This movie? It’s nothing. I routinely take down something bigger than this before my morning meal; it's the perfect way to start the day. The setting is Cornwall, England, a fairytale land where the Black Prince Pendragon (played by Torin Thatcher) intends to kidnap Princess Elaine (Judith Meredith) to seize control of the region. His initial scheme fails when a local farmer’s son, Jack (Kerwin Matthews), kills the giant sent by Pendragon to capture the princess. But Pendragon is persistent and a conflict between good and evil begins. There's quite an interesting history behind this United Artists film. It's loosely adapted from the traditional story "Jack the Giant Killer" and incorporates stop motion animation. Just mentioning that automatically brings up the name Ray Harryhausen. In 1958, director Nathan Juran made *The 7th Voyage of Sinbad*, also starring Matthews and Thatcher as opposing forces. That film was a big hit for Columbia, and Harryhausen had offered it to UA producer Edward Small, who turned it down—a decision he later regretted. So, four years later, Small reassembled the same team for what's essentially a retelling of *Sinbad’s* story, hoping to repeat that success. However, Harryhausen declined, likely understandably so; his creatures were then created for "Jack" by Project Unlimited under the supervision of Jim Danforth, who had previously worked with Harryhausen. Other effects, filmed in “Fantascope,” are the work of Howard A. Anderson and Augie Lohman. Columbia Pictures sued Small due to plot similarities, which delayed the film's release in the UK for several years (it wasn’t prohibited as some believe). Upon its eventual release, critics dismissed it, and many parents were upset that the movie was too violent and frightening for children. Small took this personally and, aiming to salvage something from the project, had it redubbed and transformed into a musical—the result of which is simply awful. Fortunately, the film was eventually restored to its original form on DVD and discovered by a new generation of fantasy adventure fans who appreciate the now-rare art of stop motion animation. Kerwin Matthews passed away in 2007; he was a handsome swashbuckling actor, and *Jack the Giant Killer* marked his final appearance in the fantasy adventure genre. It’s nice to know that he lived long enough to see this little gem finally find an audience. The film delivers exactly what you'd expect from the genre. The creatures are effective, even though their movements appear somewhat stiff—though this is balanced by a wonderful scene where electrically charged witch demons attack Jack’s ship. There's a heroic protagonist, a beautiful princess, a nasty and sinister villain, and even a little imp of the lamp (Don Beddoe) for some rhyming antics. From its charming storybook opening to the final confrontation between hero and villain, *Jack the Giant Killer* is an enjoyable and imaginative fantasy. 7/10

Source on TMDB