Jack the Giant Slayer 3D // Review
Before you can say “Fe Fi F-Oh Fu…” there’s more giants than you can shake an IMAX camera at, and they’re not happy.
This month sees another in a recent trend for fairytale re-imaginings. Lately we’ve seen Snow White and the Huntsman re-cast the titular heroine as a not-so helpless adventurer/cheating harlot, and last month Hansel and Gretel turned hardcore witch hunters on the big screen. Now, the story of Jack and the Beanstalk gets a puss-in-re-boot.
Directed by Bryan Singer, starring Nicholas Hoult (X-Men: First Class), Ewen McGregor (Jedi knight) and funded with enough magic beans for some hefty CGI, gone is the village retard with the infamously bad cattle-sales record. Say hello to the new Jack -a farmhand desperate to win the heart of the princess, and just brave enough to make it happen! So, up the beanstalk and to the rescue it is then - not alone - but as part of a medieval SEAL team of brilliantly cast familiar faces. Before you can say “Fe Fi F-Oh Fu…” there’s more giants than you can shake an IMAX camera at, and they’re not happy. Cue battle scenes on a par with the Lord of The Rings movies.
Slick, fast and with lots of big stuff flying through the air should be a lot of fun in 3D. The casting works, Hoult is likeable and Bill Nighy does his best bad-guy voice as the leader of the giants, which is always a treat. Some fairytales open themselves up to subversion almost without effort, and team with vaguely hidden carnal metaphor and visceral darkness – this is not one of them. Instead it concentrates on being a fun action adventure, which Singer steers very nicely, so if that’s your thing then go see this. There’s even a cameo from our very own Norwich Cathedral, where parts were filmed. Maybe we could get the puppet man in a remake of Pinocchio next?
Smiley
