Irish author Jonathan Swift first published Gulliver's Travels in 1726, and it became an immediate sensation. Since then, Gulliver's Travels never has gone out-of-print, and its twenty-first century sales remain nearly as robust as they were in the sixteenth. Universally acknowledged as a classic of British literature, Swift's wonderwork scathingly satirizes human nature and parodies "travellers' tales." Not surprising, then, Hollywood has attempted to bring Gulliver's story to life on film in every decade since the medium was invented. Typically, the special effects have failed to keep pace with Swift's imagination. In the story's latest reprise, a slightly modernized version, the special effects are up to the challenge, but the question emerges, "Is Jack Black up to it?" Black has disappointed fans with his last couple of ventures, but critics say he looks "at ease" as he goes for "big" laughs in the land of the Lilliputians. The producers and director have built-in a few features to give Black a healthy bounce: Updating the story, they show Gulliver as a contemporary mailroom guy who finally catches a break, winning a travel-writing assignment in the Bermuda Triangle. 3D has gotta help the contrast between big Gulliver and little Lilliputians, and an all-star supporting cast is expected to bring out the best of Black's comic gifts.
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Anna Miko enjoys writing more than reading books. But most of all she likes to write movie and series reviews. Being fond of classic cinema, she nevertheless is the author of many research works on contemporary visual arts. She also writes short essays on new movies and series helping others to navigate the world of modern cinema.
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