Jack the Giant Slayer (DVD REVIEW)
Jack the Giant Slayer
DVD Review by Kam
Williams
Farm Boy Saves
the Day in Breathtaking Adaptation of Classic Fairytale
When Jack (Nicholas Hoult) was a
little boy, his imagination was whetted by a bedtime story about a mythical war
waged ages ago against a fearsome race of giants that had descended from the
sky. Before his mother (Caroline Hayes) died soon thereafter, she suggested
that he might even be related to Erik the Great (Craig Salisbury), the brave
monarch who had led the valiant defense of Earth against the gargantuan
invaders.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the
peaceable kingdom’ proverbial tracks, young Princess Isabelle (Eleanor
Tomlinson) was being spoon-fed a similar tale about an epic showdown between
good and evil. But she was read to at night by her doting father, King Brahmwell
(Ian McShane), due to her mother’s (Tandi Wright) untimely demise.
A decade later, we find the lowly
farmhand’s path crossing with that of the future queen the day the headstrong
teenager sneaks out of the castle to rub shoulders with the hoi polloi. At a
puppet show, Jack rushes to her assistance the moment she finds herself being
accosted by a menacing gang of ruffians.
The damsel-in-distress becomes so
smitten with the gallant lad that she informs her father of a desire to break
off her arranged engagement to the insufferable Roderick (Stanley Tucci), an
effete lout twice her age. Nonetheless, King Brahmwell would rather have his
daughter marry a blue-blooded member of the Royal Court she doesn’t love than tie the
knot with a mere commoner.
Before the moment of truth arrives,
however, fate intervenes in the form of a monk (Simon Lowe) who hands Jack a
few mysterious beans. During a secret visit from Isabelle, one slips through
the floorboards, takes seed under his house, and starts to grow rapidly,
sweeping the humble abode and the Princess way up into the heavens.
Soon, both of her suitors join the
search party, scaling the mile-high beanstalk to an otherworldly realm in the
clouds. Jack has no idea that the mammoth plant has also inadvertently reopened
a gateway to the ground for an army of gigantic adversaries. And it’s not long
before ancient hostilities are reignited over Isabelle and the fate of the
planet below.
Directed by Bryan Singer, Jack the Giant Slayer is an alternately enchanting and eye-popping
adventure which must be seen in 3-D to be appreciated fully. Between the
breathtaking panoramas and the daring derring-do on display, the picture
amounts to a captivating, cinematic treat guaranteed to enthrall tykes,
‘tweeners, and just about anyone interested in seeing a classic fairytale
brought to life.
Fee! Fye! Foe! Fumm!
I smell a hit with the little ones!
Excellent (4 stars)
Rated PG-13
for frightening images, brief profanity and intense violence
Running time: 114
minutes
Distributor: Warner Home
Video
Blu-ray/DVD Combo
Pack Extras: Deleted scenes; gag reel; and “Become a Giant Slayer,” an
interactive experience.
To order a copy of the Jack the
Giant Slayer Blu-ray/DVD
Combo Pack, visit:
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