Rating: 
Summary: Major disappointment -- What a waste!
Review: "Jack and the Beanstalk" was my favorite fairy tale when I was a child; and I had great hopes when I heard about this television adaptation that Hollywood would finally do it justice. They did not. The Abbott & Costello take on the story (released in 1952) at least gives you a few good laughs. Why on earth has NO ONE tapped into the incredible cinematic potential which the earliest version of this story has??? I was fortunate enough, when young, to be exposed to retellings based on the earliest surviving text of this folk tale, which was published in 1807. For those who are interested in reading the original, it may be found in The Classic Fairy Tales, a scholarly work by Iona and Peter Opie (published by Oxford University Press). The vocabulary used in this earliest version is well above that of younger children, and it reads more like a novella, with its long flashback section. In it, Jack does not find himself in some fanciful cloud-kingdom in the sky when he reaches the top of the beanstalk; he finds himself in an arrid wasteland (presumably at the top of a cliff up which the beanstalk grew). He does not steal the treasures from the Giant for the fun of it (which would, of course, make him amoral); a fairy in the disguise of a beggar woman tells him that the cannibalistic ogre had gained the confidence of Jack's father, who was as rich as a prince, stabbed him to death, and then stolen all his treasures. His duty is to punish the Giant and avenge his father's death. When Jack reaches the Giant's castle, he is admitted by a normal-sized woman who leads him past a dungeon, where the groans of future victims for the Giant's table are heard. The Giant does not come stomping in reciting a silly rhyme: "Fee Fi Fo Fum, etc." -- but simply says in a grim fashion: "Wife, I smell fresh meat." This sustains an atmosphere that is by no means light. Moreover, it is quite clear that the Giant could not be even 20 feet high -- let alone sixty. Given the size of his wife and the fact that no mention is made of abnormally sized furniture, etc., it seems reasonable to suppose that he would be 10 or perhaps 12 feet high. This makes him monstrous, without turning him into a cartoon-like figure such as one sees in Disney's (excellent) "Mickey and the Beanstalk" (1947). Jack steals a hen that lays golden eggs, and on the second and third trips up the stalk bags of money and an enchanted harp. Must we impose political correctness on a robust, traditional fairy tale??? Save political correctness for real issues: women's rights, racial equality, etc. I mean, really, this IS a fairy tale. The giant is a murderous man-eating monster who deserves death; he isn't some poor fellow with a pituitary gland problem! I can just imagine what a marvellous story might have been told with the budget wasted on this piece of tripe. And Vanessa Redgrave --what a delightfully sinister fairy she would have made! The beanstalk effects were very well executed; how great it would have been to see them incorporated into a story set entirely in the past (in the 9th century, in the reign of King Alfred, to be precise). In addition to the unneeded political correctness, there is too much comedy in this version; I mean, give me a break, the Giant in this version has (if I recall correctly) a chef with an Italian accent!!! I could go on and on, but I won't. If you want to see a good, old fashioned fantasy film, watch "The 7th Voyage of Sinbad" (1958) or "Jack the Giant Killer" (1962). Some of the effects may be creaky (particularly in the latter film), but at least they don't mangle the rich story-telling tradition that has existed since 750 B.C., when Homer wrote the Odyssey and first gave us an evil-flesh-eating monster in the form of the Cyclops. And, if you want to see an adult version of "Snow-White," for example, watch "Snow White: A Tale of Terror," with Sigourney Weaver. AVOID "Jack and the Beanstalk - The Real Story" like the plague unless you want to see Hollywood mangle a traditional story and serve it up as pabulum for people with no stomach for traditional stories, which are not going to warp a child's mind. I did not turn into a sociopath from reading the violence-filled fairy tales, which some psychologists feel help children work through the issues we all face when growing up. Enough said!
Rating:
Summary: Major disappointment -- What a waste!
