Jack the Giant Slayer

This week I saw the "new" film Jack the Giant Slayer.  I say "new" because it was supposed to come out last year, but its release now makes for a great few weeks for actor Nicholas Hoult.  Hoult plays the title character, Jack, and if you remember, he was also the star zombie in Warm Bodies.  Even after these two great movies I can't say I'm a big fan of his, but he did get some nice roles.

Jack the Giant Slayer is a retelling of the classic Jack and the Beanstalk story, except instead of one giant in the clouds there's an army of them.  These giants have had a taste for human blood for a long time, but until now have had no way of getting down to eat them.  Jack must climb the beanstalk to save a princess with the help of Stanley Tucci, who really overplays the villain character, and the fabulously haired knight Obi Wan Kenobi.

Seriously. They spend 90% of this movie soaking wet, and his hair looks like this just minutes later.

Can't talk about Jack without mentioning the amazing visual effects and character work.  They constructed a whole world in the sky for the giants, their homes and halls grimy and worn just like the giants themselves look.  Each giant has its own unique look and personality, and several of the main giants are even developed and animated so well that you can feel their dimensionality without the need for dialog.  You can feel a subtle rivalry between the leader of the giants, Fallon, and his right hand man Fumm, though it's hardly spoken (Fee, Fye, Foe, and Fumm are some of the main giants. DO YOU GET IT?).  The actors and Giants work together in the same shots remarkably well.  You never feel like an actor is looking into empty space when they're trying to look a CG giant in the eye, and the compositing is nearly perfect.  The only gripe I had about the visuals was how high the specularity was on the giants skin, but that's technical stuff I geek out on because it's my thing leave me alone.

In the end, the story was good with great moments of escalation and respite, heightened by an orchestral track you would expect in a fantasy epic.  The acting is a little in-your-face and at times feels like it was meant for children's amusement (especially when Tucci was involved), but it worked with the over-the-top setting.  The visuals and animation were fantastic.  All in all, a very enjoyable movie.

If you needed any more convincing, it also has Warwick Davis.