Based on the beloved Grimm classic, director Bryan Singer (“X-Men”) brings a whole new story to the big screen in “Jack the Giant Slayer”. Set in ancient fairytale times, we find Jack (Nicholas Hoult), a poor farm boy, and Isabelle (Eleanor Tomlinson), the princess of the land, who are both searching for an adventure like the ones read to them as children.
Princess Isabelle and Jack cross paths when he travels into the market to sell his horse and cart. Isabelle, disguised under a cloak, is attacked by a few men and Jack tries to protect her honor, believing she is an ordinary girl. Elmont (Ewan McGregor), leader of the king’s guard, rides onto the scene to help Isabelle, revealingher identity to Jack.
Of course, our tale would not be complete without an evil mastermind. Roderick (Stanley Tucci), who the king has ordered his daughter to marry, has his own plan to assume the throne, starting with some magic beans. These beans are stolen from him, and before Jack returns to his farm, a monk asks him for his horse, but this monk does not have any money. Jack receives some beans as payment, and is ordered to keep them safe and not get them wet.
Angry at her father for making her marry Roderick, Isabelle runs away into a rainstorm before stumbling upon Jack’s cabin. While taking shelter in this cabin, which happens to have a leaking roof, one of the beans gets wet, causing a giant beanstalk to take the cabin, along with Isabelle inside, up to the land of the giants. The king comes looking for his daughter only to find out she has been taken up into the sky. Elmont is ordered to assemble his best men, and Jack volunteers to go with them. Just like every good fairytale, the mission is to rescue the princess. With Elmont and Roderick, Jack journeys up the beanstalk.
At the top, they discover a land of giants who hunger for revenge on the humans that made this land their prison, but they are not the only ones with a plan. Roderick’s motives are revealed to Elmont, Jack and Isabelle. He plans to control the giants and take the kingdom from Isabelle’s father. Elmont charges Jack with the task of returning Isabelle to her father while he deals with Roderick, but the journey is more easily said than done.
After rescuing the princess, Jack and Isabelle return from the land of the giants, and the beanstalk is left open for destruction. When Isabelle and her father ride off with their guard, they leave Jack behind as they head toward their castle, believing everyone is safe. Before they left the land of the giants, the beans were left behind, and now the giants have a way of returning to the kingdom. Only Jack can give them a warning of the giants’ return and the epic battle ahead of them.
This movie takes the simple fairy tale the audience is familiar with and twists it into a more complex action story. I give this movie four-and-a- half out of five stars. “Jack” brings to the screen everything a great fantasy movie should: action, adventure and romance. From mutant, to zombie, to fairy tale character, Nicholas Hoult continues to make a name for himself and bring his A-game. Prepare for an amazing ride.
ratiNG: 4/5
