Pitchforks: 4.5/5
Rated: PG-13
Releases: March 1
Director Bryan Singer (X-Men) brings the classic bedtime fairy tale of "Jack and the Beanstalk" to life in “Jack the Giant Slayer.” With gorgeous scenery and a tantalizing score, “Jack the Giant Slayer” will stun audiences with a fairy tale that takes courageous twists and turns.
The story opens with Jack, played by Nicholas Hoult, as a young boy that is enthralled by the world of giants and myths. The film starts with a comparison of the future princess to-be, Isabelle, played by Eleanor Tomlinson, with Jack listening to the bedtime story told by their respective parents. It shows the two children as very different from each other but puts them in the same circumstances, with dreams of adventure and thirst for life.
When the bedtime story is over, the audience is taken to present time, before chaos ensues over the whole village. This is when the classic story that we all know begins. Jack is sent on a quest to sell his horse in exchange for money. While on his quest, he saves a young woman from harassment. Little does he know, the girl he saved was actually princess Isabelle.
As the story develops, the audience learns that Isabelle is being set up in an arranged marriage with Roderick, played by Stanley Tucci, a much older man whom Isabelle dislikes. Roderick also plots to take over the kingdom with the help of the magic beans that were buried away with Erik the Great, the king that sent the giants back to their land in order to stop them from eating the humans.
When a monk steals the beans in fear that the kingdom will use them for wrong, Roderick has the whole guard looking for him and the beans. Roderick does not know that the beans were traded earlier for Jack’s horse.
When Isabelle runs away from the palace on a stormy night, she ends up in Jack’s farm, where some of the beans have accidentally been dropped. The audience begins to see some form of chemistry between Isabelle and Jack, when all of a sudden, a giant stalk starts to grow, taking Isabelle to giant land. In an attempt to save Isabelle, the kingdom goes to great lengths and sends armies of men looking for her, including Jack.
With awe-inspiring moments and a few laughs, “Jack the Giant Slayer” will keep audiences engulfed in fantasy land.
The score, along with wide panoramic shots of vast green land and waterfalls, make the film an enjoyable must-see. Stanley Tucci and Nicholas Hoult, both deliver outstanding performances. Hoult is truly able to embody the character of an inexperienced and nervous young man and transform him into a courageous and witty soul.
This film is definitely a must-see with a touch of familiarity and spontaneity. “Jack the Giant Slayer” is a family-friendly movie, with action-packed sequences for the adrenaline junkies.
“Jack the Giant Slayer” opens on March 1 at various venues across the Valley.
Reach reporter at rlopez20@asu.edu or follow on Twitter @RosieLopez14
