Rating of
2.5/4
Not a 'giant' flop in my opinion.
Lee - wrote on 06/03/13
Even though the initial outcome of this film was really poor as a consensus of people seem to think it relied too heavily on CGI effects (This didn't bother me whatsoever and don't know what people were expecting from X-men's Singer as he had to depict actual giants on the screen? Andre The Giant passed away in the 90's and he still stands as the only 'real' giant in my own opinion) I actually enjoyed it. The director of some of the X-men films Bryan Singer takes on the age old Grimm fairytale 'Jack And The Beanstalk' Jack, this time round portrayed by young and upcoming star Nicholas Hoult (About A Boy,X-Men First Class, Warm Bodies) is a young boy with his head in the clouds so-to-speak and is infatuated by an old town legend Erik, an ancient king who one time defeated an army of invading giants from their realm in the sky all by wearing a magical crown.
10 years later, his uncle's farm has come under financial issues and he tells Jack to take their only working horse to town to sell it for some much needed cash. Well much like the fairytale of old, Jack gets conned out of his horse by a suspicious monk who steals the horse by giving Jack some 'magic' beans in payment. Returning home he tells his uncle of this who angrily throws the beans across the wooden floor of his farmhouse where one of the beans drops between the cracks and sits waiting for some H2O. Meanwhile in another part of the kingdom at the royal palace, young Isabelle (Eleanor Tomlinson (The Illusionist, Alice In Wonderland) ) argues with her father King Brahmwell ( Ian McShane) (Pirates Of The Caribbean-On Stranger Tides, T.V's Deadwood) who wants to force her to marry a fellow of his choosing, Roderick (Stanley Tucci) ( The Core, The Lovely Bones, The Hunger Games) Isabelle wants to be free too explore the kingdom so she secretly sneaks out.
A bad night too sneak out as it is raining cats and dogs outside and Isabelle to avoid the nasty weather slips into Jack's farmhouse. The rain eventually sparks the growing power of one of the magic beans causing gigantic stalks to omit from it's tiny shell, stalks that carry Isabelle as well as the farmhouse way up into the sky. Jack is lefting staring in awe on the place where his farmhouse and the king's daughter once stood...staring at the huge stalks leading into the sky past the clouds.
Jack joins up with Roderick and the King's guards lead by Elmont (Ewan McGregor) ( Star Wars episodes I,II,&III, Trainspotting) as they start to climb their way up the stalks to rescue the princess. Well not to ruin the rest of the story for you all however you know what awaits them in the city above the clouds??
Aside from what my fellow reviewers have been saying about this film, II myself enjoyed it and thought the Giants themselves that were portrayed via CGI effects were done tastefully however I don't believe a sequel will spawn anytime soon or if in fact at all as the money taken in wasn't the greates as this was considered a 'flop' at the box office earlier this year. I say well done!
