Gulliver's Travels

Jonathan Swift's classic 1726 novel was intended as a scathing satire of social and political corruption, but somehow it became a staple of children's libraries. Now it's been updated into a slapstick contemporary parody that appears to be aimed at tots. Lemuel Gulliver (Jack Black) is a shy mailroom clerk at a Manhattan newspaper who's long harbored a secret crush on beautiful travel editor Darcy (Amanda Peet). When a colleague challenges him to approach her, Gulliver does so, but instead of a date, Darcy gives him a writing assignment that takes him into the Bermuda Triangle, where a storm sweeps him through an inter-dimensional portal, ultimately washing him up on a beach in Lilliput (much resembling 18th-century England). While the tiny Lilliputians are initially terrified of the huge shipwrecked sailor, he soon becomes their hero by battling invaders and extinguishing a potentially fatal fire by urinating on the flames. Acclaimed by the king and queen (Billy Connolly and Catherine Tate), Gulliver gleefully recounts tall tales of other zany adventures, culled from Star Wars and Titanic, among other pop-culture references. In a Cyrano subplot, Gulliver helps a “commoner” friend (Jason Segel) in love with the island's princess (Emily Blunt), who's being courted by a pompous general (Chris O'Dowd). Director Rob Letterman's film adaptation disappoints, especially in the later scenes, as Gulliver's subsequent visit to the giant Brobdingnags and reunion with Darcy come across as anti-climactic. Not recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include a “Life After Film School” featurette with director Rob Letterman (22 min.), deleted scenes (15 min.), a “Little and Large” behind-the-scenes featurette (8 min.), “In Character with Jack Black” (7 min.), a “Jack Black Thinks Big” featurette (6 min.), a “War Dance Song” scene segment (6 min.), a segment on the film's world premiere (6 min.), an “I Don't Know…with Lemuel Gulliver” featurette with Black (5 min.), “In Character with Jason Segel” (5 min.), “Down Time” with the cast (5 min.), a gag reel (2 min.), “Gulliver's Foosball Challenge” interactive game, and trailers. Blu-ray extras include bonus DVD and digital copies of the film, and the BD-Live function. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a misfire adaptation.] (S. Granger)