UnowPriceless
hyped garbage
Platicsco
Good story, Not enough for a whole film
Kamila Bell
This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.
morganmpoet
Saw this when I was about 8 or 10 years old on the big screen. It blew my mind. Have not been the same since! Classic fantasy, superb visuals & as many have noted, the witch attack scene completely terrified me. And the skeleton 'sleep' witch was in my nightmares for many nights.This is an early film, animations are not Harryhausen but I am not as down on the animations as some here, they are enjoyable & fit the film well enough. The center piece is Pendragon's castle & what a castle it is! If I could live anywhere within a fantasy film it would be there.Torin Thatcher is superb as always, he has the most evil chuckle when amused & he has the chops to chew scenery with the best of them, he was a wonderful actor. Everyone else does their part well, Kerwin Mathews is just right as Jack.Yep Evil Elaine is a hottie! There are some bizarre mash ups in terms of themes what with leprechauns, Vikings etc. But it certainly doesn't drag & the castle scenes are stupendous.All in all, one for the ages, forgive it's shortcomings in terms of budget & some of the animation sequences, become a child again & remember what it was like to be terrified & amazed. A personal favorite of mine that branded my mind forever. All is forgiven because this film shaped my entire direction in life in terms on my interests in fantasy, art & creative processes, it was my first exposure to a world I never knew, imperfections & all, it is a classic IMO.
wes-connors
"The legend of Jack the Giant Killer was born more than a thousand years ago in Cornwall, England, near Land's End. There was a time when the Kingdom of Cornwall lived in fear and trembling of the Black Prince Pendragon, master of all witches, giants and hobgoblins, who ravished the land. But at long last, Herla the Wizard drove Pendragon and all his witches from the Kingdom and exiled them beyond the reaches of the known world. Here on a misty isle, uncharted and unknown, Pendragon schemed and waited for the day when he would return to power in Cornwall. Then, after many years, the day came…"...This was a day of rejoicing as beautiful Judi Meredith (as Elaine) is crowned princess. The snarling Torin Thatcher (as Pendragon) arrives. He conjures up a giant to threaten Ms. Meredith. She is saved by handsome farmer Kerwin Mathews (as Jack). He is knighted Sir "Jack the Giant Killer" and becomes Meredith's protector...Seeing how millions of kids liked to spend Saturday afternoon watching Mr. Mathews battle special effects monsters in "The 7th Voyage of Sinbad" (1958), producer Edward Small brought Mathews back with director Nathan Juran and villain Torin Thatcher. While less spectacular than the earlier effort, this one is still very good. It makes up for a smaller budget with imagination and excitement. The handsome hero, beautiful princess, snarling villain, cute kid, chimp, and special effects formula carries the story. And, there are memorable supporting roles by Walter Burke, Don Beddoe and Anna Lee.****** Jack the Giant Killer (5/18/62) Nathan Juran ~ Kerwin Mathews, Judi Meredith, Torin Thatcher, Walter Burke
dbdumonteil
Although a Cornwall legend,the screenplay makes me think of Perrault's "Sleeping Beauty" revisited by Disney a couple of years before .Like Maleficent,the evil sorcerer is not invited in the king's castle . Like Princess Aurora ,the king's daughter must hide ,disguised as a peasant. In the sorcerer's den ,the gnome in the bottle plays the part of the three good fairies . A raven carries the villains' news . The sorcerer's den ,with his devils, resembles that of Maleficent. And ,last but no least ,when he goes for broke,the evil character turns into a flying monster,just as Maleficent changed into a dragon.This is good entertainment for the whole family ,although some pictures might have seemed a bit scary for yesterday's kiddies (the same can be said of Disney's "Sleeping beauty")much of which (the reflections in the mirror)has been blunted by the passage of time.The special effects are still good (except for the cardboard giants and monsters )and Kerwin Matthews had plenty of go .Even adults can dig it.
Amelius Paulus
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.
