उपयोगकर्ता समीक्षाएं

This Japanese animated film directed by Gisaburo Sugii was released originally in 1974, and although the animation has aged over the years it still manages to be genuinely sinister and rather unsettling for young children. Personally, my overly-active imagination ran riot with fear after watching this when i was little. I recently came across a VHS copy of it in a second hand shop and after watching it again, i realized that it still manages to give me shudders now. The plot is relatively the same as the original story, however at the top of the beanstalk Jack encounters an enchanted castle inhabited the Princess Margaret, who is betrothed to the giant, Prince Tulip the son of the most frightening witch since the wicked witch of the West, the evil sorceress Hecuba ( who has a penchant for eating children!)and who has placed Margaret under a powerful spell. Jack is aided by his pet dog Crosby and a gaggle of enchanted mice who were former courtiers of the castle,to break the spell placed upon the castle and Margaret, whilst still finding time to find the goose that lays the golden eggs, and talking harp and as well as other castle riches! There are a number of songs scattered throughout the film too, including Margarets ballad " Nobody's happier than i". It features some classic Japanese animation and some truly sinister set-pieces, the scene in the wedding chapel in which Hecuba makes guests out of paper gave me chills when i was little as did her original entrance. Its creepy and worth seeking out.

A young boy named Jack climbs a giant beanstalk and stumbles upon a city in the clouds ruled by an evil queen.

I have never really enjoyed anime. Some is alright, but even the hugely successful and popular films just do not really resonate with me. This one is different. The animation is certainly interesting, with only the princes really looking like what I expect from Japanese artists. So that helps, that multiple styles were used.

But this is also just so clever. Taking a classic tale, adding in music and lyrics, and a bit of a mystical twist. This is less about stealing fro ma giant than about saving a kingdom. Can "a simple farm boy" handle the task?

I believe this to be the oldest movie that the Nostalgia Critic ever reviewed, not counting films featured on his show. It's amazing how the DVD costs about 300 dollars and yet you can see it for free on YouTube! Anyway, this is pretty much the standard story of Jack And The Beanstalk. The biggest addition is this princess who is being forced to marry the giant. Honestly, all the characters here are pretty likeable. It seems clichéd at times but it actually does get pretty subversive at the end.

It's fascinating to see an anime film from 1974. It doesn't look like anime at all. In fact, it's more like an American animated movie! I admit it is pretty quirky but it actually does have nice looking animation and I learned to associate with the characters and the like. Yeah, they never do explain how the dog can talk in just that one scene. A pity there's so much controversy with Channel Awesome nowadays. ***

Me and my brother (see Footplex's entry) have loved this movie for years and will continue to do so.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* WATCH THE MOVIE BEFORE READING THIS REVIEW

The imagery is amazing: despite the fact I've seen this movie well over 30 times the final confrontation between Madam Hekuba (sic) and Jack, never fails to leave me in awe. Also the Preparation for the wedding with the paper guests (watch it to know what I'm talking about).

The music: The haunting sweetness of the song "no one's happier than I"* Stays with you for days on end. And also Madam Hekuba's "any sort of clock"*.

But when the 2 elements come together they work magic: The frightening "Are you happy?"* sung by the paper minister as the Bride and Groom contemplate their futures together. Crosby singing to the beanstalk. And "Miracles can happen"* when the plant raises to the sky is breath taking.

This film is wonderful, but the only down points I can see is when Jack has the songs i.e. the (far to silly) "Tulip."* And Jacks song "Simple Farmer Boy"* and "All of it is due to me."* It seemed as though his songs were thrown in to try and lighten the darkness of the film.

But because of the GREAT story the wonderful songs and..... interesting use of sound effects and dubbing I give this film a 100 out of 10 (i know it's not mathematically possible but this is MY review)

*I don't know what the official titles for these songs are so I took a guess.

This is simply the best movie I have ever seen. It captured me when I watched it as a 10 year old boy, and hasn't aged (or I haven't).

It puzzles me that this truly amazing film was very difficult to obtain (for a long time at least). Made by an obscure Japanese director never heard of again.

When I saw it the first time as a boy, I constantly thought that story was too good to be true - for my personal expectations of how good a story could be that is - and was anxious and convinced, that either the movie would end prematurely, the princess die, or some other let-down would take place at some point, because it was setting itself up just too high to carry through. But it did.

