Jack the Giant Slayer
It’s been a good decade since Bryan Singer really did a project that got me pumped about him as a director. Yes, I enjoyed both “Superman Returns” and “Valkyrie” to a large degree, but both paled in comparisons to “X-Men,” “X2: X-Men United,” and “The Usual Suspects,” and honestly, I’d throw in the criminally-underseen “Apt Pupil,” as well. With his fairy tale adventure, however, Singer and this film’s star, Nicholas Hoult, have me intrigued the possibilites of them doing a “Star Wars” film in the future (not to mention their impending collaboration in next summer’s “X-Men: Days of Future Past”).
When I first saw the preview to “Jack the Giant Slayer,” I was surprised to see how much it played off of Jack and the Beanstalk almost more than it did “Jack the Giant Killer,” its original namesake, and a cheesy 1960s fantasy film that was riffed back in 2011 by the mad geniuses at RiffTrax. However, Singer and screenwriters Darren Lemke, Christopher McQuarrie and Dan Studney know how to blend elements of those two “Jacks” with intelligence and good fun.
As the film begins, we see Jack (Hoult, who already won me over in “Warm Bodies”) as a child, as his father tells him a story of giants, and beanstalks, and magic beans and powerful crowns, a fantastic tale that is said to have happened, although when Jack hears it, the story is more myth than history. A decade later, after his father has died, his uncle sends him to the royal city to sell their horse and carriage, but finds himself in the middle of an attempt by the wicked Roderick (Stanley Tucci, doing a great, hammy villain role), a chief adviser to the king (Ian McShane) and potential husband to the princess Isabelle (Eleanor Tomlinson), to reconnect the lands of giants and men, and lord over the giants against mankind. After Isabelle, whose desire for adventure and excitement rivals Jack’s, finds herself in the land of the giants, Jack volunteers for the rescue party led by one of the king’s greatest soldiers, Elmont (Ewan McGregor, reminding me of how much fun he could be if he were to return as the younger Obi Wan Kenobi in newer “Star Wars” films, hint hint), who have no idea what to expect because, well, they don’t believe in children’s stories.
One of the great, saving graces about “Jack the Giant Slayer” is how it doesn’t try to reach the lofty, artistic heights of the “Lord of the Rings” or “Harry Potter” films (or even “The Princess Bride”), but instead, tries to recapture some of the light fun of the classic Ray Harryhausen epics, with a dash of old-school “Star Wars” thrown in. Yes, the film has some dark passages, and PG-13 violence that keeps it from being acceptable for the really little ones, but it’s not as stoic and serious as 2010’s “Clash of the Titans” remake, nor is it as cheesy; sure, Singer and his writers go for easy gags, but they seem in keeping to the light tone they establish early on. Visually, the movie is a real pleasure to watch, which shouldn’t be surprising since Singer and his cinematographer, Newton Thomas Sigel, go back many a film. And their integration of CGI is organic to the experience, and doesn’t distract from the narrative, which is especially important when we get to see the giants, led by the great Bill Nighy (“Shaun of the Dead,” “Love Actually”), after the beanstalk is climbed. Also important to the film’s success is the brisk, light-on-its-feet pacing contributed by co-editor and composer, John Ottman, another long-time Singer contributor (like Sigel) who helps the director keep the film under two hours, which was a Godsend to this reviewer; too many action/adventure/blockbusters tip the scales, so it was nice to see this one move right along, and not complicate the matter.
Still, I keep coming back to Hoult, who should see his star rise considerably after his laid-back, easily enjoyable performances here and in “Warm Bodies.” I don’t know that he’ll enjoy the same level of fandom others have, but if Hollywood has any sense, top directors should be looking for smart, ingenious projects to work him in to. Hopefully, Singer will be one of those directors leading the charge, because they seem to have a good thing going here.