Review: "Jack and the Beanstalk" was my favorite fairy tale when I was a child; and I had great hopes when I heard about this television adaptation that Hollywood would finally do it justice. They did not. The Abbott & Costello take on the story (released in 1952) at least gives you a few good laughs. Why on earth has NO ONE tapped into the incredible cinematic potential which the earliest version of this story has??? I was fortunate enough, when young, to be exposed to retellings based on the earliest surviving text of this folk tale, which was published in 1807. For those who are interested in reading the original, it may be found in The Classic Fairy Tales, a scholarly work by Iona and Peter Opie (published by Oxford University Press). The vocabulary used in this earliest version is well above that of younger children, and it reads more like a novella, with its long flashback section. In it, Jack does not find himself in some fanciful cloud-kingdom in the sky when he reaches the top of the beanstalk; he finds himself in an arrid wasteland (presumably at the top of a cliff up which the beanstalk grew). He does not steal the treasures from the Giant for the fun of it (which would, of course, make him amoral); a fairy in the disguise of a beggar woman tells him that the cannibalistic ogre had gained the confidence of Jack's father, who was as rich as a prince, stabbed him to death, and then stolen all his treasures. His duty is to punish the Giant and avenge his father's death. When Jack reaches the Giant's castle, he is admitted by a normal-sized woman who leads him past a dungeon, where the groans of future victims for the Giant's table are heard. The Giant does not come stomping in reciting a silly rhyme: "Fee Fi Fo Fum, etc." -- but simply says in a grim fashion: "Wife, I smell fresh meat." This sustains an atmosphere that is by no means light. Moreover, it is quite clear that the Giant could not be even 20 feet high -- let alone sixty. Given the size of his wife and the fact that no mention is made of abnormally sized furniture, etc., it seems reasonable to suppose that he would be 10 or perhaps 12 feet high. This makes him monstrous, without turning him into a cartoon-like figure such as one sees in Disney's (excellent) "Mickey and the Beanstalk" (1947). Jack steals a hen that lays golden eggs, and on the second and third trips up the stalk bags of money and an enchanted harp. Must we impose political correctness on a robust, traditional fairy tale??? Save political correctness for real issues: women's rights, racial equality, etc. I mean, really, this IS a fairy tale. The giant is a murderous man-eating monster who deserves death; he isn't some poor fellow with a pituitary gland problem! I can just imagine what a marvellous story might have been told with the budget wasted on this piece of tripe. And Vanessa Redgrave --what a delightfully sinister fairy she would have made! The beanstalk effects were very well executed; how great it would have been to see them incorporated into a story set entirely in the past (in the 9th century, in the reign of King Alfred, to be precise). In addition to the unneeded political correctness, there is too much comedy in this version; I mean, give me a break, the Giant in this version has (if I recall correctly) a chef with an Italian accent!!! I could go on and on, but I won't. If you want to see a good, old fashioned fantasy film, watch "The 7th Voyage of Sinbad" (1958) or "Jack the Giant Killer" (1962). Some of the effects may be creaky (particularly in the latter film), but at least they don't mangle the rich story-telling tradition that has existed since 750 B.C., when Homer wrote the Odyssey and first gave us an evil-flesh-eating monster in the form of the Cyclops. And, if you want to see an adult version of "Snow-White," for example, watch "Snow White: A Tale of Terror," with Sigourney Weaver. AVOID "Jack and the Beanstalk - The Real Story" like the plague unless you want to see Hollywood mangle a traditional story and serve it up as pabulum for people with no stomach for traditional stories, which are not going to warp a child's mind. I did not turn into a sociopath from reading the violence-filled fairy tales, which some psychologists feel help children work through the issues we all face when growing up. Enough said!
Rating: 
Summary: Believe in the possibility of the impossible!
Review: 5 stars for the movie, 4.5 for the dvd. I watched this when it 1st premiered on tv, even though I missed the 1st hour. I really enjoyed it and couldn't wait for the next night. I just bought the dvd yesterday and it's great. The box says its full frame, but it's actually a widescreen transfer. I compared it to my copy from tv and its not just cropped with black bars, its really widescreen. My only complaint is that black levels seemed a bit off from time to time, not a big problem though. Picture quality is excellent, no blemishes. The acting is all wonderful, especially Vanessa Redgrave and Mia Sara and the new twist on the classic tale is very interesting. Don't want to spoil it though. Also most of the time the special effects are top notch, not low budget tv quality stuff. OK extras including a couple of short documentaries. I only wish there had been a deleted scenes section because I remember reading about some footage that was cut. Highly recommended!
Rating:
Summary: Nice twist to the movie
Review: Good acting and scenery and effects, Jack, the distance great great... etc grandson of the original Jack who climbed the bean stalk is the key figure in this, the twist comes in because it gives the Giants point of view.
Very intresting, entertaining and does teach a great since of morals and ethics!
Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Magical, Brilliant, and Entertaining!
Review: I came across this DVD totally by chance on Amazon and I'm so glad I took a chance and bought it with out viewing it first! I'm very surprised that this movie has not gotten more attention, there is a great cast and a very good plot line. They took the old story of Jack and the beanstalk but warped it into the modern scene and made the audience begin to wonder, 'did it really happen?' I'm 20, and I wasn't sure what age range this movie is for, based on the reviews found here people say 'oh it's not for kids' or 'oh it's a great family movie with high morals' Well this is my own take on it, yeah there is violence and a lot of romance and kissing, maybe not something you want to show your very young children. I think that 10 year olds will enjoy and understand this movie as well as older people. I loved this movie and the main star is soooo hot! The story is complex enough for adults, yet simple morals can be learned for kids watching this movie. If you like Tenth Kingdom, Snow Queen, or any other Hallmark production buy this movie!
