Hello Friends,
One thing I’ve learned over the years is that humanity, as a whole, loves a good story. Even if books aren’t as popular as they were years ago, it hasn’t diminished the simple human need for a good yarn. Television and movies simply require less of the viewer, providing the images and the voices of the characters, instead of asking our own mental images to be used, the way a book would. That being said, it’s still possible for a movie to ignite one’s imagination in the same manner, especially if the movie is harkening back to a childhood fairy-tale that nearly everyone knows, and then tilting it on its head.
Jack the Giant Slayer is one such movie. Everyone knows (or should know) the tale of Jack and the Beanstalk. You know, Jack, the young boy that was supposed to go to the market and sell his horse and cart for some money to buy food. Instead, he came home with a collection of ‘magic beans’. These beans then grow into a giant beanstalk which Jack climbs to a kingdom of giants, steals a couple of things, and eventually betters his own fortune. The essence of this story is bare bones for a major motion picture. Also not that interesting, unless, of course, you throw a few other familiar things into the mix that an audience won’t expect.
First, you need to make the story a bit meatier. You need to have a legend about the giants. A fairy-tale within the story, if you will. You also need to add a few more characters. The king. The princess. An unwanted fiancé for the princess. And a couple of guards for good measure, since the princess is obviously going to need some protection. Now all you need to do is make the more well-known characters a bit more three-dimensional and you’ve got the basis for a good movie. Incidentally, I saw this movie in 3-D., which in my opinion was totally unnecessary. The story flowed beautifully without it. Jack still traded his horse for the magic beans, the beanstalk still grew, but it all just felt a little closer than it needed to be.
Jack is the dreamer of the movie, the one that has always believed the legend of the giants and aspired to be more than the farm boy he was. Princess Isabelle gives him that opportunity after a chance meeting between the two. She ends up taking shelter in Jack’s small cottage during a rainstorm, gets to know Jack just a little bit, then the unthinkable (unless you know the story) happens: the beans start to grow, taking Jack’s cottage, as well as the princess, with them. Right into Giant country.
What follows is some of the most fun I’ve had at the movies in some time. Familiar elements from the original story are taken and used, but in new ways. The Giants were banished centuries ago by the human King Erik, and long for revenge, as well as the sweet taste of human flesh. Isabelle, as the descendant of King Erik, is a unique prize that has fallen into the hands of the giant General Fallon. And she is the prize of Fallon, no matter that another giant, Fumm, discovered her. I’ll let you think about that name for a moment. Now, go on, guess what some of the other giant names were. If you were thinking Fee, Fye and Foe, you would be correct.
The addition of new characters also helped add a new element. Personally, my favorite character in this movie ended up being Elmont, the head guard of Isabelle’s protection detail. Played by Ewan McGregor, he is subject to some of the movie’s best lines. After being rescued by Jack, he argues the plan to get back to surface. Jack’s response of “Weren’t you in an oven fifteen minutes ago?” simply gets a pause, a nod, and then Jack’s plan is the one they chose to follow.
If you love a good story, I highly recommend Jack the Giant-Slayer. It’s like seeing a favorite fairy-tale come to life, then becoming relevant to our own world. The ending, which I won’t give away, was also a pleasant surprise. Let’s just say that it includes a crown known to control giants, and where it eventually ends up.
Live, Love, Learn,
Good review. I would recommend seeing it if you’re looking for a mindless action flick and you just want something to do for over an hour and a half.