(If I had to nitpick, changing the mice back into their human form was less than ideally 'cast', but then these characters only were there for a few seconds, so can't expect it to be perfect I guess)

It's probably been about 5 years since I've seen any part of this movie, but as a kid I watched it so much it must be branded into my memory. Simple yet atmospheric animation (the Japanese are really good at making something dark and forboding, aren't they?) this movie defined my tastes for cinema as a child. After watching this at about 4 years old I had basically went for darker and more deeply symbolic movies (Yes, it's true, TV does warp kids minds, but give them something like this and they'll be better for it!) I can't say I haven't changed much and I wish I hadn't lost the copy I had of this movie, but if you can find it, more power to you! *****

I honestly don't know how to approach this take on the famed Jack and the Beanstalk narrative. While I admire director Gisaburo Sugii and Group TAC crafting a feature that was clearly meant to compete within the western animation feature market at the time, the overall execution is just plain weird. What starts off as the typical formula for a Jack and the Beanstalk fairy tale slowly turns into something of a surrealistic nightmare as our titular character encounters the brainwashed princess Margaret, mice in royal getup, Margaret's possessive captor Madame Hecuba and her gigantic son Prince Tulip. Admittedly, Hecuba's mere presence does keep the plot engaging enough just from her menacing presence, and Tulip is also quite humorous in his brutish manner.

Admittedly, Jack can range from appropriately bold at best to annoyingly stubborn at worst, although him trying to make a difference for him, his poor mother and his intelligent militaristic dog Crosby does keep him consistently likable throughout. He's clearly trying to do what's right for a change in spite of the crazy circumstances he ends up in, and for what it's worth, seeing this film explore somewhat of a conflict in Jack choosing gold over the safety of the princess is quite refreshing. In addition, without comparing the original Japanese dub, the English dub is alright enough and makes use of witty dialogue, soothing atmosphere and the surprisingly melancholic soundtrack. It's hard not to hum along to "No One's Happier Than I" whenever it's either performed or used as the movie's main musical motif, although a lot of the other songs don't really stick out too much and are easily forgotten after they're over.

Beyond all of that, the art direction recreates the look of a classical fairy tale, with strong color palettes, bold layouts and stylized looking characters. Given how surreal some of the sequences can get, be it thrilling or eerie, the classic western cartoon aesthetic this film is going for fits the setting perfectly, allowing for the film's world to look as appealing as its content is. It's saying how spot on the animation is when even the beanstalk feels like its own character. As lighthearted as this film is throughout much of its runtime, there is a surprising amount of heart shown through music and artistry, perhaps due to how empathetic a lot of the characters are, at least outside of Hecuba. In addition to Jack's arc, seeing what becomes of Tulip is quite harrowing upon realization, even if he's bad guy coded. He clearly doesn't like the prison his mother has built for him to reign over, making him feel more than just an ugly brute with no traits.

As I said, it's hard to come away fro, this bizarre feature and put two and two together seamlessly. That being said, I wholeheartedly recommend this 1974 adaptation of the acclaimed fairy tale, knowing full well that it'll be more surreal in content and artistry than most takes on the source material out there. It's more of a product of its time, and that's what makes it stand out fairly well nowadays.

it's strange when you find that you have the same story as so many other people. especially when something is so rare like this movie. but yes i must admit that i too got the chance to view an old recorded copy of this film when i was much younger, years and years ago. this was actually in a daycare i went to. and as i eventually left, so did my chance at viewing the movie. that is until like 10 years later when i searched and searched and managed to get my hands on an old rental copy. id never been happier.

this movie is insane. by insane i mean the presence it gives off when you watch it. the animation is brilliant and has a definite japanimation feel, yet is something unique. the characters and series of events are probably the most creative in any adaption of anything I've seen. and id forgotten how entrancing the music is until i finally watched it again after all those years. its strange when something actually sticks into your mind so firmly when you are so young. things usually just pass by and your attention isn't as focused. but there is just something about this movie really penetrates the mind. even when you're older. this movie honestly wipes the floor with Disney.

I was delighted beyond words when my brand-new "Jack and the Beanstalk" DVD arrived today; I was immediately struck by the splendid picture and clarity of sound. Marvelous! However, after watching for a while, I noticed (to my great dismay) that the audio track was not in sync with the visual element: e.g., the sound of an door slamming occurs a good second or two later than it should. NOTE: This defect exists only on the English audio track -- the sound on the Japanese audio track is in perfect sync.

