Jack and the Bean Stalk is a centuries old English folktale. The first printed version of the story appeared in 1807. It was an old tale even then having been passed along orally from generation to generation for many decades prior to this. It was first adapted as a motion picture by Edwin S. Porter in 1902. It has been redone in countless animated forms and television sitcoms. A feature length movie starring Abbott and Costello was released in 1952, the Three Stooges stumbled through their own short version, and Hanna-Barbera won an Emmy for their 1966 live action television special starring Gene Kelly. Not to mention the many other filmed interpretations too numerous to list here.
Jack the Giant Slayer is the latest screen adaptation of this universally recognized fable. Directed by Bryan Singer it also incorporates elements of the ancient Cornish fairytale Jack the Giant Killer, which told the story of a resourceful lad who slayed a number of giants during King Arthur's reign. The movie is colorful and vibrant. It takes the viewer on an exciting adventure that doesn't let up until the end. The CGI is the real selling point and it tends to overwhelm the story a bit, particularly the scenes involving the giant bean stalks (in this version there are more than one).
The original story was rather simple with a limited cast of characters. It was also morally ambiguous. Jack, a rather lazy boy, is told by his widowed mother to sell the family cow at market. Instead Jack trades it for some magic beans. His mother angrily tosses them out the window, where a giant beanstalk grows. Jack climbs up to a land among the clouds. He robs the Giant who lives there, climbs back down and chops down the beanstalk, killing the giant as he climbs down in pursuit of Jack. The end. Now did Jack really deserve the riches he stole from the giant? And didn't he commit a rather cold-blooded murder of a man who was simply trying to protect his home and possessions from an intruder?
This modern Hollywood version ups the stakes quite a bit and removes any morally questionable behavior from its hero. Jack is as honest and noble as they come. And the story is like Jack and the Bean Stalk on steroids. First of all there isn't just one lone giant. Oh no, there is an entire army of giants. They were defeated long ago in a battle against the ruler of this ancient kingdom's even more ancient ancestor, King Erik. As the movie begins these creatures have long ago faded into legend. There is also a princess and a fairytale kingdom for Jack to contend for. And just for good measure Ewan McGregor shows up as a heroic royal guard, although he doesn't compete with Jack for the princess's hand.
Children and adolescents are its target audience and they will find plenty to enjoy. Jack the Giant Slayer has enough action and adventure to mask its lack of story or character development. This is one of those pictures where you just sit back and let the movie magic wash over you. Whatever you do don't try to analyze or rationalize any of the logic involved. I detest 3D so I cannot comment on how well it was done here. I hope it's a passing fad that soon disappears. It adds very little to the movie going experience in my opinion.
Nicholas Hoult leads the cast as the titular hero Jack. The About a Boy star is now 23. He proves himself a competent actor even though he lacks true Movie Star charisma or looks (clearly the producers knew what they were doing when they cast McGregor). The remainder of the cast is filled with talented old pros like Stanley Tucci and Ian McShane. Bill Nighy provides the voice for one of the two-headed giant's heads. Bryan Singer certainly knows how to stage battles and film action sequences as his work on superhero movies has proven in the past. But somehow despite the timelessness of the source material, the talents of the cast and director, and the creative use of modern movie technology, Jack the Giant Slayer is still destined for the celluloid dustbin.
