grizzledgeezer
"Jack the Giant Killer" has long had a bad reputation. It was only last night that I learned just how much it deserves it. My one-star rating is not so much for the film (which is mostly sub-mediocre, with a few clever things), but a condemnation of its being a terribly obvious copy of "7th Voyage of Sinbad" -- so much so that Columbia threatened to sue "Jack"'s producer, Edward Small."7VS" was one of the few Harryhausen/Schneer films that made money on its initial release. Small must have figured that lightning could strike twice at exactly the same spot, so he "borrowed" (ie, stole) many of "Sinbad"'s elements * -- and not very well.I won't go into the details (fans of fantasy films will want to discover them on their own). But the giants are so-obviously copies of the Cyclopes in "Sinbad", it's embarrassing. Jim Danforth was supposedly told to have them move like Harryhausen's critters, and they do. Exactly. (This would probably have been a major legal point had Columbia sued.) Danforth was never as good an animator as Harryhausen. His work is often stiff/jerky and missing the wit that animates Harryhausen's characters. The gulf between mechanical skill and true talent is obvious.It doesn't help that the stop-motion figures are Just Plain Ugly. I don't mean ugly as in "nasty and frightening", but ugly as in cheap- and shoddy-looking. Parts of them look as if they were made from junk found in a trash can. The human costumes are similarly ugly, gaudy, and excessive, rather than fanciful.The one thing Small shouldn't have borrowed was Kerwin Matthews. Matthews has long been in the running for "Dullest Movie Actor of All Time".The script is mostly dull exposition and verges on the inane. About a third of the way through the film becomes actively boring (despite the on-screen action), provoking a "When will this be over?" reaction.In fairness, Pendragon's "vanishing cloak" is a superb optical effect, absolutely seamless (at least on a TV screen).Had Small tried to create something original, it might have been a classic. It is, instead, a classic example what happens when you mindlessly steal from your betters.* He even swipes from the Cocteau "Beauty and the Beast".
Claudio Carvalho
On the birthday of Princess Elaine (Judi Meredith), the evil warlock Pendragon (Torin Thatcher), who is exiled from the Kingdom of Cornwall, and his minion Garna (Walter Burke) come disguised to the court and he gives a gift to Elaine. During the night, his gift becomes a giant that abducts the princess. However the farmer Jack (Kerwin Mathews) vanquishes the giant and rescues Elaine. Jack becomes a knight and Elaine and he fall in love with each other. King Mark (Dayton Lummis) assigns Jack to protect Elaine and to travel by ship with his daughter posing of peasants to a distant convent where she would be safe. However Pendragon's spy Lady Constance (Anna Lee) warns the sorcerer and he sends witches to bring Elaine to his castle. They kill the captain of the ship and the crew throws Jack overboard that is left behind with the captain's son Peter (Roger Mobley) in the sea. However they are rescued by the Viking Sigurd (Barry Kelley) that shows the Leprechaun Imp (Don Beddoe) to Jack. The Imp grants three wishes to Jack and together with Jack, Peter and Sigurd, they head to the island where the castle of Pendragon is to save the princess. Will they succeed in their mission? "Jack the Giant Killer" is one of those naive adventures that are delightful matinée. The entertaining story is full of action, magic and evil creatures. Princess Elaine is gorgeous and the hero Jack is a farmer capable of fight like the most skilled swordsman. The special affects are dated in the present days but part this is one important component of these wonderful movies from the 60's. My vote is seven.Title (Brazil): "Jack, O Matador de Gigantes" ("Jack, The Giant Killer")
SanteeFats
This is an old movie and the claymation shows that. First Jack kills a giant and saves the King's daughter. He is knighted and given lands and castles. Now the giant showed up to try and kidnap the princess whose birthday was being celebrated. Sent by an evil wizard who had been vanquished many years ago and now is returning to try and take over the kingdom of Cornwall. The bad guy does manage to take the princess and he goes to his secret lair. Jack of course pursues. The best part of this movie, in my opinion, is the trapped leprechaun in the bottle. He actually ends up saving the day a couple of times and his rhymes are pretty good too. Anyway Jack gets to the island and after battling magical creatures he makes it to the wizards throne room. Through an illogical sequence Jack, the princess, and their two other companions make it back to the boat and start to sail away. The wizard turns himself into a dragon and attacks the boat trying to get the princess back. Jack jumps on the dragon's back and manages to sever a wing tendon. The wizard falls in to the sea and dies. All his spells are then negated and every one and every thing returns to their original shape, form, etc. So Jack and the princess sail back to Cornwall to apparent marriage and bliss.
skybrick736
Jack the Giant Killer is an adventure fantasy that I feel stands the test of time better than a lot of animation monster movies out there. The assortment of witches, giants and magical beings is a great mix that had terrific special effects for the early 60's. The music assigned to the witches is enchanting as well as creepy. The main characters of Jack and Elissa are a good duo but the cheesy love lines shows its date. The supporting characters are exceptional and it hooks the viewer from the start. Most of the junk on TV is not worth anyone's time, so check out Jack the Giant Killer! It can be watched with the entire family!
AD
