Director: Bryan Singer
Writers: Darren Lemke and Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Nicholas Hoult, Stanley Tucci and Ewan McGregor
‘A Giant Disappointment’
Don’t you hate it when you watch a movie that you’ve already seen a million times? Of course, not in the literal sense, but just a film that has a familiar set-up, stereotypical characters, and a conventional ending?
Well, that pretty much sums up what Bryan Singer’s “Jack the Giant Slayer” is. As I previously mentioned in other reviews, Hollywood has an ongoing tendency to produce mediocre films in the beginning of the year. I just fail to understand why.
“Jack the Giant Slayer” is at best a rental. It is a watchable, fairly entertaining fairy-tale that is nothing original or groundbreaking. Thing is, the movie is in a very standard genre. Other than the “Harry Potter” and “Lord of the Rings” series, the fantasy genre has failed to offer anything great over recent years. A passable film, “Jack the Giant Slayer” is the kind of movie one would see at home just to pass time.
Starring Nicholas Hoult in the title role, this film follows a young farmer who accidentally brings the world of giants to life. With the life of a princess and an entire kingdom in his hand’s, the farmer sets out to save both.
Bryan Singer, who is widely praised for films such as “The Usual Suspects” and the “X-Men” series, stumbles in standing out as a director. I guess that people do change, because ever since his work on the “X-Men” movies, Singer has not been able to live up to his previous directorial efforts. “Jack the Giant Slayer” is what one usually comes to expect from a film in the fantasy genre. Nothing more, nothing less.
The movie’s weakest point is it’s formulaic script. It is filled with one-dimensional characters that have little to no spark or charisma. And that interferes when the filmmakers are trying to make one care for them. Even with a well-rounded cast, the characters are hardly interesting. Now, I understand that movies in this genre are not character-driven pieces, but still…without characterization, the audience is left with what seems like a burger without meat.
Then there is the predictable, schmaltzy ending that has become a recent trend in these kinds of movies. It almost seems as though there is no other way to end a film like this, which just goes on to prove that creativity is lacking in the film-making approach.
Despite its failures, however, “Jack the Giant Slayer” does have certain redeeming qualities. Not enough to mend the whole film, but things that do make it watchable. First of all, the cast is decent. It is filled with very famous actors, who despite seeming wasted, make the most out of their roles. The most notable performer here is Stanley Tucci in the role of the main villain. Although the character is flat, Tucci makes himself stand out among others. He is perfectly fit for the role.
The giants are impressively created. Made to look terrifying and monstrous, one can tell that much time was given into the creation of the creatures. Though some of their behavior such as picking noses comes across as stereotypical, the giants are memorable (especially the leader of the clan who is two-headed).
“Jack the Giant Slayer” is strictly for the young ones. There’s not much it offers to make itself memorable or different from other fantasy movies.
Simply put, it just lacks effort which has become an impossible thing to find in films of its genre.
2.5/5 stars
The Film Buff 
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