Customer Reviews

Jack The Giant-Killer (Jack of Kinrowan)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Even if this is not as good as Ray Harryhausen at his best in "Jason and the Argonauts" and "The 7th Voyage of Sinbad", it is certainly as good a quality as the later Sinbad's he did. Anderson's creatures may be a little rough around the edges by todays special effects standards but it is still quite entertaining for the whole family. Most children will find it great fun. There are numerous monster creatures and several interesting good characters. Kerwin Mathews and the rest the cast do above average performances. The sets and music help draw us into this wonderful adventure fantasy story. If you like Fantasy movies you will probably enjoy this one. Did you miss the price on this DVD? Talk about a bargain! Even if you for some odd reason you didn't love it you could donate it to a good cause. I got the DVD and even though released by Good Times it is an excellent transfer. The picture and sound are great. Good quality DVD and replayability. Most kids will love this.

A budget DVD released on Goodtimes homevideo (It used to be released on MGM). Picture quality of 'Jack the Giant Killer' is much better than the Vhs version (obviously) and about the same (if not better) than the Laser Disc release. This single layer disc runs 1 hour 36 minutes and is playable worldwide (NTSC). The movie stars Kerwin Williams & the beautiful Judi Meredith and directed by Nathan Juran. There are no special features on this DVD except for scene index and play. The DVD is worth it even at this price. This is not the musical version but the regular movie version, The disc is made in Hong Kong (and/or Taiwan) as mentioned on the back of the DVD keepcase, but then again most budget DVDs are made there nowadays. The picture and sound quality is very good (Its the best I've seen of this video so far) and would get this classic before its too late.

If you check my review posted below, you will realize that I am very fond of this flawed but fabulous film. The GOOD NEWS about the DVD release-----it's the ORIGINAL version, NOT the putrid Musical re-make!

The Less-than-Good news is that the transfer (obviously from a print)isn't as crisp and contrast-y as one would ideally like. In addition, it's a bit disappointing to realize, assuming this realease is authorized, that MGM/UA is not interested enough in this film to release it on their own, and thus has licensed it to Good Times, a serviceable, but second-rate outfit.

Oh, well---guess I shouldn't complain. It's just GREAT to have it in the DVD format.

Oh yes,.....the SOUND on the DVD is fabulous--bright, clear, dynamic, crisp.

And, incidentally, I bought and watched Harryhausen's "7th Voyage of Sinbad" recently.....great, awesome stop-motion work, of course (I remember seeing it in the theatre in early '59----I was literally shaking with excitement and terror simultaneously! Had to go out to the lobby to regain my composure as they were climbing through the hills of Colossa looking for the Roc's egg! Subsequently had cool dreams of the cyclops chasing me on the beach!....)

BUT----HAVING SAID ALL OF THAT-----I'd still prefer "JACK" ANY DAY! It's so much more human and engaging. Watch the scene after Jack has killed the first Giant and the King asks him
"Have you seen the Princess"......it's so charming----nice acting, beautiful music (you catch a bit of the doll's music box dance transformed by the orchestra under the dialogue...), then we meet Jack's mother, touchingly played by Helen Wallace...things like this just add so much to the enjoyment of a fantasy film.

And the SET-UPS!!!....despite some of the crude visual quality---the experimental angles and odd shots which they used....shots from above the giant....dropping the rope around his neck...the bucket of flour in his eyes, his falling and nearly crushing Jack...the 2-headed giant about to deliver the "coup-de-grace" to the sea serpent with the anchor when Sigurd (in dog form) saves the day by jumping on the giant's back to distract him, while Peter (in chimp form) tosses rocks on the giant, in order to give the serpent time to revive from his beating......the harpy hovering over the ship, swooping, diving, ascending with the animated Jack on his back, the duo-death-dive into the sea with Jack and the Harpy side-by-side--------NO WONDER the film went so far over budget and took so long....these were incredibly COMPLEX SHOTS being done by a bunch of guys who were practically making it up as they went!! There is NOTHING this
daring and spectacular in "Sinbad"; just lots of straight-on shots, impressive though they may be.

But I do go on.........

Jack The Giant Killer is a great family fantasy movie. I've never seen the musical version, but it sounds like a hideous botch-up, and I can't believe people are disappointed because this DVD is of the original version and not some re-hash that had nothing to do with the production's original intention.

I think the film is excellent just the way it is. It's the tale of a simple farmer (Jack) who gets caught up in an evil wizard's plans to abduct a beautiful princess to be his bride. I've heard it said that the musical version was created to tone down some of the film's more frightening moments, and I can see why younger childeren could get nightmares after watching some sequences. There are several such scenes. Early on in the film, the princess is having a party and one of her birthday gifts is a miniature dancing jester in a musical box. Creepy enough to watch as it is, this ugly thing comes alive after dark and grows into a hideous giant demon. In another scene, ghostly flying witches descend on a ship to try and seize the princess, who is being smuggled away to a secret location to protect her. This sequence, involving some very freaky apparitions, genuinely frightened me as a child, especially the moment when the ghost in the guise of a skeleton in a wedding dress surprised the princess in a small dark cabin. Eek!

