Jack the Giant Slayer

Jack the Giant Slayer, one of the many action movies that came out during the summer of 2013, was actually better than I expected. I usually shun remakes, especially the so-called reimagining of the classic fairy tales. Most have been dismal failures, and in general, I'm afraid that there's an entire generation that has missed out on the original magic of the stories as they were meant to be told. The Wizard of Oz, Snow White, Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, Little Red Riding Hood, and Hanzel and Gretel – are just a few that have wandered through the movie theaters in the last couple of years, and now we have Jack and the Bean Stock. I am not sure what possessed me to watch this movie, other than the fact that it was free and I was in the mood for some lighthearted entertainment. It turned out to be worth the money and the time to watch. The script tried to remain faithful to the original, I like the fact that it began with a mother and father reading the story of Jack and the Bean Stock to their children. The little boy and little girl become the main characters of the adventure. The movie is not ashamed to be "fairytale like" – it doesn't try to be anything more than good fun and adventure. The acting is passable and no big name actors or actresses to embarrass themselves. The computer-generated giants are scary enough for the children, and do some gross and silly things for the camera. All in all, pretty good PG family fun. With some reservation, I recommend this if you got nothing else to watch with your kids.