"Jack the Giant Slayer" - directed by Bryan Singer
Here we go again with the fairy tale re-imagining.
Not that I mind - there have been a few of late that I have thoroughly enjoyed.
"Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters" was fun, "Snow White & the Hunstman" was highly successful and deservedly so and even animated fare such as "Puss In Boots" and "Rise of the Guardians" worked in their own ways.
At work today a friend was telling me that "Jack the Giant Slayer" looked crap and like a cheap knock off- a poor imitation of the real story.
He said this as I was making myself some fresh ground plunger coffee and he was popping a couple of Equal sweetener tabs into a cup of instant coffee.
I pointed out the irony of his beverage preference.
Each to their own - it's a matter of preference.
The point is that imitation does not mean mediocrity.
"My Fair Lady" is a fine adaptation of Pygmalion and "Star Wars" and "Reservoir Dogs" are fine films arguably heavily inspired by "The Hidden Fortress" and "City On Fire" respectively.
A good story deserves to be re-told.
And that is how we begin this tale - with the young Jack being read the story of the giants that live between Heaven and Earth by his Father whilst nearby in the castle young princess Isablle is hearing the same from her Mother.
It's a clever inter-cutting between two characters destined to collide and one that will be repeated later when they are young adults.
Jack is now in the care of his Uncle and Isabelle is being groomed to someday be the Queen.
Both have an urge for adventure.
Just as well because this movie is purely and simply an adventure tale.
Director Bryan Singer is of course best known for a couple (soon to be a third) of X-Men films, "The Usual Suspects" and "Valkyrie".
He sure likes to mix it up but he really goes left field here and this seems an unusual choice for him.
Singer brings some regular collaborators along with him in music composer/film editor John Ottman ("X-Men 2", "Valkyrie", "Superman Returns") and screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie ("The Usual Suspects")
(Note that lead actor Nicholas Hoult will star in Singer's next film "X-Men: Days of Future Past").
This film also marks a series of reunions with Star Wars prequel production designer Gavin Boucquet and actor Ralph Brown.
Then there are stars Ewan McGregor and Ewan Bremner (Both in "Black Hawk Down" and "Trainspotting") and Ian McShane and Eddie Marsan (Both in "Snow White and the Huntsman")
There are some fine character actors there and along with the great Stanley Tucci, Christopher Fairbanks and Warwick Davis there's no faulting the casting.
The downside is that it makes it even more noticeable when most are cast aside all too soon.
Fairbanks and Davis have mere minutes of screen time and some of the others are dispatched long before they have the opportunity to truly shine.
It highlights the only real criticisms that I would level at this film.
It struggles to find a focus or consistent tone.
On the one hand it is about a wannabe King (Tucci) using a magical crown to control the giants and on the other it is about the giants wanting to decimate the kingdom below them.
Given that both parties effectively want the same thing I wonder why we needed the Tucci character at all.
Then there is Jack (Hoult) and Isablle (Tomlinson) and their love story and adventurous ways.
It seems a little crowded and often feels it.
Tucci is great as he always is but there is the sense that he exists mainly to pad things out and to provide an admittedly amusing hook for a possible sequel.
This perhaps won't happen given that the $195 million budget has so far only grabbed half back in box office.
Hoult is fine and Tomlinson makes a fetching and lovely damsel in distress.
They are more than suitable as leads and having an abundance of supporting players around them merely de-focuses what is at heart a very simple tale.
"Snow White and the Huntsman" gets away with a large cast and a similar plotline of betrayal and lust for power by making that conflict the sole focus.
Likewise the brilliant "The Princess Bride".
There's nothing too terrible scriptwise in terms of what is there- there's just too much.
A simpler, uncluttered plot would have served this film well.
Tone is the major problem however.
This film is perhaps too dark for younger kids and given that the subject matter itself is best suited to younger viewers it's a mistake and goes a long way towards explaining the poor box office performance.
It's a little too grown up for kids and a little childish for a lot of adults.
