I didn’t get a chance to see Jack the Giant Slayer when it was out in theaters, and after reading a few of the tepid reviews (including our own Jeremy Fogelman‘s) I was glad I didn’t drive the 45-minutes it would have taken me to attend the press screening. But now the film is available on several video formats from Warner Home Video – DVD, Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D and Digital Download – so I decided to give the film a spin on Blu-ray.

If you know the story of Jack and the Beanstalk, then you already have a very, very basic idea of what the film will be about … but there are major changes to the plot. I remember the original Jack to basically be a thief as he stole a harp and a golden egg laying goose from the giant who lived in the clouds. Then he kills the giant as he climbs down the beanstalk to reclaim his treasure … and they live happily ever after, apparently guilt free.

In this version, Jack lives with his uncle (mother in the original tale), they are in need of money so he goes to market to sell his horse (not a cow) and ends up with a handful of beans from a monk who promises him the money if he can get the sacred beans to the monastery. It seems, as we are told in the opening prologue, that these beans can create a bridge to a land of giants that live between heaven and earth (they once ravaged the land) and there is also a magical crown that allows whoever wears it to control the giants. Jack’s uncle thinks this is all poppycock and takes Jack’s family valuables to sell. Meanwhile, the princess of the land wants to get away from an arranged marriage, ends up at Jack’s house where the beans have already been spilled (literally), and a rain storm activates them, spiriting away Jack’s house with the princess inside. Jack, the king’s men and her intended (who has nefarious plans of his own) climb the beanstalk to rescue her … and come upon an entire land of giants who don’t appreciate trespassers (and strangely, there don’t seem to be any female giants).

After watching Jack the Giant Slayer, I have to say the movie really isn’t as bad as I had been led to believe. It drags a bit at the beginning as the relationship between Jack and the princess is set up, but once the beanstalk grows, things move along at a steady pace. I was also surprised (pleasantly) that the giants weren’t the comic oafs they seemed to be in the trailers. They are quite dangerous and think nothing of picking up a human and chomping on them as a snack. The film doesn’t go as far as showing that in gruesome detail, though, usually cutting to horrified reactions just as an upper torso enters a mouth. The two-headed leader of the giants does have a “comic relief” second head that’s a bit under-developed, but there really isn’t a whole lot about them that’s over-the-top hilarious (I just wish they looked a little more real instead of like video game characters).

The film packs in a lot of action, and the production design is top notch. The cast all do fine jobs, including Ewan McGregor, Ian McShane, Eleanor Thomlinson, Bill Nighy and Stanley Tucci at his villainous best, but the film rests squarely on the shoulders of Nicholas Hoult who has to go from poor, timid farm boy to action hero to save the woman he loves, even though she technically can’t return the feelings. The biggest surprise, for me, was learning Hoult is actually a Brit! He makes Jack a believable character and the film is all the better for his performance.

The Warner Home Video Blu-ray brings Bryan Singer’s vision to the home screen very much intact. The 1080p HD image is sharp and colorful, giving you a very film-like viewing experience (the DVD image, however, suffers greatly when viewed on an HD television). The DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio will also give your home theater system a good workout with very active surround speakers and a nice subwoofer rumble during the battle scenes. If you have neighbors in close proximity, this is not a movie you’ll want to watch late at night if you like cranking up the volume. For those of you with 3D set-ups, the Blu-ray 3D version also looks fantastic, sharp, vibrant with color and has very nice depth separation. Not much comes off the screen, but there are a couple of instances where you may duck to avoid debris or beans coming toward your face. Both the 2D and 3D Blu-ray presentations get very high marks.

The 2D Blu-ray also includes some bonus material. The most interesting is the “Become a Giant Slayer” option. This is a fun, interactive game hosted by Nicholas Hoult that allows the viewer to scale a beanstalk and make decisions on which way to go using your arrow buttons on the remote. On wrong move and you’re sent back to the beginning, so that might get a little frustrating, but as you climb you also have the option to view several behind the scenes featurettes that show the magic of making the movie (although some of the graphics border on the juvenile). Also included are Deleted Scenes (about 8 minutes) featuring a slightly different prologue with narration and unfinished effects, and a scene reuniting Jack with his uncle in the middle of the action that completely grinds the scene to a halt – which demonstrates why is was wisely excised from the film. There is also a Gag Reel (about 3 minutes) that includes a funny prank on Eleanor Thomlinson, and an uncooperative cat, some tuna and Nicholas Hoult’s ear. The DVD only includes the Deleted Scenes and Gag Reel.

If you missed Jack the Giant Slayer because of the bad reviews, I’d say the new home video version is worth your time. It’s entertaining for the whole family – except the very young due to some of the violence and a third act bit of gore – has a great cast, terrific visual effects, and just looks stunning in HD.

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Purpose and identity are closely tied together — often we ask: “What is the point of our lives or existences?” The elusive “purpose” may just be the one thing to tie it all together, something mysterious that “we were always meant for,” whether tied to fate or happenstance. And it is easy to blame our failures on external things: magic beans, giants, legends that promote impossible goals, restrictive gender roles. Or merely technology.

Jack The Giant Slayer is yet another movie based on a public domain faerie tale, one told and retold many ways over the years (I’m partial to Mickey and the Beanstalk). In the classic tale, hapless farmer’s son Jack (Nicholas Hoult) ends up wealthy after stealing from a giant that he found by using a magic beanstalk. Of course, that doesn’t sound like the family friendly hero this movie needed (no shades of grey here!) so instead Jack accidentally gets his hands on magic beans that were the result of ancient “dark magic.” Will he have to rescue the “princess trying to have her own adventure” (Eleanor Tomlinson)? Will he have to worry about obviously sinister Roderick (Stanley Tucci), adviser to the king (Ian McShane) and the princess’ fiance? And what about the mysterious crown that legends claim will be able to control giants, that nobody believes in anymore? Will it be predictable? Yes! Yes it will.

The movie starts with a few clever touches, and you begin to wonder if they might be going in a marginally original direction, and then Jack and the Princess share a glance. But then it’s dropped because a princess can’t marry a commoner and maybe the movie will actually stick with something original. And then the beanstalk literally takes the princess into the sky and she’s just a damsel in distress. Roderick (with Stanley Tucci putting forth a slight modicum of effort, but not much) is ultimately pointless to the story. There are a few glimpses into the inner hierarchy of the giants, but that’s quickly passed aside for more generic, computer-generated action scenes. The lone interesting performer is Ewan McGregor as the capable and loyal soldier that moves beyond predictable behavior. But Nicholas Hoult is bland (he’s been better elsewhere) and seems like he’s supposed to be in a movie about a modern teen that travels back to the medieval area (even dresses like it!). Eleanor Tomlinson is just another bland pretty girl here, with a character that ends up being dry and banal. Instead of talk about skill or fate, everything revolves around luck and happenstance. And a boatload of contrivance. I guess you could say it’s just good enough for a family rental.

How did director Bryan Singer do? Unfortunately, this ended up more like the boring Superman Returns than the classic The Usual Suspects. But I’m still hopeful for X-Men: Days of Futures Past. Fingers crossed!

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