Stometer Save your money for something good and enjoyable

Dotbankey A lot of fun.

Baseshment I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

Geraldine The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

andy_shorrock Well that's 4 hours of my life I'll never get back. Shame really as it's a good idea for a film. If only it'd been 2 hours rather than 2 x 2 hours. At one point the film goes so slowly it almost stops.The fairytale of Jack and The Beanstalk was a lie based on the truth. The 15th generation son of Jack has to pay the price for the crimes of his distant relative 400 years ago who stole the goose that lays the golden eggs and the harp that plays for the goose to lay from the big FRIENDLY giant.The land of the giants has suffered terribly, crops have failed because the harp isn't there to play the special music and the climate has changed because the golden eggs where burned in a furnace to power the climate of the land.As I say, nice idea but tooooooooooooooooo looooooooooooooooong!

starlet86 This is an imaginative take on the Jack and the Beanstalk story. While it was made for kids, the story maintains enough complexity to keep adults interested (I'm 19). Plus as a female, I appreciate the fact that it's one of the few stories where (possible spoiler) the damsel(who's in a different kind of distress than other fairy tale women) rescues Prince Charming. But there some flaws with this film that kept me from giving it a perfect 10. Some gripes I have (spoilers ahead):1. I'm no math person but why couldn't the writers be consistent with when Jack's dad died? One minute, they say he died 20 years ago but then they say he died when Jack was 14. Since Jack is 37, it shows that the writers can't do simple addition. Couldn't they just take two seconds to do the math? 2. The first part is slow and spends way too much time on exposition. I like the film but have to admit that it's not very good at establishing tension (more on that later). 3. Siggy just isn't a very bright villain. I always wondered he didn't try to kill Ondine when he was so against Jack having an heir. If he had a gun, it would have taken a few seconds to shoot her (a la Walter Donovan forcing Indy to get the grail by shooting his dad). A very easy way for him to demand the goose as ransom. Instead, we get him taking pointless shots at the giants. Very anti-climatic. And don't tell me it's too violent for kids since it's common for the protagonist's significant other to be near-death/seriously injured in Disney movies (see Tangled, Beauty and the Beast). Clichéd, I know, but it works.4. Siggy's accent and mannerisms were an attempt at comedy that completely fell flat. I cringe every time I see him.5. The first Jack just wasn't a very impressive guy (in looks or personality). I'm still trying to figure out why Ondine fell for him. There was a lot of missed potential but the performances of the main cast made me care enough about the characters to make me stick around. And if you're a fan of romance, adventure, or just feel-good movies in general, those things shouldn't keep you from enjoying this film.

jandv-galt This is an excellent version following the consequences of Jack's actions many generations ago. Re-working of tales proves their existence as timeless classics. It is a terrible shame this is not available in book form. As a teaching aid this would be a fantastic opportunity to get children thinking of cause and effect. Criticising literature is always a difficult task. This version of events brings in another perspective of the tale, making Jack the villain, the dishonest thief making a good living from the riches of the 'Giant Kingdom', and the Giant being a kind hearted man who was originally simply protecting the riches of the kingdom preventing it from destruction. Does the author of the original tale intend the reader to interpret the story as such? Are these details omitted, leaving to reader assumption? Any comments would be gladly accepted.

divine-comedy Although it's a bit long this is a great movie. I've always been a fan of the Henson studio but this a real highlight. Great actors, great effects and a good adaptation of the story. Everybody knows the fairy tale but this is a very original modern-day spin off. i've already seen it twice and recommended it to most nieces and nephews. Ans they loved it too. Not to mention their parents. I think the story is a bit complex for the under age 8 group but they won't be bored with the effects. Matthew Modine (one of my favorites ever since I've seen him in HBO's "and the and played on") really makes the most out of the character. But there are more stars in this one. i've already bought the DVD and will probably watch it again. 4,5 stars out of 5!!