Jack the Giant Killer (1962)

"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".

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!

When I saw this movie as a kid in 1972? I enjoyed it.I am no longer a kid, and its no longer 1972. It was released in 1962 and it shows. Special effects have improved, and so have many aspects of movie making. Today the monsters may be scary for a 5 year old, but are laughable for a 10 year old. The only audience that may still enjoy this movie are the 6-10 year old audience. Maybe.I found the Leprachaun to be the best part of the movie, and he had very limited appearances.For its time, maybe it was worth a 6, but for todays audiences I'd avoid it. I give it a 5, but its probably worth a 4. Its watchable in a way because its so bad.

I work for Panavision in Hollywood & we recently got an e-mail from our London Office asking for gear for..."Jack the Giant Killer" & I was like...REALLY?!! They're re-making this? cuz A) I usually do not like re-makes cuz they never compare (I have never seen & may never see the re-make of "Sabrina" even though I love Harrison Ford...but the original was...PERFECT...so why? & same for the re-make of "Journey to the Centre of the Earth". As much as I love Brendon Frazier I could see this film had NOthing to do with the James Mason / Pat Boone film, which was also...PERFECT...so why?) & B) I remember this film as being one The BEST films of this 60s stop action Fantasy genre & I am interested in seeing how, with the modern tools, handle it. As long as they do not get carried away with CG & stuff or ruin the Story. BUT after reading these reviews I am A) Even MORE excited at re-WATCHING this great Classic Fantasy Film (going to try to find it on Netflix. *fingers crossed*) B) Glad to hear I do remember it correctly as such a FAV & remembering the Witches & The Evil Princess...so cool...& scary...& sexy! & C) actually kind of excited at a possible re-making of this one! I will keep my eyes on it's release! Thanks ALL for confirming my Love of this Classic!