Best movie ever!

It's not great by any means, but it's a pretty good movie that didn't leave me filled with regret for investing time in it.

I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

.Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

OMG did I wait for the movie to end. The tempo of the movie is very slow and events unroll boringly. This may very well have been a magical TV movie but for a movie to watch in one sitting there is no action or drama to keep you awake. You just sit there hoping that there was a climax on the way and it never comes.Of course this was a family movie, too, so I know I shouldn't have expected black humor or scary thrills.In many places the script isn't transparent... you kind of start to think of the writers' motives on including a twist in the plot which isn't good. It just wipes away the movie magic.The actors could've tried harder as well. I know they were making a movie about a fairy tale but this was supposed to be the "real story" so a bit less overacting would've been good. Many of the characters seemed unnecessary, like the pantheon in the trial.I liked the cheating and conniving ancestor, though. He was a nice touch, worth 1 point, 1 point comes for a good idea and 1 for the investment in fantasy.

this mini series was a complete winner from start to finish! a wonderful, imaginative retelling of the old fairy tale, that does a great job of imagining an alternate beginning and then adding a great storyline to help finish it out. the special effects were wonderful, including the creatures from the henson studio workroom. an excellent visualization of the world atop the beanstalk, and the rulers of their world. it was tied in very well with the modern world, and Matthew Modine made for a very likable Jack, who tries to make things right again. Mia Sara as Ondine once again shows that she is best used in a longer premise where she has room to flesh out her character. her acting has definitely improved since Timecop, and she is as beautiful as ever, if not more so!

I watched this movie all in one go and I must say I didn't move from my chair. Modine and Mia Sara's performances are excellent as are the rest. Sara plays the girl from another world who comes to Modine to help him find the truth and help her bring welfare back to her people. Modine slowly will discover where the riches of his ancestors came from. Then he will try to right the wrongs and end the curse to his family. The family moves between two worlds. Our world and a fantastic one. The scenery and the landscapes are wonderful and there is also some mistery and twists till the end. The movie addresses the greed of people and how they would go all the way just to satisfy themselves ignoring the needs of others. I highly recommend it.

Corporate head Jack Robinson is about to discover that fairytales are very real in this revisionist take on `Jack and the Beanstalk'.The film starts off well, with Jack (Matthew Modine) discovering that life isn't as straightforward as he thought. A nice atmosphere is created as a mysterious woman, Ondine (Mia Sara looking very cute), appears dropping dire hints as to his family's secret. Eventually Jack discovers the truth behind his wealth, and finds out that it is up to him to put things right.The `real world' segments of this movie tend to work best, as Jack struggles to come to terms with his discovery that fairy tales are true, with the `fantasy land' segments - mainly due to some variable effects - actually detracting from the sense of wonder. While most of the performances are fine (though Modine occasionally seems to be playing Scott Bakula), the guy playing the original Jack is fairly dire.What really makes the story work is the idea that fairy tales are history dressed up to be palatable to us (and of course not necessarily reliably related history), and the way that we might exploit magic if it were available to us.Well worth a watch for fantasy/fairy tale fans, or if you liked the superior `The 10th Kingdom'.