Jack and the Beanstalk (2010)

This live-action take on the legendary fairytale finds Jack going up the beanstalk to outwit the giant and rescue a little girl that has been transformed into a harp.

Director:

Gary J. Tunnicliffe

Writers:

Flip Kobler (screenplay), Cindy Marcus (screenplay)

Stars:

Colin Ford, Chloë Grace Moretz, Christopher Lloyd

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Colin Ford	...	Jack
Chloë Grace Moretz	...	Damsel in Distress / Jillian (as Chloe Grace Moretz)
Christopher Lloyd	...	Headmaster
Adair Tishler	...	Rapunzel
Billy Unger	...	Prince Charming
Emily Rose Everhard	...	Red Riding Hood (as Emily Everhard)
Sadie Ebeyer-Deist	...	Sleeping Beauty
Victoria Atilano	...	Ugly Step Sister
Atalaya Atilano	...	Mean Step Sister
Anthony Skillman	...	Hansel
Sammi Hanratty	...	Gretel
Daniel Roebuck	...	Mayor Lichfield
Wallace Shawn	...	Broker / Booker / Lancelot Squarejaw
Katey Sagal	...	Jack's Mother
Gilbert Gottfried	...	Grayson

Storyline

A fairy tale character who is about to flunk out of fairy tale school, Jack must perform a heroic deed by Monday or fail miserably, just like his father before him. Anxious to make good, Jack sells his C.O.W. (Computer of Wonder) for a handful of magic beans and a mysterious book that records his adventures as he's having them. Accompanied by his sidekick Grayson -- a goose who ate a bean and underwent an amazing transformation -- Jack climbs the magic beanstalk to recover the fabled Harp of Destiny from the evil Giant who lives in the sky. Helping Jack on his perilous quest is the spunky Jillian, a fearless young girl whom Jack meets on his journey -- and who just may have a hidden agenda...

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Plot Keywords:

harp | giant | girl | fairy tale | magic | 

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Genres:

Adventure | Comedy | Family | Fantasy

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Certificate:

G

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 November 2009 (USA)

Also Known As:

Jack et les haricots magiques

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Avalon Family Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Color:

Color Black and White

Did You Know?

Trivia

One of the lumberjacks (played by director Gary J. Tunnicliffe) expresses a wish to be a Pet Shop Owner, instead (at around 1h 2 mins). This is a reference to a famous Monty Python sketch where the reverse situation is the case.

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Goofs

In the pillow-fight scene, the stunt double for Jillian (Chloe Moretz) receives several close-ups where the face is clearly seen to be Asian.

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Quotes

Nervous Lumberjack: I never wanted to be a lumberjack anyway. I always wanted to do something different with my life.
Mayor Lichfield: Well, what did you want to be?
Nervous Lumberjack: I always wanted to be...
Mayor Lichfield: What? What?
Nervous Lumberjack: I always wanted to be...
Mayor Lichfield: Say it, man!
Nervous Lumberjack: A pet store owner.
Mayor Lichfield: What?
Nervous Lumberjack: Yes. Huggable dogs, hamsters, little rabbits, a Norwegian Blue Parrot.
Crowd at Lumberjack Rally: A Norwegian Blue Parrot? Got beautiful plumage!

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Connections

Version of The Giant Killer (1924)

User Reviews

Too cheesy for grownups so hope kids like

It was beginning to look like a good story. Then the cheesiness came into play. A bit over acted and silly. Again, maybe the very young kids will like this adaptation. I soon lost interest and wished Gilbert Gottfried (the goose) would just shut up already.

The creation of Jack and the Beanstalk, I believe, was hurried and not too much focus on creation. I mean, the giant was not even a giant, more like a big puppet, etc.

Most likely you will take the kids along to a theater to see and hope they will enjoy just the silliness of it all and not my luck of seeing a screener as an adult and no kids along while expecting a totally different style of movie. A More serious adaptation maybe? I think Disney would have done a better job.

My forecast for reviews of Jack and the Beanstalk will be, in grade level, user's (C) and critics (C). Or a 5 rating in IMDb.