Review of Jack the Giant Slayer (2013) by Jason T — 25 May 2014

Jack the Giant Slayer is certainly a decent enough movie to waste an evening with but there is also a sense that this is quite an opportunity lost to launch another film franchise (like we need more of those).

The story is solid, the special effects are great, but the movie is lacking in two areas. Lead performance and backstory. The two leads in this movie are not very compelling. Jack is rather bland, a little more humor with his character really would have been appreciated. Of course Princess Isabelle at the beginning of the film is rebelling against her father, King Brahmwell, from marrying a rather sleazy suitor who is much older than her and has a hidden adjenda of his own. She is just as unexceptional as Jack except for the fact she seems to understand that being a princess is no merit unto itself.

The giants of "Jack the Giant Slayer" are animated impressively, but we know almost nothing about them. They were banished to their land in the sky, and have been forbidden from returning to Earth by a magical crown. How this crown works exactly, who knows? Why the giants want to return to Earth so desperately, we're not sure about that one either. Although upon further thought, it seems they want revenge against the bloodline that banished them.

All we know about the giants is that they are beastly looking, have bad hygene, and like throwing things. I think it would have been great if we had learned more about their community in the sky and how it operated. But alas, it is not to be. Score: 6.5.