Jack The Giant Slayer (Review)
United States/2013
Netflix Streaming: No
Amazon Prime: No
"
...almost every element in this film is underutilized, from its concept to
its action."
Jack
(Nicholas Hoult) is a young farmhand who is given mysterious beans by
an on-the-run monk in exchange for his horse. Later at night during a
storm, Isabelle (Eleanor Tomlinson), the princess, arrives at Jack's
home seeking shelter... until the princess and his home are forced into
the skies by a massive beanstalk.
Jack The Giant Slayer continues
as Jack and Elmont (Ewan McGregor), the princess' guardian, as well as
many others, travel up the beanstalk to find and return the princess. At
the top of the beanstalk is a beautiful land... filled with wandering
giants. What should have been a fairly simple mission becomes
complicated when the princess' husband-to-be, who also came along,
reveals his intentions. And so on and so forth, Jack and Elmont
basically work together to save the princess. This predictable story
leads to a superb, action-packed finale -- definitely a highlight for
the film.
Jack The Giant Slayer really lacks a certain magic. The
film is based on a fairly tale, "Jack and the Beanstalk", and it just
doesn't really have that vibe. An interesting and creative concept,
sure, but it never really uses it effectively. On top of that, the story
feels light and uneventful. There is a sense of adventure, but it never
reaches awe-inspiring levels, which is disappointing considering the
supposed scale of the adventure. The scale is most notable during the
epic final act where it finally takes advantage of its giants. The plot
is predictable, the characters are cliché, and there are a few plot
contrivances -- oddly enough, I kind of expected all of this, so I didn't
hate it.
Nicholas Hoult has some charm and charisma with his
performance, but not enough to be a leading man -- good but not great.
The same goes for Eleanor Tomlinson, who doesn't really get a chance to
shine. Ewan McGregor is great, though, with some charm and humor in his
performances, as well as some seriousness. The music is fantastic,
really exhilarating, despite the film not lacking some. The
cinematography is great, a real breathtaking aspect of the film. The
special effects are also spectacular. Bryan Singer's direction is great,
but he fails to capture the heart and magic needed for a fantasy film
like this.
Overall, Jack The Giant Slayer
is an entertaining
fantasy film. It has some action, some humor, and some fantasy. However,
almost every element in this film is underutilized, from its concept to
its action. It's technically a spectacular film, but it's only a good
film in every other aspect, like story and acting, and those have more
weight, in my opinion.
Score: 6/10
Parental Guide: Fantasy violence and blood.
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