Fe-Fi-Fo-Fum is not only a familiar phrase from the fairy tale Jack and the Beanstalk, but it also serves as the name of four giants in the recently released Jack the Giant Slayer, which is based on the aforementioned fairy tale, as well as Jack the Giant Killer. The film explores the life of poor, but friendly, Jack who goes to market to sell his horse to help his struggling uncle and ends up with a bag of seemingly worthless beans instead. Of course, those beans end up being significant, as one of them gets wet and sprouts an enormous beanstalk into the sky and to the land where giants dwell. I guess you could call it a "smart" bean since the beanstalk appears to know exactly when to stop growing.
Unfortunately for Jack, his house and his potential love interest, Isabelle (Eleanor Tomlinson), are taken away by the giant beanstalk and since the damsel in distress also happens to be the daughter of King Brahmwell (Ian McShane), a search party is immediately dispatched to find her and bring her home safely. All the King's men (OK, some of the King's men), including the noble Elmont (Ewan McGregor) and the nefarious Lord Roderick (Stanley Tucci), accompany Jack as he climbs toward the heavens. Roderick decides to help thin the herd by cutting the rope of several men, who fall to their deaths because he understands how the beanstalk came to be, since it was his beans that were stolen that created the monstrosity. Roderick plans to secure a fabled magical crown that will place the giant population under his control, thus giving him great power, so he must mitigate interference from others and appears to have no problem with resorting to murder to accomplish his goals.
As the team reaches the land of the giants, they spot Jack's house, but the princess is nowhere to found. They split into two groups to find her, but Roderick is more intent on obtaining the power of the magical crown, which soon comes into his possession. Meanwhile, both Eleanor and Elmont are captured and it is up to Jack to rescue them from a chef who plans to dine on their carcasses. Jack shows much bravery when battling the giants, but he also looks like he is about to wet himself, which I am sure is not uncommon in that situation. Even after dealing with the giants, who are led by the two-headed Fallon (Bill Nighy and John Kassir), the battle is not over, as more beanstalks emerge that allow the giants to climb down to the Kingdom of Cloister and unleash hell. Jack and the survivors from the journey to the heavens join the King's army in an epic battle to save their homeland.
Thankfully, Jack the Giant Slayer does not solely rely on special effects. After watching the trailer, I was concerned that the film would focus too much on the giants at the expense of the story. To his credit, director Bryan Singer does not introduce the giants until well into the film and they are used somewhat sparingly until the final battle. In the interim, viewers get to know the characters who are portrayed by some of the finest contemporary actors, including Ewan McGregor, Bill Nighy and Stanley Tucci. Even the supporting roles are well considered and feature Eddie Marsan as Crawe, Elmont's second in command, and Warwick Davis as Old Hamm. In addition, Eleanor Tomlinson is perfectly serviceable as the young princess and Nicholas Hoult is up for the challenge of playing Jack. However, there did not appear to be much chemistry between the would be lovers.
The screenplay, by Darren Lemke, Christopher McQuarrie and Dan Studney, adds clever touches to the well known tale, while also allowing the story to build slowly before the action commences. In addition, just when viewers may think the film is winding down, an unexpected development leads to another exciting and pulse pounding confrontation. I also appreciated the fact that the screenwriters do not play it safe with the characters and, as a result, some of the ones you might expect to make it to the conclusion meet untimely deaths. Frankly, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed Jack the Giant Slayer. My expectations were only moderate going into the screening, but the film managed to hold my attention and, overall, is a solid and enjoyable effort that deserves to be seen.
As I was watching Nicholas Hoult, as Jack, climb the beanstalk in Jack the Giant Slayer, it seemed to serve as a metaphor for the young actor's career. Indeed, Hoult is climbing his way into leading man territory, having captured the starring role in this year's Warm Bodies and now with Jack the Giant Slayer. The former About A Boy and Skins star continues to build an impressive resume and I expect great things from him in the future. To read what I had to say about Nicholas Hoult in 2009, go here.
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