The traditional fairy tale has been folded and spindled by Hollywood so often that it can be hard to remember what made the stories so beloved in the first place. (When writing the originals back in the 19th century, the Brothers Grimm tended to shy away from American Idol jokes.) Thankfully, the megabudgetedJack the Giant Slayerchooses to find its wit and humor within the myth, rather than awkwardly shoehorning in pop culture references. While some of the action may be a bit too splattery for younger kids, the majority of viewers should find it as difficult to resist as… well, a good bedtime story. Director Bryan Singer (X-Men,The Usual Suspects) and his writers keep the basic beats of the tale intact: farm boy Jack (Nicholas Hoult) gets magic seeds, climbs resulting beanstalk (a truly special effect that looks exactly like you'd think it should), rescues princess (Eleanor Tomlinson) from angry big dudes. Meanwhile, the additions that are made to flesh out the narrative--most notably Ewan McGregor as a cocky Han Soloish knight--enhance rather than detract from the overall dreamy pull. As for the giants, they're a winningly gross bunch, with exaggerated characteristics that recall both ancient woodcuts andMadmagazine. (Props to Bill Nighy and John Kassir, whose vocal talents combine to make a fantastically weird head bad guy.) Singer and company can't entirely escape the modern blockbuster bloat, andJack's final act does admittedly teeter on the verge of too-muchness, with a battle sequence that calls down the ear-punishing thunder and threatens to dissolve into a CGI blur. The story's basic charm ultimately wins out, however, thanks to the filmmakers always keeping in mind the value of a good tale well told. Squareness can be a virtue, sometimes.--Andrew Wright