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What is clear is that if it does have the potential to reach a new generation in a fresh way, then this version didn’t entirely find it. It’s unclear if Jack and the Beanstalk simply does not resonate with the same archetypal quality that stories such as Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Red Riding Hood and Snow White do. It is real challenge to see them as creatures both real and unknown as we would with a Gollum, for example. They just become an unnerving mass of giant goo. The fact that none of them has a distinct visual style - other than Nighy's Fallon and his arch nemesis Fumm - makes the beasts even more difficult to relate to. They are caricatures that jump out as manufactured and fake-looking as compared to the live-action players. They are, in fact, highly reminiscent of the design of the Cyclops in Wrath of the Titans (also distributed by Warner Bros.). They don't quite fall into the uncanny valley, but they are neither realistic nor uniquely monstrous. The giants, as mentioned, are physically bizarre and fail to find a seamless fit with the rest of the film. (There is seemingly no reason for the two heads!) McShane, however, finds the perfect balance between heartfelt, offbeat and funny. His two-headed General Fallon is particularly weird. Unfortunately the design of the giants is pretty goofy, and does not match Nighy's portrayal. Nighy, meanwhile, creates a dramatic, and in moments legitimately scary, villain. They seem to be functioning in a more classic fable, though, whereas McGregor and Tucci exist in a broad comedy that seems to be aimed specifically at very young children. Tomlinson and Hoult are sincere and often charming with a nice bit of chemistry between them. The performances are generally strong, but as with the rest of the film, they are a mixed bag tonally speaking. The cast is rounded out by Ian McShane in a rare comedic turn as Isabelle's loving and occasionally farcical father, King Brahmwell and Bill Nighy as the de facto leader of the giants, General Fallon. He is aided in his mission by her guard Elmont (Ewan McGregor) and obstructed by the ruthlessly ambitious Roderick (Stanley Tucci). The film stars Nicholas Hoult as the titular Jack, a farm boy who must (literally) rise to the challenge when he inadvertently unleashes a pathway to the land of the giants, sending his love-interest, Princess Isabelle (Eleanor Tomlinson), hurtling into their dangerous world.