Skip the movie, read the fairytale again

English (U/A) ¬¬
Director: Bryan Singer
Cast: Nicholas Hoult, Eleanor Tomlinson, Stanley Tucci

Jack, the giant slayer is a rather bland and lengthy adaptation of the famous
fable of ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’.

It is a pity that the fairytale even with great visual and sound effects has nothing new to offer and the acting is just mediocre.

Jack (Nicholas Hoult), an irresponsible farm boy, ends up with magic beans which grow tall into Gantua, the land between heaven and earth, where the giants live.

The princess of the land, Isabelle (Eleanor Tomlinson), just like Merida in Disney’s Brave, is someone who despises royalty and craves for a simpler life filled with adventure.

Things go awry when she gets more than what she wished for. Jack must save the kingdom and the princess from the giants.

The giants deserve

credit for they are well-animated ugly ogres that convey sheer strength, grit, filth
and nastiness that they are associated with. The visuals are quite breathtaking, although 3D is definitely under-utilised.

The biggest disappointment was the character of Jack. There is nothing extraordinary about him — he could be just one among us and there is nothing believable about the story, which we have heard so many times.

There are many instances of attempted humour, which just doesn’t work well either. Overall, there is nothing brilliant about this version of the fairytale. If you really want to refresh your memory, just go back and read the book.