Following in the footsteps of “Hansel and Gretel” arrives yet another revisionist fairy tale, this time elaborating on the legend of Jack and the Beanstalk. And, like the previous film, director Bryan Singer (“X-Men,” “The Usual Suspects”) takes plenty of liberties with the original yarn. Yet the script takes pains to explain how myths can change over time and the playful vibe and good humor on display throughout are effective.
Jack (Nicholas Hoult) is an orphaned, poor farmhand forced to sell his horse to keep the property functioning. His day gets even more troubled when he accidentally becomes involved with Princess Isabelle (Eleanor Tomilson), and comes into possession of several magic beans being used as part of a plot to dethrone King Brahmwell (Ian McShane). After a sudden rainstorm, a beanstock grows from the earth, taking the Princess up to the land of hungry, flesh-eating giants. Jack joins knight Elmont (Ewan McGregor) and Isabelle’s nefarious fiancée Roderick (Stanley Tucci) on an attempt to rescue her.
From this point on, the party battles the monsters both above the clouds and on their own earthbound terrain whilst doing their best not to be caught, turned into literal pigs-in-a-blanket and eaten. While darkly humorous, parents might be advised that the giants are quite vicious in this adaptation and the mortal threat is quite real. In fact, the creatures frequently bite the heads off of any human or animal they come into contact with, although the nasty details are all kept well offscreen.
While it’s refreshing to watch a family movie in which the stakes are quite high, personality-wise, the giants do leave a little something to be desired. Sure, they’re the gassy, gross and grim monsters that viewers will expect, but they lack a more distinctive character as the primary antagonists. Visually, they don’t seem as well integrated with the environment as we’ve seen in recent movies like “The Hobbit”. Still, their more cartoon-like appearance is probably intentional and viewers will become accustomed to it as the film progresses.
Thankfully, the human performers seem to be having a great deal of fun in their roles. Hoult and Tomilson are likable, playing the appropriate amount innocence and sweetness without coming across as too cloying. McShane is amusing as the befuddled, ostentatiously-decorated King, Tucci milks his sneering foe for all its worth, and McGregor exudes a beaming, cheesy charm as a heroic knight. The humans are so engaging that they make up for CGI overload on the part of the giants.
In the end, it’s clear that “Jack the Giant Slayer” is primarily intended for a family audience. So, while my adult self was thoroughly amused, I’m certain the nine year old version of me would have been absolutely thrilled by it. It’s well acted, has a few hilarious moments of dry humor, and most importantly never stops hurtling forward, making its two hour running time whip by in a flash. As far as these types of films go, that’s nothing to grumble about.