In order to make sure that the error was indeed unique to the DVD edition, I compared it to my VHS copy and lo! -- the audio on the video cassette (English dubbed) is in perfect sync! I remain hopeful that I just received a bum copy, and am waiting for a replacement DVD from the website from which it was purchased. I'll be sure to report whether or not the new DVD suffers from the same problem.

Has anyone else experienced this trouble?

I grew up with this film, watching it every time I visited my Nan & Grandad, who had it on video. My sisters, cousins and I remember it with great fondness, although our parents thought it was 'creepy and weird'. It holds some original characters as well as the traditional Jack, the giant, the magic harp etc. The plot starts off as we all know it, with jack buying some magic beans of a stranger, planting them and the beanstalk growing over night. Jack climbs it to discover a land where a beautiful princess, her castle and all those who live there are kept under a spell by the giant and his evil mother (?). The mice are fun and loveable characters, probably my favourites. There is a feast of enjoyable songs, one of which ('No one's Happier Than I') I often find myself humming, even to this very day. Unfortunately my Nan sold the video at a car boot sale ten years ago and I haven't found a copy since. It's a very rare find if you do. Your kids will treasure it.

First saw this at the theater with a friend when I was like 12 yrs old or so, and for some reason it always stuck with me. The tune "No One's Happier than I" has also stuck with me all these years (over 25 years later), and I finally obtained a copy (a MINT copy!) for $25.00. Now I watch it with my kids, but beware -- there are many versions of "Jack & the Beanstalk" for sale. Just look down the list of the ones with the highest price tag....you can almost always be sure it's the Japanese (this) version.

This is without a doubt one of the best animated films I have seen to date. It is currently out of print and not available anywhere. I got my copy off Ebay and believe me I was lucky. This animated version of the fairy tale takes only cues from its origin(Jack, the Giant, and the beanstalk). The rest is a completely new story about Jack and his adventures in a kingdom in the clouds and he meets a beautiful princess under the control of a witch. Jack must find a way to save the princess and destroy the Giant and witch. The many songs in this movie are cheerful and fun to sing along to. If you get the chance to own this movie you won't

I watched this 1974 anime film on YouTube, and after watching it, I found this film and the Disney short "Mickey and the Beanstalk" are the best adaptations of the well-loved fairy tale of the magic beanstalk that reaches up to the sky. As I said, I may be 22 years old, but I still love fairy stories.

I love the song that played in the background when Jack, his dog Crosby, and the mice (that were really the castle servants turned into mice by Hecuba) escaped to the treasure trove. I think the mice are so cute and have traces of the mice from Disney's Cinderella, I think. I also love the musical sequence for the Princess's song "No One's Happier Than I." You know what I think? Do you think Princess Margaret and Princess Rosa from Puss in Boots would be great non-Disney princesses? Overall, I love this movie.

Grew up watching this cartoon from the age of around 4-5. I am now 27 years old and still love it as much as I did when I was younger.

I still have a copy of the tape my parents made for me with this cartoon on it. I am holding onto it as I want my kids to watch it as I did.

How creepy is the bearded fortune-teller? And I don't think I've seen a more terrifying cartoon witch! Tulip is both funny and scary and Crosby provides some great moments.

Quite simply, the greatest feature-length cartoon ever. The characters, the songs, the sinister/eerie moments, the sadness and happiness - it's all here.

I first saw this movie on HBO or Showtime when I was in 3rd grade. I remember seeing it about 20 times in that month. From there I didn't see it again till about 7th grade and caught only the end, then it vanished. It left such a strong impression on me that I never forgot it and looked for it ever since I worked at Suncoast back in 1991. I honestly remembered it being that good and never forgot the unique ending. I finally found it on eBay 2 months ago and got lucky to win the auction... after 21 years I finally got to see it again! Though the animation is outdated by today's standards the storyline is still great and I happily watched it with my 4 year old nephew. In this adaptation Jack has a dog named Crosby and the two climb the beanstalk and encounter a beautiful princess under the spell of a witch that forces her to love the giant, Tulip. Jack and Crosby save the city in the clouds and its citizens. I won't spoil the ending, but unlike most childrens' movies the hero does not "win" everything he wants... though the climax is still very touching and symbolic. If you find it available buy it! It's a VERY rare find.

