JACK THE GIANT SLAYER

UK, 2013, 113 minutes, Colour.
Nicholas Hoult, Eleanor Tomlinson, Ewan Mc Gregor, Stanley Tucci, Bill Nighy, Ian Mc Shane, Eddie Marsan.
Directed by Bryan Singer.

After Red Riding Hood, Snow White and the Huntsman, Mirror Mirror, and Hansel and Gretel: Witchhunters, what were we to expect of this version of Jack the Giant Slayer. According to Wikipedia, it is a British fairytale about King Arthur’s time but does not appear in print until the 18th century. But ‘Fie, Fie, Foe, Fum’ are in Shakespeare’s King Lear. They are repeated in the film but not with, ‘I smell the blood of an Englishman’, rather,’ I know where the thunder comes’. And then there is Jack and the Beanstalk! Which also appears here. However, the modern screenwriters have taken some of the elements from both stories – and left a great deal out.

Be that as it may, this is a very straightforward telling of its tale, and all the better for that.

It is directed by Bryan Singer, who began with small-budget films and then made some of the X- Men films as well as Batman Begins, so he knows what he is doing with spectacle. This one abounds in action and fine special effects and can be seen in 3D.

The look is medieval, a castle with turrets and moats, a surrounding town and farmlands. Immediately, the story and its verse are told to Jack by his farmer father and to the Princess Isabelle by her mother. It tells of the vanquishing of the giants, back to their home above the clouds and peace reigning while the crown that governs humans and giants remains on earth. So far, so good.

One day, Jack (a gangly, nice Nicholas Hoult) encounters the Princess (a feisty Eleanor Tomlinson) and saves her from some yokels. She is promised to Duke Roderick (a bewigged, English-accented Stanley Tucci, oozing dastardliness) but runs away. That day a monk who had taken the magic beans gives them to Jack in payment for a horse. Don’t lose them – and don’t let them get wet! Of course, he does lose one, not his fault, and it rains and Jack finds that a monstrously gigantic beanstalk sprouts, taking his house and the princess way up to the land of the giants. So far, even better.

As might be guessed, the King (Ian Mc Shane) is unhappy. He sends his captains, Ewan Mc Gregor and Eddie Marsan, to climb the stalk and recover the Princess. Jack’s help is acknowledged and he is commissioned to go as well. It is a love story too. And Duke Roderick volunteers.

There is quite some excitement as they climb the tree – except for Ewan Mc Gregor who plays his part, with attitudes and lines like those of Dirk Bogarde or John Gregson in those stiff upper-lip war stories of the 1950s, and does it entertainingly. He is prepared for every opportunity.

The giants are an ugly lot and led by Bill Nighy. They like eating humans (and there is a scene where Ewan McGregor? as well as two pigs are rolled in pastry for the oven) and are generally very repulsive to look at and in the way they behave. At this stage, we realise that, though it is a fairytale, the giants and their violence as well as the many deaths, especially from the swishing and swirling stalk as it is cut down, would be too much for many of the under 12s.

For the rest of us, there is more excitement, Roderick getting the crown and commanding the giants, his fight on the cliff’s edge, getting down the stalk and the King, fearing for his Kingdom, getting it cut down. But, there is more. The giants find the remaining beans and grow more stalks, down to earth. A right royal pursuit ensues, a huge siege of the castle, even with burning moats, while Isabelle and Jack try to warn neighbouring towns.

You may guess how it ends. But, we can all be glad it is happy ever after.

1. A popular fairy tale? Audiences knowing the story? Jack the giant slayer and Jack and the beanstalk? The film for adults? Children? Older children?

2. The adaptation of the two stories? Recreating a mediaeval-time world? The beauty of the visuals?

3. The Kingdom, mediaeval look, castles, rules, moat? Costumes? Décor? The feel of the period? The battles, fiery moats, the projectiles …? The rousing score?

4. The recreation of the giants, CGI, effects? The stunts for the giants? The battles? The beanstalk itself?

5. The story: Jack being told the story by his father? Isabelle by her mother? The inter-cutting of the two recitations? Jack and the book? Memory of his father? The two growing up, the shared love of the story?

