Review of film: "GULLIVER'S TRAVELS" (with Jack Black playing the lead role )

Review of film:  “GULLIVER’S TRAVELS” in 3-D

In 1726, English – Irish writer Jonathan Swift wrote a satirical story called “GULLIVER’S TRAVELS”…  It’s not the kind of tale you’d ordinarily associate with comic actor JACK BLACK, but he has taken on the story as his latest project:

…  In this version, Lemuel Gulliver (BLACK) is not a surgeon, but rather in charge of a MAILROOM in an office.  He’s mild-mannered & un-assertive relationship-wise, & is afraid to ask Travel Editor Darcy Silverman (AMANDA PEET) out on a date as he’d secretly like to do…

…  Since he pretends to be a writer on travel subjects, she sends him to the Bermuda Triangle to do a story.  Horrible weather intervenes, & he’s washed ashore & taken prisoner in LILLIPUTIA, where the inhabitants are appropriately very tiny.  He rebels against General Edwards (CHRIS O’DOWD), but is shackled in a jail…

…  There, he meets fellow captive Horatio (JASON SEGAL), who (being Lilliputian) has a large crush (for a small person) on the Kingdom’s Princess Mary (EMILY BLUNT), who’s being courted by Chris…  As in the original story, Gulliver uses his big size (& technical knowledge) to help win a battle with the country’s aggressive neighbors from Blefuscu (also populated by diminutive people)…

…  The Lilliputian King Theodore (BILLY CONNOLLY) rewards Jack by building him very comfortable Black-size accommodations, & he starts to live the easy life (assisted by Jason, who he tries to encourage in his own pursuits re Emily)…

…  Chris gets jealous, starts to help the “bad guys”, & (in a modern touch) becomes a “SUPER-HERO” type character (based on some things Jack touted)…  That invasion gets Billy & his family put in jail by Blefuscun King Leopold (EMMANUEL QUATRA)…

…  Jack is eventually exiled to a land where the people are GIANTS compared to his size (ala Brobdingnag), & Jack is turned into a “plaything” for one of the inhabitants (“typically” ending up in a DRESS & the like)… 

…  When Amanda suddenly arrives (on a quest to “track-down” errant Jack), when Black learns of that, he starts to build up courage to resist the invaders & returns to Lilliput…

…  Will Jack succeed in his efforts to once again act “LARGE” in the world of the Small?...  Will he save his lady love?...  Will Jason thrive in his goals?...  Since Black is Black after all, will he try to turn the area into a tiny Kingdom of “ROCK” to bring “peace” to the area?…

…  Usually, I work to strongly avoid telling “TOO MUCH” about a movie, wanting people to be “surprised” by what they see overall…  But, I’m going to be atypical & (-- SPOILER alert!: -- ) tell you that the movie does NOT deal with Jack being in Laputa, Balnibarbi, Luggnagg, Glubbdubdrib, or the Country of the Houyhnhnms (with its distorted creatures called "YAHOOS")…  I hope that doesn’t “ruin” things for any of you!...

 

...  A reviewer friend of mine said he felt this film was one of the WORST he’s seen this year.  I don’t agree:  for a Jack Black film, it’s comparatively “RESTRAINED”, & actually follows some main elements of the ORIGINAL Swift story…

…  Please understand:  it’s NOT very funny overall, in that you’ll likely have --  at best -- only a handful of even “chuckles” in it.  In its own way, it’s kind of a “SERIOUS” effort by (Executive Producer) Black & his other main actors, with a “light” tone thrown in… 

…  While nothing exceptional, it’s a diverting little “Family” type film, not “raunchy” as a bunch of other movies (especially by Black), & thus I’m rating it as a 6.5 out of 10 stars…