Jack the Giant Slayer (2013)

Take everything you know about this classic folktale and up the ante tenfold. Jack the Giant Slayer is a fantasy filled adventure that will keep everyone in the family entertained. Most of the basic themes of the original story are still apparent: a commoner vying for the affection of the princess, the princess who wants a life of adventure, a dark evil from the past, and, of course, the beans.

Nicholas Hoult as Jack. Source: Collider

We all know how the tale goes. Jack (Nicholas Hoult) tries to sell his horse for some money, but instead he ends up with some lousy beans. When Princess Isabelle (Eleanor Tomilson) finds herself in his humble abode, the beans come in contact with water and begin to sprout, taking the house and the Princess with it to the land between heaven and earth: the land of the Giants. Enter the league of soldiers lead by Elmont (Ewan McGregor) who will risk everything to save her. And, as you may have come to expect from the title of the film, there are a lot of dead giants by the end of the film.

Well scripted and in the hands of director Bryan Singer (X-Men: First Class), Jack boasts a talented cast. Hoult as the titular character has pretty much cemented himself as the next Hollywood heartthrob. This being his second collaboration with Singer, Hoult is a rising star with tremendous amounts of talent, much of which he has showcased in this film as well.

Stanley Tucci, who plays Roderick, a nobleman who is set to marry Isabelle, hardly gets the recognition he deserves. His role may have been small in this film, but he's a critical component to the flow of the story. And he's just a joy to watch. Tucci steals the limelight in every scene that he's in because he's just so weird and creepy. McGregor's Elmont is absolutely silly and has this strange smile that he never wipes off his face, but that's all part of the fun. Throw in the two-headed ring leader giant, voiced by Bill Nighly, and you've got a party. The giants in all their CGI glory are disgusting and incredibly ugly, providing the perfect platform to create a villain that everyone can dislike.

Some have been comparing Jack to another recent fantasy adventure, The Hobbit. Similar concepts appear in both, but Jack is a story that can stand on its own. In fact the simplicity of the story is what made it so enjoyable for me. I love movies that require thinking and spark intellectual conversations, but there's something about just sitting in a theatre and watching a film with no qualms or questions. This film is entertaining and fast paced. It's an absurd and silly film with great entertainment value for the entire family. 

Rating: 7.5/10