6. The recitation of the story, the verses? conjuring a fantasy world, exciting the imagination, heroics, adventure, life and death?

7. Jack, gangly farm boy, with the horse and cart, his uncle and the need for money, supporting him? Memories of his father? Wanting to sell the horse and cart? Going into the tent, the crowd enjoying the dwarf telling the story? Isabelle and her enjoyment, furtive glances? The drunks, Jack accosting them, defending Isabelle, the arrival of the knights?

8. Roderick, dastardly, his fall? At the court, Isabelle promised to him? The monk and the pursuit? beans lost? Finding the crown? Interrogation the monk? His escape, Jack selling in the horse, the monk giving him the beans?

9. His uncle, disappointment in Jack, despising the beans, throwing them, one falling through the crack in the floor, the rain coming? Isabelle, leaving the palace, taking refuge in Jack’s house, recognizing him, his recognizing her, the stalk sprouting?

10. The King, his portrait, Isabelle and her not wanting to marry Roderick? Peace in the Kingdom, the story of Eric and his conquering the giants? The crown buried with him? Roderick finding it, taking it?

11. Jack, reporting what had happened to Isabelle, the King’s reaction, the knights and their response? Commission to find Isabelle? Roderick and his volunteering to go? Jack and his offer, being commissioned? Climbing the stalk, his fear of heights, the dangers, Roderick and his fool, the cutting off of the stalk and the death of the soldiers, the loss of provisions? Finding the house, empty?

12. Elmont, Ewan Mc Gregor’s style, military, preparedness for all contingencies, like the British war films of the 1950s? Crawe as Elmont’s assistant, supporting the search?

13. The portrait of Roderick, his ambitions, selfish, to control the giants? His associate, slow-witted, selling off? Applauding his master’s sinister behaviour?

14. The presentation of the giants, the country, the computer graphics, the voices? Their sense of smell? The general and his second head, the conversations? The other giants, their personalities? Anti-human? Wanting to eat the humans? The giant approaching, Jack hiding under the water, the net for Crawe and Jack, the knife, getting out? The giant taking Elmont and Crawe? Devouring Crawe? The chase?

15. The giants, the cook, picking his nose, rolling Elmont in the dough, Jack giving him the knife, the escape? Isabelle in the cage, her being freed?

16. The adventures in going down the stalk, Jack and Isabelle together? Elmont and his help? Landing in the haystack? Elmont in the water?

17. Roderick, the King controlling the giants, their obeying his words? His destroying the King’s soldier? The death of his fool? The confrontation with Elmont? His death, leaving the crown?

18. The King, his grief, maKing the decision to cut down the beanstalk, the discussions with the general? The soldiers in action, the complexity of destroying the stalk? The devastating deaths from the falling stalk?

19. The happy return home, the King and his response, Isabelle and the armour? The money for Jack? His being downcast? Isabelle coming out to see him? His going home, discovering the new stalks, ringing the bell, hastening to the King, his being chased?

20. The beans, discovered by the giants, discovering the crown? The new beanstalks and their bending towards the earth?

21. The giants, going down the stalks? The devastation? The pursuit of Jack and the soldiers? The siege of the castle? Setting the moat on fire? The drawbridge, the portcullis, Jack and getting into the castle? The firing of the arrows? The giants and the pursuit, the leader, arrows in his eyes, under the fire, in the water, getting to the palace? The giants throwing flaming branches? The threats? Elmont and the defense? Shutting the gate, everybody helping including the King?

22. Jack and Isabelle, inside the castle, the pursuit, the fights, the giant and his holding the two, Jack putting the bean in his mouth, its sprouting and destroying him? The giants destroying the castle?

23. Jack finding the crown, coming out wearing it, the giants bowing down? With peace in the Kingdom? Jack and Isabelle together?

24. The postscript, contemporary London, the story, the Tower of London, the crown jewels, the young Roderick-like boy taking notes…?

25. The straight-forward telling of the fairy story and its effect?