Review: Jack The Giant Slayer

The Indian Express rating: ***

Armpit-smelling giants,cute farm boy,argumentative princess,evil regent,and $200 million worth of CGI,3D — one can almost hear the groans coming. But,hold that thought. Talented director Bryan Singer,working with a gifted cast that goes beyond its brief,makes this tale of a boy who went up a beanstalk worth its giants and million-dollar tag — ironically,till he decides to squeeze every penny out of it.

What makes the film a cut above the rest is how it waits to unleash those magic beans,impressive as they are. It first establishes a context for its main characters,especially Jack (Hoult) and Princess Isabelle of Cloister (Tomlinson),who both love the story about how the “Giants of Gantua” were vanquished and “the Kingdom of Cloister” saved. Jack is told the story as a child by his poor father,Isabelle by her queen mother,but both react to it in the same manner. It’s a clever scene,cutting from Jack to Isabelle,as both hear the story the same night.

Ten years later,the two meet and are propelled towards fighting those giants under circumstances that are as natural as such circumstances can be. Once the beans have been spilled and Isabelle finds herself caught up in and taken sky-wards by the enormous beanstalk,the film doesn’t rush up behind her. It again takes its time establishing the difficulty of the climb and the camaraderie between Jack and the leader of the ‘Guardians’,Elmont (McGregor),sent by the King to rescue his daughter.

Also with them is Rodderick (Tucci),who is set to marry the princess but is plotting instead to overthrow the king and conquer other kingdoms with the help of the giants. A magic crown that he has procured is to help him in the exercise.

Singer handles the entry of the giants as deftly,starting with their toenails and ending at their eyeballs,leaving no detail spared and ensuring we don’t feel cheated in the film’s most critical and difficult department. The masterpiece is their leader,General Fallon (Nighy),who underneath all that make-up and CGI,still conveys ambition,jealousy,curiosity and anger.

However,the film does carry its good intentions a bit too far when a pretty decent ending is junked to give it several more.

Another grouse: the “Fee”,”the Fye”,the “Foe”,the “Fumm”,and the Englishmen,they are all there,as well as a harp and a very cleverly achieved golden egg and bag of gold coins. But where is the kind Mrs Giant? Or even a Mrs Giant,if only to explain the multitude of big boy giants up there?

shalini.langer@expressindia.com