It's funny how the film sticks with you. I've asked everybody I know if they remember it, but I always got blank stares, so much that I thought I'd imagined the film and the brilliant songs. How can I get a copy? If anyone has it, can it be put on the computer or downloaded?

This is a unique, original and delightful anime version of the wonderful story. It does follow the basic outline of the story, but puts its own spin on it. Speaking of the story, it is cheerful and moves along quickly, I am happy to say I wasn't bored once seeing this film and that was exactly what I wanted.

The animation is really excellent. The colours look lively, the backgrounds are audacious and characters move convincingly. The beanstalk was also fantastic to look at. In terms of set pieces, the final encounter between Jack and Madame Hecuba was a real knock out. The music are beautiful, haunting and cheerful, with singable melodies and lyrics that are sweet and fun in alternative to juvenile. In fact the only weak song is Tulip, it felt somewhat tacked-on, and it is the only song I don't remember from the film. No one's happier than I though is absolutely outstanding, a truly sweet and haunting song, and Miracles Can Happen is beautiful and uplifting. And the characters are wonderful as well, Jack is a likable hero, and Princess Margaret is lovely and has a personality. Madame Hecuba is a suitably sinister and imposing villainess, while Tulip is both scary and cute.

Overall, a delightful anime, well worth the watch. 9/10 Bethany Cox

This is one of my favorite movies. It has excellent original songs that I will never forget. I have watched the video a dozen times mostly for the music. This movie is OK for children, but more appropriate for teenagers and adults as it is rather scary and deals indirectly with topics such as child abuse (Jack is beaten by his mother), bestiality (a humanoid cloud maiden is enamored with a dog), and drugs (the witch gives the princess drugs to keep her in line).

This cartoon version of Jack and the Beanstalk creeped me out when I was younger. The music (Paper cut out people singing "Are You Happy?")was very eerie and insane for a kids cartoon. The guy who sells the beans...he was a couple sandwiches short of a picnic. The Witch and Tulip were about as psychotic a pair ever drawn. I especially love the part where he crushes her under his foot and she's made of clockwork...weird! As for the animation, it's very good and the story surrounding the original concept of JATB is pretty creative. They just don't make 'em like this anymore. I'll let my kids watch this before I subject them to the crap Disney's been churning out for the past decade or so.

This movie used to air a lot on HBO in the mid-80's so many will remember this Japanese animated slightly tweaked version of the traditional Jack and the Beanstalk story. Out of print for years, fortunately it was finally put out on DVD in 2005 so that people could relive their childhoods. I got it expecting it to not hold up to my memory of it like many of the other cartoon movies that I've gone back and seen again, but surprisingly enough it's just about the same as I remember - a lot of fun. The dubbing is surprisingly good, the music still rocks with many infectious tunes (to this day I still get "No One is Luckier Than I," "I'm Just a Farmer Boy" and the song that the dog sings to the moon stuck in my head on occasion). My kids even liked it a lot despite its age. Definitely one worth watching, if you can!

This is a beautiful, multilayered film that's drawn simply enough to appeal to a 4-year-old and originally enough to appeal to a parent who's seen everything.

The characters are close enough to fairy tale archetypes to appeal to that 4-year-old but, again, original enough to appeal to a parent who's seen everything.

The mom is definitely a sister of all of the Disney drag queen meanies, and her goon is a brother to all of the Disney assistant drag queen meanie goons, but their relationship is really, really unique. You have not seen that relationship before.

The music is stunning, haunting music that seems to have been composed by the sorts of people who could have worked on Rocky Horror Motion Picture Show, or maybe Hair. It's truly moving music. When I'm supposed to be creeped out, I'm really creeped out. When I'm supposed to be happy, I'm happy. I want to find the people who made this movie and shower them with candy.

The DVD version that I'm looking at cost me just a $1, but someone I know who sometimes makes DVDs in connection with his job says the quality of the DVD is fine.

Anyhow: If someone at Henstooth DVDs who was involved with making this DVDs reads this: I love you. Whatever else you do right or wrong in terms of film-making and DVD distribution, you can spend the rest of your lives feeling a warm glow about the fact that you did this one.