Movie Review: Jack the Giant Slayer

Legends are passed on from generation to generation because, in a way, something must have happened a long time ago where those stories were based on. In the action adventure movie Jack the Giant Slayer, two children grew up hearing the same fairy tale from their parents. One is a poor farm boy named Jack (Nicholas Hoult), and the other, a princess named Isabelle (Eleanor Tomlinson). 

Who would have thought that a few beans could grow giant beanstalks? But they did! Thus, the stories about giants and an age-old war, believed to be just stories, became true when Jack accidentally opened a gateway between their world and that of a place where a fearsome race of giants live. Unlike the fairy tale most of us knew during our childhood, the movie version involves not just one, but a whole army of scary, man-eating giants.

For the first time in centuries, a kingdom is to find out that giants did live amongst them and even tried to conquer the land they live in once upon a time. Now, the long-banished enemies are once more attempting to reclaim what they once lost. Jack, a simple young man who happened to fall in love with a brave princess, found himself battling for a kingdom, its people, and the love of the girl of his dreams. Despite the self-doubts, he faced the unstoppable warriors he thought only existed in a book from his childhood and earned the right to be a legend himself.

I watched the press preview at SM Mall of Asia's IMAX Cinema in 3D and found it a mind-blowing experience. The super-sized screen and almost interactive visuals made the story very, very engaging. There was not a dull moment during the whole film and I appreciated the twists in the creative storyline. It was very hard to guess how the tale would wrap up in the end. I'm sure other viewers also found the mystery and the story's conclusion worth the wait from start to finish. 

I also loved the period costumes, the humorous touches, and the special effects. Behind the 3D glasses, I felt like part of the movie as I raptly absorbed what was happening on screen.

Jack the Giant Slayer is directed by acclaimed filmmaker Bryan Singer. Aside from Hoult and Tomlinson (who made a cute onscreen couple), the film also stars Stanley Tucci as the deceitful Roderick; Ian McShane as Isabelle’s father, the besieged King Brahmwell; Bill Nighy as General Fallon, the ferocious two-headed leader of the giant army; and Ewan McGregor as the loyal knight Elmont.

The screenplay was written by Darren Lemke, Christopher McQuarrie, and Dan Studney while Darren Lemke and David Dobkin worked on the story.  The film is produced by Neal H. Moritz, David Dobkin, Bryan Singer, Patrick McCormick and Ori Marmur.  The executive producers are Thomas Tull, Jon Jashni, Alex Garcia, Toby Emmerich, Richard Brener, Michael Disco, and John Rickard.

The creative filmmaking team included director of photography Newton Thomas Sigel, production designer Gavin Bocquet, editors John Ottman and Bob Ducsay, and costume designer Joanna Johnston with music composed by John Ottman.

Dominic Tuohy served as special effects supervisor and Hoyt H. Yeatman Jr. as visual effects supervisor.

Jack the Giant Slayer, which is now showing in Philippine cinemas, is a New Line Cinema presentation in association with Legendary Pictures, an Original Film/Big Kid Pictures/A Bad Hat Harry Production of a Bryan Singer Film.  It is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.  Log on to www.jackthegiantslayer.co.uk for more information.