much like a scene from "Aladdin" and it provides our hero association with the ruling class. The rags-to-riches storyline must be plausible. Even with his scene, Jack became part of the rescue team very easily. I can overlook that I guess because Roderick is a manipulator. He knows that Jack has the beans and persuades the king to accept Jack's help in order to obtain the beans. The opening 2/3rds of the film has very little conflict for our hero as mentioned when compared to other heroes on the big screen. However, in the original tale of "Jack and the Beanstalk", there is little conflict as well. The film is an obvious fantasy and it references the original story quite a lot. We accept the lack of conflict. This is again thanks to the direction of Singer. I like how there is a long climb up and down the beanstalk because that is one realistic alteration to the tale that provides conflict. I enjoy the fight between Elmont and Roderick. The acting in this case allowed us to accept its sense of danger. I enjoyed when Elmont catches the dagger in his mouth because that was an original move in this cliché battle. On the other hand, Roderick's death was too soon in my opinion. He was quite a good villain and instead, Fallon becomes the lead antagonist. During he battle at the castle, Fallon himself looses his command of the giants to Fumm. This constant change in head antagonist was another tiny fault in the story. I did like the gratefulness of king towards Jack for saving the princess. It shows that the king is undergoing a change of heart in that he gives Jack a great reward. However, Jack is still a commoner. He is not able to claim the princess, though both Jack and Isabelle have love for one another. The king is also still emotionally indebted to Jack as a father. There is a lack of resolution but the climax fixes that. The intense ride up to the castle was well created but the tug of war with the giants over the drawbridge seemed a little far-fetched even in this fantasy world. That was a part of the battle where the giants had an advantage. The plot point of the last magic bean that Jack holds continues to remain a mystery as to its purpose in the story. Everyone in the audience knows that it will bring Jack ultimate victory but as to how we are unsure. When it looked like Fallon was about to win, I was under the impression that Jack would use the ax to cut Fallon's fingers and obtain the crown. Thus I was surprised by how the bean came into play and I once again give credit to Singer for providing an entertaining and suprising climax. I love when Elmont suspects that something is behind him because it references the scene at the beginning of the movie. This time, Jack is the one that everyone is bowing to. The end sequence was a nice twist as the crown & the story undergo changes throughout time and we find ourselves in the real world looking at the crown jewels in the Tower of London.

The 3D was for the most part consistent in the film but not impressive. There were two shots in the whole movie looked cool in 3D and they both were POV shots of giants. The giants themselves looked a little unrealistic. If Weta Digital could create trolls and goblins that felt real then why couldn't Digital Domain? They have done great work in the past. However, I have read that the reason was so that children could enjoy this film and I guess I am okay with that. This also explains the clean design of kingdom that not only contrasts the giant world but also that of films like "The Lord of the Rings" or Ridley Scott's "Robin Hood". Instead of a dirty medieval world, we have a picturesque land that resembles that of a storybook. The casting was well done in giving this fairytale story enough creditability. Nicholas Hoult had a better role than on "X-men: First Class" to work with because the role of Jack fits him better. I was grateful for the good chemistry between Hoult and Eleanor Tomlinson. The romance worked because of them. Ewan McGregor was perfect for this role because he has this type of role before in the Star Wars prequels. Bill Nighy's performance was good but the voice he used was a little too similar to Davy Jones from the Pirates franchise. Stanley Tucci seems to be great in whatever genre he performs in and I loved Ian McShane so much more than in "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides". Warwick Davis' brief role was so cool because he came across as the ultimate thespian.

When you read the synopsis for "Jack the Giant Slayer" and compare it to the previews, you don't expect this film to be worth seeing. While it isn't worth seeing it in IMAX, it is worth seeing in the discount theaters. This fairytale, under the direction of Bryan Singer, has some value. Sure there are flaws but I had a nice time watching the film. I was kept guessing while watching the story and the actors did a good job. There are movies that are much worse than this one because in this case, the story was prioritized above the special effects.

3.5 Stars