ridiculous rating

Clever, believable, and super fun to watch. It totally has replay value.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

First, the Goodtimes DVD release of this film is the one to get for people who have never seen this film before or have seen poor quality transfers of it. Very excellent quality and I am someone who had never seen this movie before--but it's hard for me to imagine there being a better print out there. So a big thumbs up to Goodtimes video for that.As for the film itself, I'm usually not one for cute and whimsical vehicles turned out by my favorite comedians. "Snow White and the Three Stooges" for instance is a prime example of cute and whimsy gone all wrong--but fortunately, this film doesn't reach that low level.While it's not prime A & C, "Jack and the Beanstalk" managed to hold my attention and I didn't find myself staring at my wristwatch waiting for the film to end. And the performances by all the actors involved were good enough--although by the closing minutes of the film I was left to wonder what happened to the Giant's housekeeper that Costello becomes infatuated with. One minute we see her leaving the Giant's castle with the cow, then she's never seen again--kind of odd. Overall, while I prefer my A & C a little more edgier & not geared towards kids so much, "Jack and the Beanstalk" is not a film that embarrasses the duo--a pleasant little vehicle that should delight the kids and maybe entertain the adults as well. 6 stars

C'mon, lighten up. This was for the kids in the matinée.Even when he acts in character Bud is the consummate straight man.Lou looks like he enjoys himself. He sings quite well. He and Buddy Baer (not quite a giant but close enough to count) do their own stunts.The musical score is excellent, with lyrics at times both thoughtful and hilarious.Mel Blanc and Arthur Shields lend their voices. Dorothy Ford lends her unique perspective.Of course it looks like a cartoon. It was supposed to.You can't get the genius of "Who's On First?" in every clip of a very long-running vaudeville act.For the very young at heart.

I had watched this previously (at secondary school, of all places!) and recall not liking it all that much. However, I was more amenable to it this time around – perhaps because it came hot on the heels of a similar film pitting a comedy act in a fairy-tale setting, i.e. the self-explanatory SNOW WHITE AND THE THREE STOOGES (1961); here, of course, it's Abbott & Costello we're talking about.The film utilizes the sepia-into-color transition popularized by THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939) between its modern-day bookends and the period-set main narrative; less welcome are the entirely resistible love interest and musical numbers, seemingly compulsory ingredients of this type of family-oriented fare but which now date them most of all! As usually happens, too, most of the characters who appear in the fairy-tale also turn up in 'real life' – including, in this case, the Giant (played by Buddy Bear from the afore-mentioned SNOW WHITE AND THE THREE STOOGES) who also fills in for a burly cop whom the pint-sized Lou Costello aggravates! The stars are amiable as always and manage to adapt their standard characterizations to the requirements of the familiar formula. Incidentally, this proved to be the boys' fourth of five films with director Yarborough – and one of only two A&C vehicles to be made in color (the other being the similarly adventurous ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET CAPTAIN KIDD [1952]). Atypically for them, this was not a Universal production – but rather an independent one distributed through Warner Bros., which explains its public domain status! Finally, I really ought to spring for those four "Abbott & Costello" DVD collections from Universal one of these days – plus I still have a handful of filmed fairy tales/children's classics to go through during this Christmas period...

Abbott and Costello's talents shine in the happily childish version of "Jack and the Beanstalk". The use of sepia tone and colour, the music and choreography, song and dance, the crossing over of players from one role to another, plus various other aspects of this very fine movie make it obvious that techniques and styles used for "The Wizard of Oz" are being toyed with here. And that works right well for our intrepid duo. There are certain other things involved that make this movie a treat for me ... Buddy Baer's, Max Baer Jr. of "The Beverly Hillbillies" uncle, appearance as the cop and the giant. Pat Costello, Lou's brother, having been involved in the writing of the script. These things help make this film fun. It does, however, have it's down side. I do think that the choreography is poorly done. But the cute tunes and accompanying vocals help detract from the rather sloppy dance numbers. Some of the players, the couple in love ( prince and princess ) to be precise, aren't very good at their trade. But these things are a small price to pay for an otherwise throughly enjoyable walk down the yellow brick ... er, I mean ... climb up the beanstalk.