“Jack the Giant Slayer” really impressed this critic who didn’t believe this “beanstalk” could soar.  In fact, I was expecting it to get chopped down.

The newest take on “Jack and the Beanstalk” indeed hits the spot with good action, adventure and a different view of the fairy tale most of us grew up with.

The movie contains a  very straightforward story about a young man named Jack (Nicholas Hoult) who has the desire for adventure.

With such a simple story, one would think there would be strong characters to follow, but this film lacked a real character development.

It seemed as if director Bryan Singer (“X Men: First Class) was so wrapped up in making a compelling plot that he left the characters flat and uninteresting.

It’s so easy to get distracted by all the great animation that one could completely overlook the characters.

Simply put, the fantastic story and the “just there” characters made the film feel unbalanced overall.

My favorite aspect of the film was how the original story of “Jack and the Beanstalk” was tied in with the film’s plot.

The unbalanced characters  really were the film’s only fault.  “Jack the Giant Slayer” is a fun- filled action adventure with a gist of romance and a moral everyone should value.

In the film, we are introduced to Jack as a young boy who’s fascinated with giants.

His father (Daniel Lapaine) would often read him the tale of “Erik the Great” and how he defeated the giants long ago.

As the film goes on with the story reading, it switches back and fourth to the young princess, Isabelle (Eleanor Tomlinson), who is as fascinated as Jack is with the story, but can’t ever go on an adventure because of her royal duties.

Ten years later Jack and Isabelle meet in the market, the same place where Jack  obtained magic beans from a cautious monk. The monk seemed sketchy and was in dire need of the horse Jack was trying to sell. All the monk had to offer  were the beans. Jack took them, unsure but willing, and  next thing he knew the monk was gone.

Once Jack returned home after receiving these so called “magic beans,” he placed them on his table and they rolled to the floor. As rain is poured down outside, one of the beans fell through the cracks of the floor.

Before Jack and Isabelle knew it, a beanstalk shot straight to the sky to the unknown world of the giants.

Overall, this film gets a 3 out of 4 Grizzly bear paws for its well thought out plot and great relay back to originality. I just wish Singer provided the characters with more depth.