Jack the Giant Slayer

“Jack the Giant Slayer” stars Nicholas Hoult as the farm boy who buys magic beans that lead to giants. It is a retelling of the classic Jack & the Beanstalk fairytale but this time it takes some extremely dark turns.

Nicholas Hoult plays Jack, who grows up hearing stories of terrible giants that roamed the land until they were banished into the clouds. A predictable trip into town leads Jack to a chance encounter with the Princess and to magic beans but it doesn’t really get interesting until those beans sprout. Instead of one giant, we now have an army of them and their hunger for gold is far outweighed by their hunger for human flesh.

Yes, these giants like to eat people like their crawfish which could be too much for younger viewers. “Jack the Giant Slayer” never shows a drop of blood, but it earns that PG-13 rating with constant man-eating. It’s a little disappointing because “Jack the Giant Slayer” is otherwise a fantastic FAMILY movie. There’s a love-story reminiscent of “The Princess Bride” and an epic “Lord of the Rings” type battle scene that kids would LOVE. Giants cramming screaming men into their mouths? Not so much.

Nicholas Hoult is adorable as Jack and Ewan McGregor is ridiculously charming as the swashbuckling guard who battles giants with Jack. Ewan should play more roles like this one!
Despite its more predictable moments, “Jack the Giant Slayer” is a heart-felt thrill ride so I’m giving it a B+. Just wish I could take my kids without scarring them for life!