Fee-Fi-Fo Fun! Or my review of “Jack The Giant Slayer” ***1/2

Warner Bros. Pictures release. © 2013 Warner Bros. 

Nicholas Hoult and Eleanor Tomlinson

Ewan McGregor

My two favorite reviewers Roger Ebert and Peter Travers(Rolling Stone magazine) really split on Jack The Giant Slayer. After seeing it, I have to say I’m leaning a bit towards Ebert’s enjoyment on this one. And while biting cynical merciless attacks are what make me enjoy Peter Travers on a usual basis, I think the barbs were uncalled for here. After reading his review, all the negative rants he had to spew were fairly baseless, even praising the banter between Jack(Nicholas Hoult) and Elmont(Ewan McGregor) but he does so comparing that to the lack of spark between Jack and the Princess(Eleanor Tomlinson) Well, if you’re not expecting anything above a fairy-tale romance and want some simple entertainment, I think this one delivers. In fact, for me, the fanciful scenic lands in the clouds combined with all the choreography of defending a castle, all get high marks in my book. I love moats, castle keeps, inner wards, allures… etc… and the very competent director Bryan Singer has fun with all of this I think. 

Even Stanley Tucci as the ‘human’ villain is fun and as Ebert says, he hams it up “..a bit just shy of mustache twirling”. Then like the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies.. once again Bill Nighy is invaluable for motion capture acting beneath all that CGI. (he gives Andy Serkis a run for his money in faux creatures performances)  

Stanley Tucci

The two critics split on the CGI of the giants too. Peter thought they looked like tacky leftovers from Clash of the Titans, where as Ebert called them “pretty awesome”. As a CGI artist I’m somewhere in the middle. It’s funny in the beginning as the back story of the giants are told as stories to the children they are illustrated/animated in the quick style of computer games, and then of course when they meet the giants for “real” all the layer of skin pores, hair, dirt etc.. all are added to make them exist in the “real” environment, and I think it’s pulled off pretty well as the multi-million budget attests to. So it is sad that this movie isn't doing as well as it should. It’s fun and action packed  and compared to some like, I’m sorry, but the laborious movie The Hobbit this one is a roller-coaster ride! I didn't see it in 3D and while there were a few scenes that I’m sure might have had a “look out… duck!” feel to them, I don't think I missed out... and if anything... enjoyed it more... just watching the regular 2D fun.

In conclusion I must say it was interesting to research the difference between “Jack the Giant Killer” and “Jack and the Beanstalk” and variations like “The Brave Little Tailor”…  For instance Mickey Mouse assumed the role of both the later ones.. And I remember being entertained as a kid, battling giants and the land in clouds etc.. and was even reminded of farcical treatments like Abbott and Costello’s Jack and the Beanstalk. So the updates in technology and sensibilities were a welcome one for me. Although one final thought… central to almost all the old stories was the giant’s “wife”. And as Ebert points out in this new one,       “… where are the lady giants and the teenage giants and the baby giants?”