Jack the Giant Slayer 
Starring: Nicholas Hoult, Stanley Tucci, Ewna McGregor, Eleanor Tomlinson, Ian McShane
Directed by Bryan Singer
Rated: PG-13
Run Time: 114 mins
Genre: Fantasy/ Adventure/ Drama
Opens March 1st
By Lisa Minzey of The Reel Critic.com
Hey Phoenix Film Fans! It's Friday, and we have a new release in the fairytale genre of films in the new retelling of "jack and the Beanstalk" called "Jack the Giant Slayer" this movie stars Ewan McGregor, Stanley Tucci, Nicholas Holt and Eleanor Thomas.
As a boy Jack, would fall asleep to stories of the giants when they tried to conquer the land. Princess Isabelle also was read stories of the giants from her mother and how the king worked with the monks to craft a crown that would control the fiends, forcing them under his rule. Once the giants had been forced back to their land, all the remaining magic beans went, along with the crown, to the king's grave. Peace reigned for many centuries until Princess Isabelle (Eleanor Tomlinson) was 18. Her mother had been killed by the plague, and she was betrothed to marry a man much older than her, Roderick (Stanley Tucci). Isabelle longed for adventure, to learn about her people and the choice to fall in love with whom she chose, but her father, King Brahmwell (Ian McShane) was against it. Roderick was not the most noble of men, as behind the scenes he was plotting to take the kingdom over after he and Isabelle wed. He planned on using the magic beans and the crown from the ancient king's grave to bring back the giants and control the land.
Somewhere along the way, a monk caught wind of this evil plan and stole the beans from Roderick. Jack (Nicholas Hoult) had traveled to the palace ground that day, intending to sell his horse, where he catches sight of Isabelle and is coerced by the monk into giving him his horse in place of the magical beans. Jack only mission was to get the beans back to the monastery to get his real money, but fate intervened on the home front. Jack uncle reprimanded him about the horse; Isabelle ran away from the castle, showing up on his doorstep and in the midst of a torrential downpour, a single bean got wet, sprouting a beanstalk up to the land of the giants.
During all of the commotion, Isabelle was separated from Jack and now it is up to him, one of the king's loyal guards Elmont (Ewan McGregor) and Roderick to climb the beanstalk to help save her. Will they be able to find the princess in time or will a new war commence between humans and the giants bringing the world as everyone knows it to an end?
In a long line of many fairy tale modern retellings, "Jack the Giant Slayer" does right by the genre. The film is action packed, humorous and has a decent pacing to the story. There is no shortage of deaths in this film and the giants, although CGI & rather lack luster, are enjoyable to watch nonetheless. This retelling of "Jack and the Beanstalk", albeit violent, keeps a light hearted tone through out and is more playful, less dark than the retelling of "Snow White", the 2011 film "Snow White and the Huntsman". The only thing that bothered me about the film was the wardrobe choices for Jack because he looked he could have been set in modern times and still look fashionable. Be sure to check out "Jack the Giant Slayer" when it opens in theaters staring Friday March 1, 2013.
