s corporate mogul Jack Robinson (Modine) takes steps to turn his ancestral castle into a casino, his construction crew unearths a pile of monstrous bones at a dig site just below the castle. But they're not dinosaur bones. When experts assemble the 400-year-old bones, they form the skeleton of a giant man. The most unnerving discovery is the skull, cleaved vertically in half, straight down the nose. This giant was murdered.
Jack is too busy running his corporation to care. In fact, Jack cares very little about anything other than making money. Nearly 40, he's single, has no hobbies, no fun, and considers women to be a complication for which he has no time. Jack has an even larger problem: For the past 400 years, no man in the Robinson family has lived past the age of 40. Despite the fact he keeps himself in top physical shape, Jack can't help but wonder if his time is running out.
He meets Ondine (Sara), a mysterious and beautiful woman posing as a journalist. Ondine calls him the "last" Jack, claims his construction crew has disturbed a grave and questions both the wealth and the secret sins of the Robinson family. Jack not only learns that Ondine is no journalist, but soon receives a fax of a picture of the giant bones above the scrawled words "thief and murderer."
Jack's great-aunt Wilhemena (Redgrave) warns that the opening of the grave has conjured up great forces that are now at play. She says a fairy tale is born when history is rewritten and when things seem impossible to believe. After recounting the story of his ancestor—the first Jack, who climbed a giant beanstalk—Aunt Wilhemena reveals that a curse was placed on the Robinson family 400 years ago and only the "right" Jack can end it. As Jack reels under the weight of this impossible-to-believe information, his adventures are only just beginning.
A particularly relevant reimagining
In 1995, Gulliver's Travels made television history. It proved a fantasy miniseries that took advantage of technological advances in special effects could wow home audiences. About 10 fantasy miniseries followed in its footsteps, ranging from stories based on classics, like Arabian Nights, to those based on more recent works, such as The Mists of Avalon. With Jack and the Beanstalk, the Jim Henson Company has applied its magic touch to one of the most popular fairy tales of all time.
The special effects are reminiscent of Gulliver's Travels, where humans blend
seamlessly in a world of giants. Viewers are also treated to the magical
sprouting of the beanstalk, a realistic talking goose and an exquisite gold
harp that plays itself.
Developing one fairy tale into a miniseries must be a phenomenal task. It's necessary to add a lot to the story, which is difficult, because fairy tales tell very specific stories in very efficient ways.
Jack and the Beanstalk works for many reasons and on many levels. At one point in the miniseries, the original fairy tale is told from the original Jack's point of view. Later, a different version of the same story unfolds. The heart of Jack and the Beanstalk is its exploration of the other side of the story. What if the original Jack was lying? What if he wasn't a hero, but someone who made bad choices? What if the repercussions of those bad choices lasted for centuries?
There are some minor flaws. The logic of the fantasy world doesn't always seem consistent. There are a few moments when the drama leans more toward melodrama. And it's not quite clear why characters fall in love with each other.
On the whole, this miniseries is extremely interesting and has a lot to say. It presents layers of themes, which work well together and complement the original fairy tale. Like many people these days, Jack questions his life and his values. As he steps into the unknown, he shows the courage to face family secrets and rise above them.
