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8 out of 8 people found the following comment useful :-
Imaginative and colourful sequel to the old fairy tale, 4 October 2001
Author: raymond-15 from Australia

This is the story of a giant legume which brought happiness to some and misfortune to many. It's also the story of a very productive goose that laid eggs of pure gold to the music of a magic harp. These prized possessions also have the power (or so it seems) of turning dusty landscapes into valleys of verdant pastures. The excavation of some giant bones at the beginning gave promise of a pretty exciting film, but I thought the pace was slow until we met the first Jack and his mother Mrs. Robinson outraged at her son's transaction - a half a dozen bean seeds for the family cow! Then we get some real action. Thanks to computerised photography, the ground trembles and a gigantic beanstalk races upwards piercing the clouds. Naturally Jack climbs up and at the top discovers a new land inhabited by very large people. Although we realise this is photographic trickery, the miniaturisation of the human figures is well done and the appeasing of the giant's appetite has to be seen to be believed. When Jack steals the harp and the goose and clambers down the beanstalk with the angry giant in close pursuit, tension rises. Jack just makes it. The giant falls to his death and Mrs Robinson makes sure with a mighty swing of her axe. Great fairy story stuff for the children! Centuries pass. Jack and his progeny die young for there is a mighty curse on them all. The second half of the story explains how the curse can be removed if the goose and harp can be taken back to the land of the giants. Modern day Jack undertakes the mission, but is caught, tried and found guilty in the giant's court. This part of the film is not very original. If you have seen"Planet of the Apes" you will remember a similar scene where aliens are condemned for their deeds. The film covers some interesting topics currently being discussed:

(1) The cloning of the goose to provide an endless supply of gold. (2) The importance of the greening of the environment and its beneficial effect on the population.The film is cast with some well-known actors and it is fun to identify them. We have plenty of time to do so.The film runs for 3 hours (not including advertisements). Vanessa Redgrave as the Matriarch links the scenes together with a profound and prophetic commentary. Whether you can affirm her story to be true will much depend on whether "you believe in the unbelievable". It's really up to you.

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6 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
Magical and Entertaining, 5 April 2004
10/10
Author: canobi2002 from UK

I watched this movie all in one go and I must say I didn't move from my chair. Modine and Mia Sara's performances are excellent as are the rest. Sara plays the girl from another world who comes to Modine to help him find the truth and help her bring welfare back to her people. Modine slowly will discover where the riches of his ancestors came from. Then he will try to right the wrongs and end the curse to his family. The family moves between two worlds. Our world and a fantastic one. The scenery and the landscapes are wonderful and there is also some mistery and twists till the end. The movie addresses the greed of people and how they would go all the way just to satisfy themselves ignoring the needs of others. I highly recommend it.

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7 out of 9 people found the following comment useful :-
Wonderful And Magical, 5 December 2001
10/10
Author: William C. Uchtman (aesgaard41@hotmail.com) from Hendersonville, TN

I never thought twice about the story of Jack and the Beanstalk, but this movie does answer some dangling plot points such as where the beans came from and a closer look into Jack's character. Matthew Modine, Mia Sara, John Voight and all the class give wonderful performances highlighted by a believable story into the realm of beings who probably were the gods of ancient myth. Wonderful and ironic casting choices abound; Mia Sara from the fantasy "Legend" turns up in this fantasy as does Darryl Hannah playing another sort of giant after doing the "Attack of the Fifty Foot Woman" remake. The movie for me also proves just how much history or legends can be based on lies or the personal perceptions of others. The whole fantasy has a charming and intelligent telling in it as modern day Jack learns the far-fetched truth of his ancestry and his connections to an ancient myth. Someone obviously did their research searching the origins of this tale and linking it to believable characters and events. i only wished i had taped it because I'd love to see it again!

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4 out of 5 people found the following comment useful :-
another winner from the Henson studio, 17 February 2005
8/10
Author: steveack2004 from long island u.s.a.

this mini series was a complete winner from start to finish! a wonderful, imaginative retelling of the old fairy tale, that does a great job of imagining an alternate beginning and then adding a great storyline to help finish it out. the special effects were wonderful, including the creatures from the henson studio workroom. an excellent visualization of the world atop the beanstalk, and the rulers of their world. it was tied in very well with the modern world, and Matthew Modine made for a very likable Jack, who tries to make things right again. Mia Sara as Ondine once again shows that she is best used in a longer premise where she has room to flesh out her character. her acting has definitely improved since Timecop, and she is as beautiful as ever, if not more so!

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4 out of 5 people found the following comment useful :-
Entertaining, 30 December 2002
6/10
Author: LeMarchand from England

Corporate head Jack Robinson is about to discover that fairytales are very real in this revisionist take on `Jack and the Beanstalk'.

The film starts off well, with Jack (Matthew Modine) discovering that life isn't as straightforward as he thought. A nice atmosphere is created as a mysterious woman, Ondine (Mia Sara looking very cute), appears dropping dire hints as to his family's secret. Eventually Jack discovers the truth behind his wealth, and finds out that it is up to him to put things right.

