Gullivers Travels (20th Century Fox)
Jack Black Looms Large
Jack Black is the reason to see Gullivers Travels; or, if you are not a Jack Black fan, the reason not to see Gullivers Travels. Black is the star of the show and looms large over the Lilliputians and the movie in total. Kids of all ages will get a kick out of the story but for adults it will be a matter of Black taste.
The film starts with Lemuel Gulliver (Black) working in the mail room at a newspaper. He secretly has a crush on the Travel Editor named Darcy (Amanda Peet) and dreams of asking her out on a date. One night at the office he almost asks her but makes up a story about being an aspiring writer instead.
Gulliver plagiarizes a travel article and submits it to Darcy who is impressed with his skills. She assigns him to write a story about the Bermuda Triangle and sends him there. At sea he gets caught up in a storm and ends up in the land of the Lilliputians. The rest of the film deals with him becoming their hero and saving their land.
Black is at his irrepressible best as Gulliver. He is warm, witty, clever and cute. He has the physical moves to make Gulliver a gentle giant, while still being a strong protector. He gets able assistance from Jason Segel as the love struck Horatio and Emily Blunt as the pouty Princess Mary.
Billy Connolly and Catherine Tate get too little screen time as King Theodore and Queen Isabelle but are entertaining in the few scenes they have. Peet manages to be a credible love interest for Gulliver but is only seen at the start and end of the movie.
Most outstanding among the supporting cast is Chris ODowd as General Edward. ODowd is the villain of the piece and is funny, funny in the role. His comic timing is perfect and he is a good foil for Black.
The film is rated PG for mild profanity and crude humor.
The special effects are not as good as those seen in other recent movies but they are adequate to get the point across concerning Gullivers size. The music in the background of the movie is stimulating, while the last big dance number to War is a crowd pleaser.
This is not the best movie Jack Black has made but it is a solidly entertaining one for Black fans. Others may not be as charmed but generally all kids will like the story of the little people and the giant.
I scored Gullivers Travels a monstrous 6 out of 10.
