Laura, that's a nifty bit of insight, comparing the movie to Jack and the Beanstalk because Jack trades a COW for magic beans. Here Cookie and King-Liu milk a cow to make "magic" biscuits! Both stories are about the pursuit of wealth. I think I like your comparison better than mine.

However, I do think the Garden of Eden is still an apt reference. The many, MANY shots of Nature in the movie display its pristine beauty. Even the cow is a lovely creature. Then there is the village. Dirty, muddy, suspicious people who are prone to drinking and fighting. All in search of a buck.

Their presence defiles the paradise quality of the area.

But Jack and the Beanstalk... that's a really nice reference.

It reminds me that my writing partner and I pitched "Jack" to Michael Jackson's production company way back when.