← Back to Reviews
in
I Kill Giants -
This is an international co-production from 2017 that undeservedly fell under the radar. Cut from the same cloth as The Neverending Story, the hero, like Bastian, is a student (Barbara, played by The Conjuring 2's Madison Wolfe) who also escapes into her fantasies to cope with the horrors of adolescence. Oh, and if her rabbit ears are of any indication, she's not ashamed of doing so. Barbara is on a quest to protect her beautiful coastal New Jersey town from giants, for which she's set bait and traps in practically every corner. Unlike Bastian, however, it's not clear what her horrors are, with the movie being a tense and heart-wrenching journey to discover them. Assisting Barbara whether she wants her to or not are Sophia, a new student who recently arrived from England and Mrs. Molle (Zoe Saldana), her school's guidance counselor. Definitely not assisting Barbara is Taylor (Rory Jackson), the tin-grinned leader of her school's mean girl brigade.
Based on what I can tell from the movie's page on IMDB, it didn't get a theatrical release in North America, which is a shame because it demands to be seen on the largest screen possible. The cinematography is the star here, which not only accentuates the splendor of the Irish beaches and Belgian forests that stand in for New Jersey, but also give scale to the giants. Speaking of, I love their look and feel, which is obviously CGI, but appropriate given that you're supposed to question if they're real or just a product of Barbara's imagination, not to mention complement how they look in the source graphic novel. Madison Wolfe reveals she has star potential based on how convinced she is that giants exist, but I was most impressed with Saldana's subtle and heartfelt work, especially since I've really only seen her in action movies. As for what motivates Barbara, I don't want to say a whole lot for fear of spoiling it, but it left me guessing until the best possible moment, i.e., when empathetic audience surrogate Sophia discovers what's really happening. Thankfully, it's a moment that lets us think and feel because shortly afterwards, all hell breaks loose. I also give the movie credit that Barbara doesn't completely forget about her quest once the worst and most difficult part of it is over.
To bring up The Neverending Story again, this movie doesn't have nearly as many lighthearted moments. In fact, I can't recall if anyone smiles in it. You wouldn't think it would be possible given the subject matter, but Wolfgang Petersen and company still managed, and given the art style of the graphic novel, there could have been more. Also, I don't know what other kind of antagonist this story could have - and not to take away from Jackson's strong performances - but I'm a little tired of bullies, especially since this movie doesn't really do anything with their tropes I haven't already seen. For the ways it explores the value of fantasy in our lives and the most sensitive and thoughtful of us, though, it's very much worth checking out. Again, if you decide to, I recommend spending the extra money to see it in HD because hopefully, some of that money will go to the cinematographer and the specials effects team.
My rating: 3 bunny ear tuques out of 5
My guy (or gal): Mrs. Molle. She's a guidance counselor who gets results.
I Kill Giants -
This is an international co-production from 2017 that undeservedly fell under the radar. Cut from the same cloth as The Neverending Story, the hero, like Bastian, is a student (Barbara, played by The Conjuring 2's Madison Wolfe) who also escapes into her fantasies to cope with the horrors of adolescence. Oh, and if her rabbit ears are of any indication, she's not ashamed of doing so. Barbara is on a quest to protect her beautiful coastal New Jersey town from giants, for which she's set bait and traps in practically every corner. Unlike Bastian, however, it's not clear what her horrors are, with the movie being a tense and heart-wrenching journey to discover them. Assisting Barbara whether she wants her to or not are Sophia, a new student who recently arrived from England and Mrs. Molle (Zoe Saldana), her school's guidance counselor. Definitely not assisting Barbara is Taylor (Rory Jackson), the tin-grinned leader of her school's mean girl brigade.
Based on what I can tell from the movie's page on IMDB, it didn't get a theatrical release in North America, which is a shame because it demands to be seen on the largest screen possible. The cinematography is the star here, which not only accentuates the splendor of the Irish beaches and Belgian forests that stand in for New Jersey, but also give scale to the giants. Speaking of, I love their look and feel, which is obviously CGI, but appropriate given that you're supposed to question if they're real or just a product of Barbara's imagination, not to mention complement how they look in the source graphic novel. Madison Wolfe reveals she has star potential based on how convinced she is that giants exist, but I was most impressed with Saldana's subtle and heartfelt work, especially since I've really only seen her in action movies. As for what motivates Barbara, I don't want to say a whole lot for fear of spoiling it, but it left me guessing until the best possible moment, i.e., when empathetic audience surrogate Sophia discovers what's really happening. Thankfully, it's a moment that lets us think and feel because shortly afterwards, all hell breaks loose. I also give the movie credit that Barbara doesn't completely forget about her quest once the worst and most difficult part of it is over.
To bring up The Neverending Story again, this movie doesn't have nearly as many lighthearted moments. In fact, I can't recall if anyone smiles in it. You wouldn't think it would be possible given the subject matter, but Wolfgang Petersen and company still managed, and given the art style of the graphic novel, there could have been more. Also, I don't know what other kind of antagonist this story could have - and not to take away from Jackson's strong performances - but I'm a little tired of bullies, especially since this movie doesn't really do anything with their tropes I haven't already seen. For the ways it explores the value of fantasy in our lives and the most sensitive and thoughtful of us, though, it's very much worth checking out. Again, if you decide to, I recommend spending the extra money to see it in HD because hopefully, some of that money will go to the cinematographer and the specials effects team.
My rating: 3 bunny ear tuques out of 5
My guy (or gal): Mrs. Molle. She's a guidance counselor who gets results.