Jack the Giant Slayer

You know a film is in trouble when entertainment journalists begin to throw around the most dreaded name in the world for Hollywood bean counters. John Carter. That’s what’s happening with Jack the Giant Slayer. For those who don’t remember, John Carter was Disney’s attempted franchise starter last year that massively underperformed at the box office. Jack is facing the same possibilities while being a fun movie that very few people will see. The film takes the old fairytale and reimagines it to fit modern cinematic expectations. Nicholas Hoult stars as the title character who tags along with some royal soldiers to save the princess after she vanishes into the sky on a massive beanstalk.

The film’s opening minutes set a quick pace that stays consistent even through a number of plotlines and new developments. The story arch actually resolves itself three quarters of the way through the movie, but the film continues in order to include an epic battle that never actually gets going. Instead the audience gets what is essentially a tug of war between giants and soldiers. How it goes on for so long, I don’t know. Can the giants possibly be that weak?

The movie spends a lot of time on its computer generated visuals, which turn out to be very impressive. If this were a children’s movie that may go a bit further, but as it is, the film is rated PG-13 and surrounds what could be a family friendly fairytale reboot with a handful of rough moments that wouldn’t make parents too pleased. For example, there is no reason to cut to a giant falling to his death as he’s screaming and coming to the realization he’s going to die. This isn’t Denzel Washington in Flight.

If you happen to be a teenager or adult interested in an adventure film, Jack delivers with what can ultimately be described as a fun spectacle. But it’s too much for young children. Hoult does well leading a cast filled with established veterans like Ewan McGregor, Stanley Tucci and Ian McShane. A balance between gritty and glossy visuals presents a strong aesthetic for director Bryan Singer. Ultimately, the film has a bit of an identity crisis, which may be responsible for keeping audiences away.

Each film earns either zero, a half or a full arrow in five categories. The categories are Acting, Writing/Directing, Emotion, Innovation and Overall Impression. The arrows are added up to equal the full score.