Jack the Giant Slayer Blu-ray Review

Warner Bros.' 1080p/AVC-encoded video transfer of "Jack the Giant Slayer" is commendable. The stormy storybook palette, orchestrated by Newton Thomas Sigel, is both beautiful and evocative, featuring hearth-fire colors, rich primaries, lovely fleshtones, and deep, cavernous blacks. Detail levels are exemplary, with razor-sharp textures and edges sharp enough to split hairs. The transfer showcases significant intricacies, such as the cracks and crevices in a giant's skin, nuances in the King's armor, and strands of hair on characters' faces. Eyewitness every last detail, whether the stitching in Jack’s peasant hoodie or the grain in the wooden structures.

The high-def 2.40:1 image maintains excellent clarity and contrast throughout, with crisp whites and accurate black levels. Facial complexions are lifelike, revealing textures and healthy skin tones. Both digital and practical elements receive meticulous attention without artifacting, banding, or noise – marking a spotless presentation. The CGI giants demonstrate remarkable realism with discernible pores, wrinkles, and blemishes, further enriched by their makeshift ragged armor. One standout scene is set in a poorly lit kitchen where a giant cook’s preparation reveals astonishing minute detail despite the low lighting conditions. While the digital capture produces a slightly undesirable soap-opera effect at times, it remains unobtrusive.

The color palette’s natural appeal ensures vibrant yet true-to-life primaries that remain consistently full-bodied throughout. This Blu-ray transfer succeeds in making the most of its high-definition capabilities, providing a demo-worthy presentation that perfectly complements the film's adventurous spirit. In summary, Warner Bros. has delivered an exceptional video presentation that effectively balances technical prowess with immersive visual storytelling.

The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track for "Jack the Giant Slayer" delivers an immensely dynamic and enveloping auditory experience that meticulously captures the film's larger-than-life elements. The sound design incorporates aggressive LFE output, bringing to life the earth-shaking presence of the giants with each thunderous footfall and guttural roar. This immersive soundscape extends through the rear speakers, offering compelling contrasts between the Kingdom of Cloister and the Land of Gantua. The pinpoint directionality and flawless panning ensure that arrows flying overhead, crashing debris, and toppling structures move fluidly across channels, generating a consistently engaging and convincing sound environment.

The front soundstage boasts broad and expansive imaging, demonstrating well-balanced channel separation that produces an impressive wall of sound, particularly during the climactic battle scenes. Dynamic range is exceptionally detailed, maintaining remarkable clarity, even amidst intense action sequences. Dialogue remains crisp and intelligible throughout and is never overshadowed by the bombastic soundtrack or ambient noise. As John Ottman's music resonates through the back speakers with echoing depth, it complements the sound effects to create a wholly immersive experience. The low-end frequencies are both potent and responsive, grounding every giant's step with palpable impact while ensuring each explosion and crash is delivered with resonant authority. Overall, this lossless mix adds significant entertainment value, making it an unforgettable auditory experience.

The Blu-ray extras for "Jack the Giant Slayer" offer a mix of interactive and traditional content, though the presentation can be cumbersome. The primary feature, "Become a Giant Slayer," invites users on an up-the-beanstalk adventure to access behind-the-scenes featurettes. While the interactive mode adds a playful twist, it can become frustrating for those seeking quick access to production insights. Additionally, the featurettes, although informative about aspects like visual effects and costume design, are encased in a child-friendly narrative and doodles that might not appeal to all audiences. The more straightforward extras include five deleted scenes, which lack final visual effects, and a brief gag reel featuring mundane outtakes.

Extras included in this disc:

• Know Your Enemy: Detailed look at the antagonists.
• Suiting Up: Insight into costume design.
• Attack Tactics: Examination of battle choreography.
• The Magic of a Beanstalk: Exploration of visual effects.
• How to Zip: Behind-the-scenes stunt work.
• Giants' Kitchen: Production design insights.
• Saving the Princess: Story development details.
• Defending Your Kingdom: Strategic elements in plot execution.
• Deleted Scenes: Five sequences without final VFX.
• Gag Reel: Short compilation of outtakes.

Bryan Singer's "Jack the Giant Slayer" is a visually engaging yet narratively inconsistent reimagining of the classic Jack and the Beanstalk fairytale. Starring Nicholas Hoult as Jack and Eleanor Tomlinson as Princess Isabelle, the movie opens with an unassuming farm boy receiving a bag of mysterious beans from a fugitive monk. When one of these beans sprouts into a sky-reaching beanstalk, it takes Jack, Isabelle, and the audience into a realm of fearsome giants led by Fallon (voiced by Bill Nighy and John Kassir). While the film ambitiously ventures into combining elements of medieval fantasy and digital spectacle, it doesn't fully capitalize on its potential. The screenplay by Christopher McQuarrie and Dan Studney delivers twists, turns, and some genuine humor but often lapses into juvenile antics and forced joviality.

The character dynamics are a mixed bag; while Ewan McGregor’s Captain Elmont and Stanley Tucci’s Lord Roderick bring charisma and wit to their roles, Hoult and Tomlinson's performances lack the flair needed to make their central romance compelling. The giants, rendered with impressive CGI, range from terrifying to cartoonishly banal, undermining their menace with excessive bodily humor. Nonetheless, the production design excels with imaginative details—grassy, tree-knot skin giants and intricate Kingdom of Cloister settings—adding layers of visual richness. The script attempts to meld familiar tropes with fresh narrative directions, offering some modernized reinventions of the legend that intermittently shine.

Despite its shortcomings, "Jack the Giant Slayer" is hard to dismiss outright. It boasts moments of thrilling action, substantial special effects, and underlying wit that elevate it above many fantasy genre peers. Although it may not reach the epic heights of "The Lord of the Rings" or the nuanced charm of "The Princess Bride," it provides enough entertainment to satisfy viewers who manage their expectations. Bryan Singer's direction showcases flashes of his former brilliance, teasing at greater things in future projects while delivering a visually satisfying, if narratively uneven, ride.

"Jack the Giant Slayer," directed by Bryan Singer, delivers a modern retelling of a classic fairy tale through a sophisticated CGI fantasy lens. While the narrative may not strike a revolutionary chord, Singer's contribution is bolstered by a dedicated cast and high production values. The Blu-ray release excels technically, featuring a striking high-definition video presentation and an impressive DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track that fully immerses the viewer in the film's visually rich and acoustically dynamic world.

Although the supplemental package lacks depth, fans of the genre may still find the additional content engaging, albeit limited. The film’s visual and auditory strengths on Blu-ray substantially enhance the overall viewing experience, offering demo-worthy presentations for home theater enthusiasts. The animation at the film's onset might deter some viewers, but it ultimately sets a whimsical tone that aligns with the story's fairy tale origins. Despite some narrative and pacing flaws, "Jack the Giant Slayer" manages to maintain a lively adventure throughout its runtime.

In conclusion, while "Jack the Giant Slayer" doesn’t achieve greatness, it remains a decent family-friendly film bolstered by exceptional Blu-ray quality. The committed performances, combined with top-tier technical attributes, make it worth revisiting even if the first viewing didn’t meet expectations. Warner's Blu-ray release is noteworthy mainly for its audiovisual prowess, which alone makes it a worthwhile addition to your collection.