In this new twist on an old fairytale, Jack (Nicholas Hoult, “Warm Bodies”) is a simple farm boy struggling to make ends meet. But, unlike the story told to children, Jack lives in a world where the beanstalk grew once before and the giants terrorized his people until King Eric the Great stopped the monsters and cut the beanstalk down. When a mysterious monk offers Jack a couple of beans for his horse with the promise that he can exchange them for money later, Jack has no inkling that these are the same magical seeds that caused all the trouble hundreds of years before.
That is, he has no idea until one of the beans accidentally gets wet and a beanstalk sprouts right in the middle of his house, taking his farm—and coincidentally, the Princess of Cloister (Eleanor Tomlinson, “Alice in Wonderland”)—with it. Jack joins a band of soldiers and climbs the beanstalk in hopes of finding the princess and returning her to safety.
“Jack the Giant Slayer” should first be praised for the skillful use of animation and computer-generated effects. In the beginning sequence of the film, live action is interspersed with animation as a young Jack listens to a bedtime story (the story of the giants) told by his father. This use of animation breathes life to the story while also giving it a child-like wonder, which is perfect considering the setting in which the story is told. Additionally, the digital creation of the giants later in the film is incredibly detailed, and it’s easy to surmise that an immense amount of time was spent perfecting these images.
That being said, the story is, at times, predictable. Though some interesting changes have been made to the original fairytale, by and large the film lacks any sort of unknown aspect. This makes for a movie-going experience that is enjoyable but not particularly emotional, and it’s unlikely that viewers will truly become invested in the characters and plotline. Additionally, since this is essentially a “recycled” fairytale, it’s difficult to call the film something special or original.
Surprisingly, “Jack the Giant Slayer” also has some top-billed actors in its cast. With Stanley Tucci (“The Hunger Games”) as the villainous Roderick and Ewan McGregor (“Star Wars”) as the king’s guard Elmont, the film features some seasoned acting to enhance the newer talent of leading actors Nicholas Hoult and Eleanor Tomlinson. Yet Hoult and Tomlinson should not be ignored—each provides an incredibly dedicated performance, and the on-screen chemistry between them is undeniable. Also notable is the vocal performance of Bill Nighy (“Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest”) as the two-headed giant king. Once again, Nighy’s distinctive voice breathes life to a character that is mostly computer generated, and in doing so creates a character worthy of being feared.
In all, “Jack the Giant Slayer” is a respectable adaptation of a traditional fairytale, but offers little in terms of the new or innovative. The film should be commended for its skillful animation and CGI, as well as enthusiastic performances by each of its cast members. Audiences will find that “Jack the Giant Slayer” is an enjoyable way to spend an afternoon, but perhaps not a film that will be considered beloved in the future.
