Jack the Giant Slayer: Movie Review

Nicholas Hoult will hold a record in my life as someone who top-billed in two movies that I saw within a week.

I just came off from watching Warm Bodies (which I promise to write about soon) where I found him as a very smart actor. Kaya when confronted with the decision to choose between Beautiful Creatures and Jack the Giant Slayer, I chose the latter.

I’m starting to develop this habit of expecting very little from films that I felt indifferent about. That way, hindi ako masyadong invested kung kailangan ko na siyang panoorin. Bonus pa kung they exceed my expectations. At least, I feel na may pinatunguhan yung almost 200 pesos na binayad ko. Malamang sa alamang, yun rin ang dahilan kung bakit di ako nag-amok after watching this movie.

Hindi ko gets ang need ng Hollywood na i-revamp ang mga classic fairy tales ng aking kabataan. Mas lalo kong hindi maintindihan yung desisyon ng marami sa kanila to shed a dark light sa mga kwentong ito to broaden the spectrum of moviegoers na maa-attract nila. It didn’t help that the machinery spewed out films like Beastly, Hansel and Gretel, and Snow White and the Huntsman.

Pero from the trailers I saw, this movie looked pretty decent. Yes, inaccurate siya pero expected ko na yun. Alam ko ring may ipipilit na love story dahil sa elemento ng prinsesa. Alam ko rin na with it being released in 3D, isa ito sa mga pelikulang mas pinaggugulan ng panahon ang animation kaysa sa iba pang aspeto ng pelikula. Naisip ko, “Bahala na. Ieenjoy ko nalang.”

And that I did.

Someone wrote in the comments section of the trailer in Youtube that this trailer shows all that there is to see in the film. He’s right.

Faithful yung film sa pangako nito. Wag kang maghanap ng unique na kwento dahil kinuha naman ito sa isang well-known at well-loved na fairy tale. Wag ka ring aasa na may matinding life lesson kang mapagtatanto. Lalong wag ka rin umasang mababago nito ang buhay mo. In fact, di ko na rin ito gaanong naaalala.

Pero dahil nga wala naman siyang unkept promises, di naman sumama ang loob ko. It was just a good movie to see kung ayaw mo ng pelikulang sasakit ang ulo mo kakaisip. If I were younger, siguro kung mga 12 or 13 years old, malamang na-enjoy ko ito ng mas higit pa. Pero watching it with full-grown friends made me feel like dapat may sinama kaming maliit na bata.

Yun nga lang, parang masyadong violent at kadiri ang mga eksena sa pelikulang ito. Lahat ng maiisip mong kadiri, nandun. I think they put those scenes there for the young boys. Tapos nilagay naman yung love story for the young girls. Alam mo yun, tipong Family rubbing alcohol na there’s plenty for everybody.

I’m still grateful that they got Nicholas to play Jack. I’m grateful na di nila pinilit na maging sobrang dark yung movie. I’m grateful that I got to see Ewan McGregor di a few stunts. Kaya ok na rin. Keri lang.

Pero it’s not worth your money to see it on the big screen.