The good news is that Ewan McGregor and Eddie Marsan are terrific.
McGregor in particular is a riot.
His whacky hair and the humourous inflection in his voice combined with some nice visual gags (Pigs in a blanket) provide much of the humour.
I enjoyed his performance greatly.
The visual effects are mostly very, very good but the shadow of "Return of the King" with it's centrepiece battle and the WETA wizardry of Gollum hang over this movie.
The giants are nicely done and the scenery and the beanstalk itself are great but we've seen this done far better in Jackson's fantastic trilogy.
On the subject of the beanstalk - I loved how they handled such a ridiculous idea.
It never once occurred to me that this aspect was silly while I was watching.
And of course it is if you think about it for even a moment.
But the beanstalk cutting portion and even the formation of it in the first place are very well handled and in the context of the films fantasy theme- believable.
I also loved the "Usual Suspects" / Giant mashup Bad Hat Harry logo in the opening credits.
"Jack the Giant Slayer" is a fun romp. It is loaded with action once it gets going and some of the scenes with the giants are quite tense.
The scene shown in the trailers in which Jack hides underwater is a gem.
There are some stunning aerial shots and the final battle is exciting stuff.
There's a lot to like here and it deserves to do better than the early box office indicates.
If the plot had been refined and the tone had been better pitched this might have done better.
Fairy Tale flicks have been a mixed bunch and this is in the centre of the pack.
Ironically if this is a copy of anything it is not the source fairy tale but other movies that have themselves been.
Mostly it is the superior "Snow White and the Hunstman" - a far more imaginative and amusing tale.
Jack still deserves to be seen (3D is nice without being vital) and I recommend that you do.
Just keep your expectations in check and you'll have fun.
Not that I mind - there have been a few of late that I have thoroughly enjoyed.
"Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters" was fun, "Snow White & the Hunstman" was highly successful and deservedly so and even animated fare such as "Puss In Boots" and "Rise of the Guardians" worked in their own ways.
At work today a friend was telling me that "Jack the Giant Slayer" looked crap and like a cheap knock off- a poor imitation of the real story.
He said this as I was making myself some fresh ground plunger coffee and he was popping a couple of Equal sweetener tabs into a cup of instant coffee.
I pointed out the irony of his beverage preference.
Each to their own - it's a matter of preference.
The point is that imitation does not mean mediocrity.
"My Fair Lady" is a fine adaptation of Pygmalion and "Star Wars" and "Reservoir Dogs" are fine films arguably heavily inspired by "The Hidden Fortress" and "City On Fire" respectively.
A good story deserves to be re-told.
And that is how we begin this tale - with the young Jack being read the story of the giants that live between Heaven and Earth by his Father whilst nearby in the castle young princess Isablle is hearing the same from her Mother.
It's a clever inter-cutting between two characters destined to collide and one that will be repeated later when they are young adults.
Jack is now in the care of his Uncle and Isabelle is being groomed to someday be the Queen.
Both have an urge for adventure.
Just as well because this movie is purely and simply an adventure tale.
Director Bryan Singer is of course best known for a couple (soon to be a third) of X-Men films, "The Usual Suspects" and "Valkyrie".
He sure likes to mix it up but he really goes left field here and this seems an unusual choice for him.
Singer brings some regular collaborators along with him in music composer/film editor John Ottman ("X-Men 2", "Valkyrie", "Superman Returns") and screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie ("The Usual Suspects")
(Note that lead actor Nicholas Hoult will star in Singer's next film "X-Men: Days of Future Past").
This film also marks a series of reunions with Star Wars prequel production designer Gavin Boucquet and actor Ralph Brown.
Then there are stars Ewan McGregor and Ewan Bremner (Both in "Black Hawk Down" and "Trainspotting") and Ian McShane and Eddie Marsan (Both in "Snow White and the Huntsman")
There are some fine character actors there and along with the great Stanley Tucci, Christopher Fairbanks and Warwick Davis there's no faulting the casting.
