`JACK': THE INTERSECTION OF HOLLYWOOD AND VINES.Byline: David Kronke TV Critic ``Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story'' is a victim of its time slot - though aimed at families, what children will still be up when the film concludes at 11 p.m., either tonight or on Tuesday night? And what adults will be watching this kid flick alone until then? The miniseries is a mildly fanciful concoction that reinterprets the old fairy tale - if you think about it, Jack was a bit of a sociopath so·ci·o·path n. A person affected with an antisocial personality disorder. so  ci·o·path for stealing the golden-egg-laying goose from the otherwise innocent giant in the first place. This film (written by Brian Henson and James V. Hart James V. "Jim" Hart is a screenwriter and author.He has written the 2005 children's novel Capt. Hook: The Adventures of a Notorious Youth (ISBN 0-06-000220-4), a prequel depicting J. M. ) takes that premise and runs with it. We're introduced to Jack Robinson (Matthew Modine), a fabulously wealthy mogul whose latest project - a casino in England - is halted when a bizarre skeleton is discovered beneath the designated site. Turns out Jack's ancestor was the original Jack who traded a cow for some beans. But the story he told - the one we all know - was an utter sham. Modine gives his usually inexpressive in·ex·pres·sive adj. 1. Lacking expression; blank: an inexpressive stare. 2. Devoid of emotion or style; flat or dull: an inexpressive violin performance. performance, while Mia Sara, as the sprightly Ondine, spends most of the miniseries looking as though she's receiving radio waves from a distant realm (turns out she is, but still, that's no excuse). Jon Voight mangles Mangles is the name of several people and things: People Mangles is the name of a wealthy English family whose members had amongst other things, interests in the Swan River Colony. Prominent members and interests include:
Bizarro is a fictional character, a doppelgänger of DC Comics’ Superman. makeup job as one of the giant's judicial cohorts. ``Jack and the Beanstalk'' boasts some cool effects courtesy the Henson Creature Shop. But, as befitting a project co-written by Hart (who has mangled other legends such as Peter Pan (with ``Hook''), Dracula (with Francis Ford Coppola's hysterical interpretation) and ``Treasure Island'' (twice, once with Muppets), it's ultimately far less inspired than its source material. ``JACK AND THE BEANSTALK: THE REAL STORY'' What: Revisionist re·vi·sion·ism n. 1. Advocacy of the revision of an accepted, usually long-standing view, theory, or doctrine, especially a revision of historical events and movements. 2. version of the fairy tale. The stars: Matthew Modine, Mia Sara, Jon Voight, Vanessa Redgrave, Richard Attenborough, Daryl Hannah. Where: CBS (Cell Broadcast Service) See cell broadcast. (Channel 2) When: 9 tonight and Tuesday. Our rating: Two and one half stars CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Matthew Modine plays a descendant of the original Jack in CBS' fairy tale. |
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