Jack Black is an acquired taste -- like circus peanuts or fish jerky. As a funny man, he has his own set of signature quirks, from roly-poly rock star bravado to sheepish fat guy pathos. More than any other actor working in comedy today, properties must be tailored to his particular set of strengths. Otherwise, he can come across as forced and uncomfortable. So the last thing one expects from a Black-inspired modern adaptation of Jonathan Swift's satiric Gulliver's Travels is reverence to the beloved literary source. There's just no way that old world humor and contemporary irony mix. Thankfully, director Rob Letterman (Monsters vs. Aliens) treats the update like a overblown cartoon. The results are a likable, if ultimately limited bit of family film fun.
Lemuel Gulliver (Black) works in the mailroom of a high profile NYC publication. Desperate to date a fetching editor named Darcy (Amanda Peet), he lacks the confidence to ask her out. One day, when given the chance to write an item for the paper, he plagiarizes a series of travel articles. As luck would have it, there's an assignment in the Bermuda Triangle, and Gulliver soon finds himself in the middle of a major Atlantic storm. A freak whirlpool leads to a shipwreck, and the discovery of an island known as Lilliput. It's a magical kingdom whose inhabitants, including a wise ruler (Billy Connolly), the lovely Princess Mary (Emily Blunt), and her betrothed, Edward (Chris O'Dowd) are all six inches high. At first, Gulliver is seen as a giant beast. But when he helps defeat the marauding legions from the enemy nation of Blefuscu, he becomes a hero. He also helps a lowly commoner (Jason Segel) court the king's daughter. Naturally, this causes chaos in the land.
Like a serving of sugary state fair cotton candy, Black's joke-filled take on this early classic is tasty going down, but offers no real lingering entertainment food value. It's a piffle, a pile of smiles built on the boisterous personality of its amiable lead and little else. While it name checks the famed Swift work, this version definitely won't win over the college professor community. There is very little of the original Gulliver present, just names and the occasional reference. The rest is pure Hollywood comedy circa 2010, a combination of punchlines and character manipulation made to manufacture a sense of well being (and a few million bucks at the box office).
Frankly, we've seen this kind of story before: Fat dork has dreams and aspirations that his stunted persona can't realize. He lies his way into a surreal situation and uses even more fibs to find a way through. Toward the end, when things are good and it looks like he will win, a slapstick villain shows up and undermines his courage. Of course, the lovely young lady whom he worships from afar somehow manages to intermingle with his space, offering confirmation of her feelings and a necessary dose of dignity. Formerly hampered hero saves the day, unlikely couple make a commitment, and the cautions commanded by this otherwise illogical narrative fill the viewer with a much needed sense of cinematic closure. Cue the current indie pop hit over the credits.
It's a good thing that Black is our bozo. There is just something so engaging about his self-effacing ways that we forgive even the weakest movie moments. Granted, he's not everyone's cup of comedy, but here, in PG-oriented territory, he's more Kung Fu Panda than Tropic Thunder. The rest of the cast is also very good, including nice turns by Peet, Segel, and a wickedly aware Blunt. While the last act arrival of a totally unnecessary robot/transformer (?) pushes the boundaries of believability, it's not an impossible sell. After all, we are dealing with an entire population less than half a foot tall. As kid vid efforts go, Gulliver is no classic. Thankfully, it's not a complete disaster either -- thanks to Black.
Lemuel Gulliver (Black) works in the mailroom of a high profile NYC publication. Desperate to date a fetching editor named Darcy (Amanda Peet), he lacks the confidence to ask her out. One day, when given the chance to write an item for the paper, he plagiarizes a series of travel articles. As luck would have it, there's an assignment in the Bermuda Triangle, and Gulliver soon finds himself in the middle of a major Atlantic storm. A freak whirlpool leads to a shipwreck, and the discovery of an island known as Lilliput. It's a magical kingdom whose inhabitants, including a wise ruler (Billy Connolly), the lovely Princess Mary (Emily Blunt), and her betrothed, Edward (Chris O'Dowd) are all six inches high. At first, Gulliver is seen as a giant beast. But when he helps defeat the marauding legions from the enemy nation of Blefuscu, he becomes a hero. He also helps a lowly commoner (Jason Segel) court the king's daughter. Naturally, this causes chaos in the land.
Like a serving of sugary state fair cotton candy, Black's joke-filled take on this early classic is tasty going down, but offers no real lingering entertainment food value. It's a piffle, a pile of smiles built on the boisterous personality of its amiable lead and little else. While it name checks the famed Swift work, this version definitely won't win over the college professor community. There is very little of the original Gulliver present, just names and the occasional reference. The rest is pure Hollywood comedy circa 2010, a combination of punchlines and character manipulation made to manufacture a sense of well being (and a few million bucks at the box office).
Frankly, we've seen this kind of story before: Fat dork has dreams and aspirations that his stunted persona can't realize. He lies his way into a surreal situation and uses even more fibs to find a way through. Toward the end, when things are good and it looks like he will win, a slapstick villain shows up and undermines his courage. Of course, the lovely young lady whom he worships from afar somehow manages to intermingle with his space, offering confirmation of her feelings and a necessary dose of dignity. Formerly hampered hero saves the day, unlikely couple make a commitment, and the cautions commanded by this otherwise illogical narrative fill the viewer with a much needed sense of cinematic closure. Cue the current indie pop hit over the credits.
It's a good thing that Black is our bozo. There is just something so engaging about his self-effacing ways that we forgive even the weakest movie moments. Granted, he's not everyone's cup of comedy, but here, in PG-oriented territory, he's more Kung Fu Panda than Tropic Thunder. The rest of the cast is also very good, including nice turns by Peet, Segel, and a wickedly aware Blunt. While the last act arrival of a totally unnecessary robot/transformer (?) pushes the boundaries of believability, it's not an impossible sell. After all, we are dealing with an entire population less than half a foot tall. As kid vid efforts go, Gulliver is no classic. Thankfully, it's not a complete disaster either -- thanks to Black.