The `real world' segments of this movie tend to work best, as Jack struggles to come to terms with his discovery that fairy tales are true, with the `fantasy land' segments - mainly due to some variable effects - actually detracting from the sense of wonder. While most of the performances are fine (though Modine occasionally seems to be playing Scott Bakula), the guy playing the original Jack is fairly dire.

What really makes the story work is the idea that fairy tales are history dressed up to be palatable to us (and of course not necessarily reliably related history), and the way that we might exploit magic if it were available to us.

Well worth a watch for fantasy/fairy tale fans, or if you liked the superior `The 10th Kingdom'.

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1 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :-
a great fairy tale, 21 May 2006
8/10
Author: starlet86 from Edison, NJ

This is an imaginative take on the Jack and the Beanstalk story. While it was made for kids, the story maintains enough complexity to keep adults interested (I'm 19). Plus as a female, I appreciate the fact that it's one of the few stories where (possible spoiler) the damsel(who's in a different kind of distress than other fairy tale women) rescues Prince Charming.

But there some flaws with this film that kept me from giving it a perfect 10. Some gripes I have (spoilers ahead):

1. I'm no math person but why couldn't the writers be consistent with when Jack's dad died? One minute, they say he died 20 years ago but then they say he died when Jack was 14. Since Jack is 37, it shows that the writers can't do simple addition. Couldn't they just take two seconds to do the math?

2. How the hell does Siggy know about goose and harp? I got the impression from Wilhemina that Jack's dad didn't believe the story of the original Jack. But apparently, Jack's dad told Siggy not to tell him about the family's dark secret until he was ready. I wish there was a more believable explanation for Siggy knowing a lot more than he should.

3. If Siggy is smart enough to know the all the Robinsons' secret, I think he should be able to catch on to the fact that Jack is in love with Ondine fairly quickly. I always wondered why he didn't try to kill Ondine when he was so against Jack having an heir. I understand that they had a time limit to the movie and maybe it would have been a bit scary for the little ones. And don't get me wrong, I love Jack and Ondine too much to want anything less than a happy ending for them. But shooting her (or at least threatening to do it) would have been a great way to kick up the tension/suspense.

4. Siggy's accent and mannerisms were an attempt at comedy that completely fell flat. It was not funny and was a bit gratuitous.

But if you're a fan of romance, adventure, or just feel-good movies in general, those things shouldn't keep you from enjoying this film.

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2 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
The Real Story is that Jack and the Beanstalk is still popular, 5 October 2004
9/10
Author: mijann1972 from Netherlands

Jack and the Beanstalk is a movie which you can put in the same category as the 10th Kingdom. Jack and the Beanstalk is a fairy tale, so normally you might think that this is only for children but the makers of this movie or actually TV-series prove that you can even interest adults with a fairy tale. The special effects are very funny and the story does not bore you for any moment and keeps your attention for the full 3 hours it takes. Jack and the Beanstalk is according to my opinion a masterpiece because it is great to make a movie which interests people from you until old and you can find all aspects in the movie like magic, adventure, humor and of course, how we could forget it Romantic. The qualification from me is 9 out 10 and that means.....well done mates !!!!!!!

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good, 13 November 2007
7/10
Author: rpons9 from United States

starlet86 from edison NJ hit it on the nose...some not so consistent story telling...good movie but if you have the DVD - and watch over again - you will see the incosistencies...

i'm not much for sappy endings...but even that was inconsistent...if they went back to giant land - she said they had 7 days which equaled 7 years in earth time - then he said there could be several new robinson's when they get back to earth - how could that be? they still spent only 7 days on giant land? don't understand that...

i also saw parallels to the movie Hook - which was much better told than this one...peter grows up and all...

but in all - i am still a sucker for these types of twists on fairy tales...7 is good enough...

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Great movie, a must addition to your collection., 12 November 2006
10/10
Author: lbleach2-2 from United States

I loved this movie....a must for young and old alike. Kind of restores your faith in everything good. This movie is like verification for the fairy tale. Purchase this movie and it will be loved and handed down for generations to come. It made me believe. Glued to my seat for the entire two night event. Glad it's on DVD so I can see it with my Grands. This is a great movie for family night in. A classic "Yes" ending. If you didn't see the two night event, you missed a once in a lifetime cliffhanger for night two. It made you record it if you were going to miss the second night. I can't imagine not seeing this movie and experiencing the remarkable way the story came together. It explains the gaps in the fairy tale. A must see and buy.

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Shame it does not appear available in book format, 3 December 2004
Author: jandv-galt (jandv.galt@ntlworld.com) from Darlington, England

This is an excellent version following the consequences of Jack's actions many generations ago. Re-working of tales proves their existence as timeless classics. It is a terrible shame this is not available in book form. As a teaching aid this would be a fantastic opportunity to get children thinking of cause and effect. Criticising literature is always a difficult task. This version of events brings in another perspective of the tale, making Jack the villain, the dishonest thief making a good living from the riches of the 'Giant Kingdom', and the Giant being a kind hearted man who was originally simply protecting the riches of the kingdom preventing it from destruction. Does the author of the original tale intend the reader to interpret the story as such? Are these details omitted, leaving to reader assumption? Any comments would be gladly accepted.

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