Rating: 
Summary: what might have been
Review: I found this to be a thourghly enjoyable movie of what could
possably have been. The scenery in giantland was excellent,
as was the creatures and all the special effects. The story
was well written and maintained throughout the film. A
visually satisfyimg film that deserved better ratings amd
writeups then it received at the time of it's release. I am
very pleased with this purchase, and I thought Mia Sara
was terrific as Ondine.
Rating:
Summary: Pure unadulterated boredom
Review: I had the displeasure of sitting through this obscenely long (3hr. 4min.) assault on the senses. Fun for the whole family? They'll all be snoring long before this flick is over. I'll admit, during the first thirty minutes I had hopes. After an hour my hopes had pretty much dissipated, and by an hour and a half they were completely crushed. Needless to say, for the remaining hour and half the movie just kicked me in the head while I was down. But let me give some reasons for my adamant dislike for this film. As I stated before, during the first half hour a seemingly interesting plot was set up. Strange nightmares plagued Jack, his forefathers all died at the age of forty, no one really knew where his wealth came from, and a mysterious person posing as a reporter was following him around. Sounds interesting right? I thought so, but it takes a ridiculously long time for things to progress from this point. The audience will undoubtedly ascertain the answers to all of these "mysteries" long before the movie presents the answers. It makes for tough viewing when the only people who don't know what's going are the characters in the film. Anyway, back to the plot: The movie essentially tries to throw a new spin on an old fairy tale, which is fine by me. I enjoy retellings, alternative outcomes, and differing perspectives. So they make Jack bad, and the giants good. Not exactly a blockbuster concept, but it could work. That is if the movie could make it half-way believable. But totally absurd plot holes (I think if you were to pull a seven story skeleton out of your backyard and kill two people in the process I think the neighbors might notice) and cheesy special effects (pretty much on par with a power-rangers episode) make this movie not only un-watchable but painful as well. What's worse is when the movie finally does end, it does so in an extremely clichéd and anticlimactic way - throwing a final insult at you for drudging through it. Not only is it long, it's pointlessly long. Was that ten minute sequence of Jack climbing the beanstalk and sleeping in the peapod really necessary? What is this, an Anne Geddes film? The guy's 40 years old - he probably hasn't been cute for at least 37 years! Do we really care about how exactly he got up the beanstalk? These are the types of scenes which do nothing to advance the plot and make this movie far too long to be enjoyable. There are so many scenes that could have just as well been left to the imagination (and I can tell you that my imagination would not have had Jack sleeping in a giant peapod - in truth it would have had Jack falling off the beanstalk and ending the movie 45 minutes early). The film's biggest flaw is that the concept of the film had a lot of potential, but it lost all of it and eventually ended up killing it in its execution (no pun intended). If you want to see a truly brilliant film by Brian Henson check out Muppet Treasure Island which succeeds in every area Jack fails (so essentially every area). It would be more productive to find a brick wall and beat your head into it for three hours than to watch this film, but don't take my word for it. Go ahead, grab a copy and find out the "true" story - and also find out why "truth" is often a great deal less exciting than fiction.
Rating:
Summary: Ok for adults and GREAT for kids
Review: I highly recommend this movie...especially for children. We watched this movie as a family movie and my children, ages 4 - 11 loved it from beginning to end. Yes, it is a bit predictable for the older crowd but remember, this is "Jack and the Beanstalk"! We all enjoyed the different twists that this "fairytale come to the 20th century" gave us. The effects were very enjoyable and the characters were played by well known actors/actresses. No, you won't be 'shocked out of your seat' by this one but you are not supposed to be. Instead, grab a big bucket of popcorn and curl up with the family for a very enjoyable evening!
Rating:
Summary: Not Just for Kids
Review: I thought it would be a good tape for the kids but I was surprised. It was interesting and captivating. However, I did not see how long the movie was before I bought it. The quality of the picture on VHS (due to it being over 3 hours long) was less than pleasing. I will now check all tapes for length and if they are much over 2 hours long, I will get them in DVD only.
I liked the movie enough that I am going to purchase it again . . . in DVD.
Rating:
Summary: Very interesting adaptation
Review: I watched this when it showed on tv and really liked it. It gave a totally different perspective to the fairy tale. If I had kids I'd prefer them to see this version rather than the popular fairy tale version.
|
