Jack Thatcher (Colin Ford) must perform a heroic deed or flunk out of fairy tale school. He sells a valuable possession for magic beans that grow into a giant beanstalk overnight. One bean also is eaten by the family goose Grayson, turning them into a mostly human-man (Gilbert Gottfried). They climb the enchanted beanstalk due to Jack wanting to prove himself a hero after the legacy of his father, with Grayson accompanying him to try and keep him safe. They enter a magical and dangerous world to rescue Destiny (Madison Davenport), a little girl who has been transformed into a harp by an evil giant.
This version of the tale includes references to other fairy tale characters as well as contemporary elements.
Tracy Moore of Common Sense Media called the film "goofy fun" and gave it 3/5 stars.[1]
In an otherwise positive review, MovieGuide wrote, "The sets and costumes are occasionally hokey. Also, the occasional toilet humor and slapstick comedy sometimes detracts from the movie’s natural charm." Nevertheless, MovieGuide gave the film 3/4 stars.[2]
Sloan Freer of Radio Times called it a "charmless take on the classic fairy tale" and later lamented that "James Earl Jones wastes his rich tone as the voice of the underwhelming goliath."[3]
Jason Best of What's on TV wrote that Jack and the Beanstalk "seeks to emulate the playful wit of the wondrous The Princess Bride but falls woefully short."[4] He went on to note that "Christopher Lloyd, Wallace Shawn and Chevy Chase are also involved, so you’d expect the film to be a lot funnier than it is, but Gary J Tunnicliffe’s flat direction doesn’t give anyone a chance to shine."[4]
Donna Rolfe of The Dove Foundation wrote, "This is a charming fairy tale with encouraging values and colorful characters who will entertain the entire family."[5]
The Netflix company DVD.com called it a "family-friendly comedy" and gave it 31/3 out of 5 stars.[6]
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