JACK THE GIANT SLAYER

With Nicholas Hoult, Stanley Tucci, Eleanor Tomlinson, Ewan McGregor, Bill Nighy, Ewen Bremner, Ian McShane

Written by Darren Lemke, Christopher McQuarrie, Dan Studney
Directed by Bryan Singer

Usual Suspect and X Men director Bryan Singer takes a detour into fairytale territory with this adaptation of the Grimm Bros.' Jack And The Beanstalk. In this medieval era the war between humans and giants has been quite for ages, but the stories of Erik who defeated them with a magical crown was a big part of the Kingdom of Cloister's childhood bedtime stories.

Enter young Jack – in need of money, his uncle sends him to sell their horse, ends up trading it for magic beans (with a fleeing man). Beyond unimpressed, his uncle chucks the beans down the floorboards. Princess Isabelle is a free spirit and not keen to marry the tosser Roderick (who has a cunning plan up his sleeve to take over the kingdom, linked to the beans). After taking off, Isabelle ends up at Jack's door, where these beans erupt into a giant beanstalk growing beyond the clouds – where the mythical giants really do live! Swept up to a sure fate, Jack and a group of the king's men have to take the long trip to save her, only to find a great challenge ahead as the blood thirsty giants won't hesitate to have them for dinner, and Roderick plans to take control.

Filled with action (and some comedy), this is a fun adaptation of a legendary tale, naturally laced with CGI effects to make it all possible (but not necessarily for the very young viewers).

3 / C

- Paul Blom

4 / B
- Paul Blom

0 1 2 3 4 5 6
- A - B - C

A: Multiple Viewing Potential
B: Deserves Another Look
C: Once Should Suffice