Jack the Giant Slayer – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

Jack the Giant Slayer

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

movie2013

48%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

A forgettable fairy-tale-turned-CGI-slog where giants eat people and nobody cares about the characters.

6.3/10

52%

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Jack the Giant Slayer

movie

PG-13, 2013

48%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

A forgettable fairy-tale-turned-CGI-slog where giants eat people and nobody cares about the characters.

6.3

52%

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6.3/10

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Screenwise Verdict

Here's the truth: Jack the Giant Slayer is the kind of movie studios greenlight when they think 'fairy tale + CGI = money' without bothering to make it good. It's not offensively bad, but it's aggressively mediocre.

The giant effects are fine, Nicholas Hoult tries his best, but the script is paint-by-numbers and the pacing drags. Kids who love fantasy might sit through it once, but they won't ask to watch it again. The violence is significant enough that you can't throw it on for younger kids, but it's too dull to engage older ones.

With a 52% critic score and 2.5/5 on Letterboxd, the consensus is clear: this is a forgettable cash-grab that came and went. In a world where you have access to How to Train Your Dragon, The Princess Bride, or even the Narnia films, there's zero reason to prioritize this one. It's the movie equivalent of empty calories—watchable but wholly unsatisfying.

Age Fit

Common Sense Media's 11+ rating is spot-on—the giant violence and scary moments make this too intense for younger kids, while tweens and teens will likely find it boring and dated. Best for 10-13 year olds who haven't discovered better fantasy films yet.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

Classic good-vs-evil fantasy adventure with themes of bravery and heroism. Jack shows courage and selflessness, though the tone is fairly generic and the emotional depth is limited. Pacing is uneven with some slow stretches. Models cooperation between Jack and the kingdom's forces, but character development is thin.

Imaginative

Takes the Jack and the Beanstalk fairy tale and expands it into a full fantasy world with giants, kingdoms, and medieval adventure. The visual effects and giant designs show some creativity, but the execution feels derivative of better fantasy films. Doesn't invite much creative thinking or exploration—it's a passive viewing experience with predictable plot beats.

Safe

PG-13 territory with considerable fantasy violence including giants eating humans (implied and shown), battle sequences, and some genuinely scary moments. Common Sense Media rates it 11+, which tracks. No sexual content or language concerns, but the giant violence and peril scenes are intense enough that younger or sensitive kids might find it frightening. Not a 'surprise scary' situation—you know what you're getting with a giant movie—but it's definitely on the rougher end for family viewing.

Enriching

Limited enrichment value. Standard hero's journey with predictable lessons about courage and believing in yourself. No real depth to the storytelling, minimal character growth, and forgettable dialogue. The historical/medieval setting is window dressing rather than educational. It's entertainment without much substance—kids won't take away meaningful insights or skills. The mediocre critical reception (52% RT critics, 51 Metacritic) reflects its shallow approach.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

If your kid is into fantasy adventures with knights, castles, and magic beans, this hits those basic notes
The giant visual effects are decent enough for a rainy afternoon when you've exhausted better options
Classic underdog hero story might resonate with kids who like straightforward good-vs-evil tales
No inappropriate language or sexual content to worry about

⚠

What to Watch For

Giants eating humans—it's played for medieval fantasy but still disturbing, especially the crunching sounds
Battle violence and peril throughout; kids under 10 will likely find it too intense
It's genuinely boring in stretches; even kids who should be the target audience zone out
The 2.5/5 Letterboxd rating tells you everything—this is a 'meh' movie that nobody remembers fondly

Conversation Starters

"What would you do if you accidentally opened a gateway to another world?"
"Why do you think fairy tales like Jack and the Beanstalk have been told for hundreds of years?"
"Do you think the giants were just defending their home, or were they the bad guys?"

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