The downside is that it makes it even more noticeable when most are cast aside all too soon.
Fairbanks and Davis have mere minutes of screen time and some of the others are dispatched long before they have the opportunity to truly shine.
It highlights the only real criticisms that I would level at this film.
It struggles to find a focus or consistent tone.
 |
| Nicholas Hoult as Jack and the beautiful Eleanor Tomlinson as Isabelle |
Given that both parties effectively want the same thing I wonder why we needed the Tucci character at all.
Then there is Jack (Hoult) and Isablle (Tomlinson) and their love story and adventurous ways.
It seems a little crowded and often feels it.
Tucci is great as he always is but there is the sense that he exists mainly to pad things out and to provide an admittedly amusing hook for a possible sequel.
This perhaps won't happen given that the $195 million budget has so far only grabbed half back in box office.
Hoult is fine and Tomlinson makes a fetching and lovely damsel in distress.
They are more than suitable as leads and having an abundance of supporting players around them merely de-focuses what is at heart a very simple tale.
"Snow White and the Huntsman" gets away with a large cast and a similar plotline of betrayal and lust for power by making that conflict the sole focus.
Likewise the brilliant "The Princess Bride".
There's nothing too terrible scriptwise in terms of what is there- there's just too much.
A simpler, uncluttered plot would have served this film well.
Tone is the major problem however.
This film is perhaps too dark for younger kids and given that the subject matter itself is best suited to younger viewers it's a mistake and goes a long way towards explaining the poor box office performance.
It's a little too grown up for kids and a little childish for a lot of adults.
McGregor in particular is a riot.
His whacky hair and the humourous inflection in his voice combined with some nice visual gags (Pigs in a blanket) provide much of the humour.
I enjoyed his performance greatly.
The visual effects are mostly very, very good but the shadow of "Return of the King" with it's centrepiece battle and the WETA wizardry of Gollum hang over this movie.
The giants are nicely done and the scenery and the beanstalk itself are great but we've seen this done far better in Jackson's fantastic trilogy.
On the subject of the beanstalk - I loved how they handled such a ridiculous idea.
It never once occurred to me that this aspect was silly while I was watching.
And of course it is if you think about it for even a moment.
But the beanstalk cutting portion and even the formation of it in the first place are very well handled and in the context of the films fantasy theme- believable.
I also loved the "Usual Suspects" / Giant mashup Bad Hat Harry logo in the opening credits.
The scene shown in the trailers in which Jack hides underwater is a gem.
There are some stunning aerial shots and the final battle is exciting stuff.
There's a lot to like here and it deserves to do better than the early box office indicates.
If the plot had been refined and the tone had been better pitched this might have done better.
Fairy Tale flicks have been a mixed bunch and this is in the centre of the pack.
Ironically if this is a copy of anything it is not the source fairy tale but other movies that have themselves been.
Mostly it is the superior "Snow White and the Hunstman" - a far more imaginative and amusing tale.
Jack still deserves to be seen (3D is nice without being vital) and I recommend that you do.
Just keep your expectations in check and you'll have fun.
| Rated | M for bloodless, gore free fantasy violence. |
| Running Time: | 114 minutes (1hr 46mins without end credits) |
| Starring: |
| Nicholas Hoult | --- Jack |
| Ewan McGregor | --- Elmont |
| Eleanor Tomlinson | --- Isabelle |
| Stanley Tucci | --- Roderick |
| Eddie Marsan | --- Crawe |
| Ewen Bremner | --- Wicke |
| Ian McShane | --- King Brahmwell |
| Warwick Davis | --- Old Hamm |
| Christopher Fairbank | --- Uncle |
| Simon Lowe | --- Monk |
| Ralph Brown | --- General Entin |
| Mingus Johnston | --- Bald |
| Joy McBrinn | --- Old Maid |
| Chris Brailsford | --- Blacksmith |
| Bill Nighy | --- General Fallon (voice) |
| Tandi Wright | --- The Queen |
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