Jack the Giant Slayer Review by Dio Rochino

     

       It’s an old Hollywood motto.  If something is successful, you repeat the formula over and over again.  Therefore, after the success of Snow White and the Huntsmen and Hansel and Gretel Witch Hunters, tinseltown has decided to release the latest cracked out retelling of a fairy tale.  Much to my dismay, my initial exposure to this fad never worked for me.  I spent the whole duration of Snow White bored and picking apart scenes which were blatant rip offs from other fantasy films while snickering at it’s forceful melodramatic dialog.  This horrendous experience turned me off to the point where I never gave Hansel and Gretel a try.  So when Jack the Giant Slayer arrived, I was reluctant to go see it.  But after having my arm twisted I can honestly tell you that I was pleasantly surprised.

      Jack the Giant Slayer is a great piece of escapist film making.  The movie clocks in at two hours which go by extremely fast since the film doesn’t waste time getting to the point.  Within the first few minutes, it doesn’t take long to be enraptured with the world the story presents.  The beginning which chronicles the humans first encounter with the giants, cleverly gives enough information for the audience to go on while the movie progresses and as the rest takes place several years after this tale has fallen into myth, the twists that drive the plot amusingly reference back to the film’s primary history fable.

      Unlike Snow White and the Huntsmen, it doesn’t attempt to create complicated personalities through sluggish, drawn out narratives.  In fact, the story is adequately simple with just enough dialog given to care about the motives of each character.  Sure, some of the lines were a little hokey but that was to be expected.  But it didn’t detract from the film’s solitary premise which is to give the audience a great time.  There is no complexity here, just the visual equivalent of relaxing and having a tall tale read to you.  It’s a fun, awesome piece of popcorn entertainment that looks gorgeous and it doesn't pretend to be anything else other than that.