Jack and the Beanstalk (3½ Stars)

This is the 2010 version of the film. According to IMDB this fairy tale has been filmed 15 times since 1902, though the first few films were short films, not full length features. In the early days of films it was rare for a film to last more than 20 minutes.

This is a children's film, but although made for children it's a smart film that adults can appreciate. In fact, there are subtleties in the film that young viewers will probably miss. For instance, in the schoolroom scene the teacher has drawn a flux capacitor on the blackboard, the artifice used for time travel in "Back to the Future".

The film has metafilm elements. Jack is a young boy who goes to a school for fairy tale characters. The children have all picked roles that they are learning to adopt. Jack is sitting in class with the Sleeping Beauty, Hansel and Gretel, Rapunzel, Prince Charming and others. Jack alone doesn't have a role. He wants to be a hero, but he doesn't know how. Maybe his name should have been a clue?

In a spontaneous act of sacrifice he goes to the pawn shop and exchanges his favorite video game for three beans. And so the adventure begins.....

I have difficulty rating children's films. If I rated this within the parameters of children's films I should rate it higher. But subjectively, for me as a person who is long out of childhood, I found it only moderately entertaining. A good film for the family, but I doubt I'll watch it again.

Click here to view the trailer.