The animated monsters are of variable quality, ranging from the enlarged music box demon (the best) to the sea serpent that appears near the end (the worst). Maybe the money started to run out towards the end of the film! But the plot is engaging and never dull, mostly involving Jacks battle with the hammy but evil King Pendragon who has designs on the princess and is sending all these monsters to kidnap her, but also involving sub-plots such as the part where the princess is turned evil by a spell from Pendragon and almost double-crosses Jack - until the spell is broken.

All in all, tremendous fun. Yes it does look a bit dated now, and a lot of kids aren't going to be enthralled this easily any more, but it can still give an hour and a half's worth of solid entertainment.

ASIN# B000050SKH

I gave this film 3 stars based on "the Film" because...

-It was such a blatant band-wagon move after "The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad". It's hard to watch without noticing parodies.
-The giants inexplicably all have goat's legs, just like the cyclops in SVOS!!
-Same director and lead actors as SVOS... in the SAME ROLES!!!
-Some scenes drag on, even action scenes! "let's show more monsters LONGER!!!" The witch scene on the ship NEVER ENDS!!
-A little magical helper, just like SVOS. He even makes the same bargain for his freedom!!
-Battle between giant and serpent, just like SVOS battle between Cycplops and Dragon.
-Editing is silly at times. Senes were obviously cut (gaunlet hall has arms cut off and blades broken but not a clue how it happened!) while others go on... and on... and on.....
-Acting is valiant considering the script!! This thing was obviously thrown together. I particularly enjoyed the high-school acting of Judy Meredith. Kind of like watching a car wreck... you just can't look away.
-The monsters are extremely crude in every aspect, from sculpting to animation. The funny thing is, the animation seams to get a little better as the film rolls along, like they created the sequences in script order.
-Jim Danforth (though I never see his name on the Credits?) needed to understudy under Harryhausen a bit longer. He had very little knowledge of human or animal physiology. This made his creatures look cartoonish and less believable. Do you like shiney monsters? To his credit, they definately have character.
-Despite all of this, it is a fun film. Just need to get over the SVOS "cloning".

As a value priced DVD, I'd have to give it 5 stars. Here's why;

-Picture quality is better than could ever be expected for this obscure film (at this price). Someone in Hong Kong must of had this on ice!!
-Ditto for sound quality. As good as could be expected for a featureless DVD.

-Packaging is better than adequate. They actually Screened a nice image on the disk!
-NOT THE MUSICAL!!!

Given all of this, I'd still recommend this DVD for Harryhausen Fans. It really puts his skills in perspective. It is also a whimsical and enjoyable movie in it's own right. I just could not get over the "Sinbad" thing!!

The good news about this DVD release of Jack the Giant Killer is that it isn't the musical version!
The movie was shoot with a release to television in mind.Producer Small intended to light the scenes way to bright and was composing for a little frame.Therefore someone can forgive its full frame presentation and the transfer from a good videomaster.
This movie is a rare find and still fun to watch if you love classy stop motion. (...)

I don't mean to berate the great Jim Danforth, but this is an extremely low budget rip-off of The 7TH Voyage of Sinbad. The legend is that producer Edward Small turned down Harryhausen's pitch for 7th Voyage. Ray went to Columbia, and the finished product was a huge hit, making 12 mill in America alone in 1958!!
Small probably kicked himself a few times, and decided to make an exact duplicate of the film at MGM. He hired the same director (Nathan Juran) and same stars (Kerwin Mathews and Torin Thatcher).Unfortunately, the animation models were not of the quality of Sinbad, and the stop motion is rushed (Small had a very tight budget. The result is a fun film for kids, but fantasy film fanatics do not regard this as a classic. Jack (Mathews) must rescue a possessed Princess from an evil sorcerer who wants to take over the Kingdom.
Columbia actually sued Small for ripping off Sinbad, and the film remained in limbo for many years. In the late 80's, MGM turned the movie into a musical!!!!!! They dubbed over dialogue and made it look like the characters are singing! This version was shown on the Disney channel for a few years, and it is a sight to behold. In the mid ninties, MGM restored the film for a VHS release, and now the "widescreen" DVD. There is some controversy regarding the films original aspect ratio (see stopmotionanimation.com).
Kids will enjoy, but stop motion fans regard this film as a footnote in history.

This is a great little film with stop motion animation (pre-CGI) that deals with magic, sorcerers, fearless heros with viking and a leprechaun. A favorite of mine as a kid with great performances by the "7th Voyage of Sinbad" cast, this movie is a family film that can be enjoyed by all ages.

Giants and monsters to slay ... what more could a lad on the farm ask for in order to prove his manhood? Handsome Kerwin Mathews is engagingly vigorous in the title role; Torin Thatcher appropriately evil as the magician Pendragon; Judi Meredith nonexistent as the trophy princess Elaine; and Walter Burke goose bumpy as a scurvy knave. Colorful fairy tale costumes and sets enhance the production and there are enough monsters, spooks, and creepy critters to satisfy even the most jaded appetites. I liked the farmyard escapade and the shipboard adventure best. A fun flick for a rainy Saturday afternoon.

The DVD is free of blemishes and is quite colorful; however, some images are pale, no doubt due to the aging of the original materials. This is especially apparent in composite shots where the models look bright but the backgrounds don't. Probably the best this film is going to look.