Fee Fi Fo Fum...This Movie Doesn't Smell Bad at All! "Jack the Giant Slayer"

This is the stuff of legend...

The Story:

Jack (Nicholas Hoult) comes into the possession of some magic beans, and naturally there is a beanstalk involved.  The princess Isabelle (Eleanor Tomlinson) is whisked away to the clouds, and the King's men, including the captain of the guard (Ewan McGregor) and Sir Roderick (Stanley Tucci), her betrothed are on a mission to rescue her.  Feeling it was his responsibility, Jack goes along as well.  When they arrive, they must find the princess and escape the Giants, led by General Fallon (Bill Nighy).  Ah, but fairy tales are never that simple...

First, I intentionally made the synopsis much shorter than normal.

I would hate to give away everything that is charming about this retelling of the classic fairy tale.

I must admit that the opening of the story is very charming how it flashes between Jack and Isabelle growing up and learning the stories of the Giants.  It sets up the entire story in just a few short moment, introducing all of the players and the backstory of the giants and how they can possibly be defeated.

Then we immediately move to the present when the two are much older, and they bump into one another in the market while Jack is on his quest to sell the horse.

Fate naturally intervenes, and Jack gets the magic beans of legend, but again, like the rest of this story, even the beans have been fully fleshed out with how and why they exist, and like everything else, much thought and care was put into the entire backstory.

The scenery and special effects in the movie are absolutely beautiful to behold.  The actors are all really good in their roles.  While Jack and Isabelle were newcomers to me, Ewan McGregor seemed to be having a blast playing a supporting character and having a good time with it.  Plus, the always great Stanley Tucci is on hand to add a layer of slime to his performance as the bad guy who isn't a giant.

I enjoyed this one quite a bit, and I think the kids did too.  They didn't walk out anyway... ; )

Final Grade: B... maybe even B+

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I actually own a copy of this film, thanks to winning a contest!  That was pretty cool.  Makes me even more pleased that we liked it. : )