I watched this movie, with my 13 years old son and honestly, I hadn’t seen any trailers for the movie and had virtually no opinion going into the screening, so my motivation to go was heavily fueled by his enthusiasm.

ABOUT JACK THE GIANT SLAYER.

It all began in ages past, when a bunch of monks conjured a bevy of fast-growing beans—hoping to use them as an organic elevator to heaven. Had these monks bothered to read Genesis, they would’ve realized the whole effort was a waste of time (and might’ve channeled their magic into giant Chia Pets or something). Alas, they did not: They scaled the beany vines and found a picturesque land populated by giants who, regrettably, were looking for more variety in their diets. The ensuing years were filled with great discomfort (perhaps gastrointestinal in nature for the giants) until some forward-thinking human king crafted a magical crown that gave him the power to rule over his ginormous enemies. And with his newfound clout, the king sent the giants back home.

But no one thought to, y’know, get rid of the beans. And if history teaches us anything, it’s that if someone holds a bean of mass destruction, there’s the temptation to use it.

Fast-forward several hundred years and meet Jack. He’s trying to sell his horse when he runs across a very harried monk who promises to pay him “10 coppers” for the nag only he doesn’t have the cash with him. With credit cards not readily available, the monk offers Jack collateral a bagful of beans.

It’s really the most impractical trade imaginable, given that the monk cautions Jack to keep the legumes far away from water. That sorta nixes the idea of Jack planting them, eating them or even setting them on the edge of the local wave pool while he goes for a swim. But Jack a trusting sort of lad accepts the beans anyway.

His significantly more cynical uncle (with whom Jack lives) is horrified at the trade. And in a fit of anger, he flings the beans across their hovel, where one slips through a crack in the floor. We can’t buy thatch for the roof with beans! He hollers. And he stomps off.

Shortly thereafter, a storm descends upon the kingdom, water spilling through all those unthatched holes in Jack’s roof. And wouldn’t you know it, Princess Isabelle, running away from an unjust marriage and to some grand adventure, runs right into Jack’s house—just before a rivulet of water touches that magical bean underneath the floorboards. Before you can say “Fee! Fi! Fo! Fum!” Jack’s house shoots straight up to the land of the giants with Isabelle in tow.

This, of course, thrills the giants to no end. After all, it’s not every day a princess comes over for dinner.
Fighting for a kingdom and its people, and the love of a brave princess, Jack comes face to face with the unstoppable warriors he thought only existed in legend… and gets the chance to become a legend himself.

MY REVIEW:

Like I mentioned at the beginning, I knew very little about Jack the Giant Slayer before sitting down in the theater to watch it (which I love, actually). I honestly wasn’t expecting much out of the movie, but figured that I would enjoy a couple of hours of entertainment regardless. I’m happy to say I was not only entertained, but I found myself really getting into the characters and the story. Plainly put…I liked it a lot.

There were moments that I found myself grabbing the side of my chair, hoping that the movie reps sitting next to me didn’t notice and think I was a wimp 🤣😂. The 3D effects on the beanstalk really got to me (anyone else out there a little scared of heights?). The movie was full of intense fighting scenes, a simple romance, and twists that caught both me and my son by surprise.

IS THE PG-13 RATING SAFE FOR MY KIDS?

I noticed that, although the movie has a PG-13 rating, there was hardly any language. The PG-13 rating is officially due to the “intense scenes of fantasy action violence, some frightening images and brief language.” I would have to agree with the rating, with the side note that I really appreciated a PG-13 film that is not full of foul language.
My 13 year old son was perfectly comfortable with the level of fantasy action and violence.

HOW WAS THE ACTING?

My favorite character, by far, was Elmont, the king’s guard, played by the handsome Ewan McGregor. While he was a secondary character, his role was strong and I felt like he tied a lot of the other characters together. Nicholas Hoult and Eleanor Tomlinson gave solid performances as Jack, the infamous fairy tale character and Isabelle, the princess longing for adventure. Stanley Tucci and Ewen Bremner, as Roderick and Wicke, the movie’s antagonist and his side kick, seemed more geared towards the teenage crowd and were more comic relief for me than anything else.

In the end, I was pleased with the movie and surprised by how much I enjoyed myself. I would recommend it for a fun date night movie, and specifically for the teen crowd.