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Fee, Fye, Foe, Fum! This remix of the “Jack and the Beanstalk” folktale is an adventurous story with romance, betrayal, and surprises! Listen for our thoughts!
Spoiler-free review
Jack the Giant Slayer is quite different from the normal “Jack and the Beanstalk” story we’ve heard. It mixes in some elements from the Cornish fairy tale “Jack the Giant Killer.” But the end of Jack the Giant Slayer nicely illustrates how the story changed over time from what they show in the movie to what we know today.
Even though the giants eat people, there isn’t really gore. There’s plenty of violence, but Jack the Giant Slayer also doesn’t take itself too seriously. If your kids are okay with the Harry Potter series, then Jack the Giant Slayer won’t give them problems.
But this remix also contains more magic and darkness than the original story. Monks use magic in search of God, humans try to use the magic to rule, and the giants are blood-thirsty ogre-like creatures who want revenge.
John Ottman’s soundtrack is grand, beautiful, and tense at times. We loved it! You can buy the CD or MP3s from Amazon.com, or purchase from iTunes.
We had mixed feelings about the 3D of Jack the Giant Slayer. Jenny really liked it, but Daniel isn’t excited by 3D.
Overall, this was a fun movie that seems fairly appropriate for families if you’re okay with non-gory violence. If you see Jack the Giant Slayer, let us know what you think!
You can also listen to Daniel’s review of Jack the Giant Slayer in his Christian movie reviews podcast with critical thinking.
If you see Jack the Giant Slayer, let us know what you think of it in the comments below!
Jack or Oz?
If you’re trying to decide between the two recent fairy-tale-based movies, we recommend Jack the Giant Slayer if you have older kids and want more action and adventure. If you have younger kids or want a fun family movie, then we recommend Oz the Great and Powerful.
The rest of the podcast review contains spoilers.
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