Don't Spill the Beans
Jack the Giant Slayer
Review by Ross Anthony

"Jack and the beanstalk" meets "Lord of the Rings." In this rather typical medieval little guys vs. big guys tale, the princess in distress must be saved by Jack the peasant. Yes, beans get planted and stalks grow, but beyond that, the story's pretty much the usual formula. Still, many great films sport derivative plot lines, so no need to fault Jack for that. And to its credit, Jack offers some sparkling scenes of swashbuckling adventure, a few of which may even be a bit too grizzly for young children. I have to confess, I found the sprouting of the first beanstalk so dramatically filmed as to be somewhat frightening. Little ones might be terrified.

At the end of the day, though, these are supposed to be magic beans. But aside from the stalk sprouting scenes, I didn't feel much magic. That's probably because the characters weren't written richly and don't grow. That said, the actors (and animators) did a commendable job of giving them at least some personality. Never boring, quite watchable, but Jack the Giant Slayer ends small and unmemorable.

(Good to see Nicholas Hoult acting in film as an adult. His About a boy is one of my all time favorites.)

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  • Jack the Giant Slayer. Copyright © 2013.
  • Starring Nicholas Hoult, Eleanor Tomlinson, Ewan McGregor, Stanley Tucci, Eddie Marsan, Ewen Bremner. Directed by Bryan Singer. Written by Darren Lemke, David Dobkin, Christopher McQuarrie, Dan Studney. Warner Bros.

Grade..........................B (2/4)


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Copyright © 1998-2023 Ross Anthony, Author - Speaker - Solo World Circumnavigator In addition to reviewing films and interviewing celebs at HollywoodReportCard.com, traveling the world, composing great music, motivational speaking, Mr. Anthony also runs his own publishing company in the Los Angeles area. While traversing the circumference of the planet writing books and shooting documentaries, Mr. Anthony has taught, presented for, worked &/or played with locals in over 30 countries & 100 cities (Nairobi to Nagasaki). He's bungee-jumped from a bridge near Victoria Falls, wrestled with lions in Zimbabwe, crashed a Vespa off a high mountain road in Taiwan, and ridden a dirt bike across the States (Washington State to Washington DC). To get signed books ("Rodney Appleseed" to "Jinshirou") or schedule Ross to speak check out: www.RossAnthony.com or call 1-800-767-7186. Go into the world and inspire the people you meet with your love, kindness, and whatever it is you're really good at. Check out books by Ross Anthony. Rand() functions, Pho chicken soup, rollerblading, and frozen yogurt (w/ blueberries) also rock! (Btw, rand is short for random. It can also stand for "Really Awkward Nutty Dinosaurs" -- which is quite rand, isn't it?) Being alive is the miracle. Special thanks to Ken Kocanda, HAL, Jodie Keszek, Don Haderlein, Mom and Pops, my family, R. Foss, and many others by Ross Anthony. Galati-FE also deserves a shout out. And thanks to all of you for your interest and optimism. Enjoy great films, read stirring novels, grow.


Last Modified: Friday, 01-Mar-2013 15:58:50 PST