Jack et le Haricot magique

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.

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 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! *****

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?