Poor Grendel

Rating: 8/10 (21 November 2007)

Robert Zemeckis has done a respectable job with his version of the oldest tale in literature, BEOWULF, the legendary story of one man who would rid kingdoms all over of the most heinous and foreboding evil. I truly wish however that his telling would have remained accurate, and not been produced as a Hollywood spectacle. But with all that aside, BEOWULF was no slouch.
The story is simple: a giant monster attacks King Hrothgar's hall, killing nearly all his men, and Beowulf and his rugged brutes come to his aid. One or two subplots are noticeable, but they really don't matter since the story never firmly holds true to its source. There are huge monsters and huge cleavage abound, and truly this is what makes Beowulf memorable, though the needless cleavage and sexually driven female characters take away from the film's stoic nature.
If I was to see this film again, it would be for a couple reasons, and no, not to see Angelina Jolie covered in gold again(which was pretty nice to look at), but rather for the incredible finale with a towering golden dragon, one of the best in the history of cinema, and the stirring, incredible and emotional performance of Crispin Glover as Grendel.
Grendel's pain and inability to live in a world that wouldn't see him otherwise was the best attribute of the film, and I found myself stricken as the poor beast was brutally cast down. The voice Glover lends is filled with so much realism and heart, that the anti-hero that Grendel soon becomes is hopelessly taken away far too early. Aside from the dragon, Robert Zemeckis hit Grendel's pitiable nature perfectly.
Andy Serkis has done a lot for voice/motion actors, and Glover has successfully carried the torch. I can only wonder how such inspired acting can go unnoticed by the film community.
BEOWULF as a film is very entertaining with some immense action, but as far as gore and nudity, there are hardly any. Some bare butts, some pus and blood, a good amount of brutality, Jolie could be nude, but are breasts truly breasts without nipples?
Definitely worth seeing for the action and Glover's fine performance.