The classic tale gets the CG treatment

Rating: 8/10 (26 March 2008)

Ever since Robert Zemeckis pioneered the motion capture process with The Polar Express, its a style of film-making he seems completely enamoured with. Not only has he shot Beowulf in the same process, but his upcoming project, A Christmas Carol will be made the same way. Zemeckis has always been a man on the cutting edge of special effects technology, but it would be nice to see him make a film with flesh and blood actors again someday soon.
Still Zemeckis, great director that he is is equally at home in the world of the engineered as he is in the world of solid reality. And while Beowulf needn't necessarily have been done in motion capture, its another of Robert Zemeckis' good ones, and provides some truly superb special effects sequences.
Using a 3000 word poem as its source, it follows the tale of warrior Beowulf defending 6th Century Denmark from the monster Grendel. But what starts out as a straightforward fight becomes something deeply personal for Beowulf when he gets involved with Grendel's mother, played as a seductive and deadly creature by Angelina Jolie.
With Robert Zemeckis at the helm, you can guarantee Beowulf will not just be a commercially inclined special effects vehicle. Zemeckis has a rare talent among American filmmakers where he uses special effects only as a tool, and not as a means to an end (Forrest Gump notwithstanding). The effects are so flawlessly integrated into the narrative that after a while you begin to forget they're even there. Zemeckis is wise in that he knows the actors' performances are the hook to hang the story from. Not the special effects.
And so it is with Beowulf. Zemeckis assembles a top-drawer cast of characters to breathe life into the epic tale. Hearing Beowulf speak in Ray Winstone's East End accent is initially off-putting, but you do eventually get used to it. And Winstone is quite excellent in the role. He brings the exact amount of cocksure cavalier attitude the role requires. Even when the weight of the entire kingdom is on his shoulders, you feel his burden.
Anthony Hopkins is his usual reliable self as King Hrothgar. While not one of the truly great Anthony Hopkins performances, like Hannibal Lecter or Richard Nixon, he brings his trademark professionalism to the role, especially when his murky dealings with Grendel's mother come to light.
John Malkovich is effective in a small but necessary role as Unferth, Beowulf's one opponent to his presence there. Unferth suspects Beowulf is a teller of tales, especially when it comes to his exploits, and he's right. But when Beowulf wins his trust, Unferth's role in the film becomes more interesting when the kingdom comes under attack. He blindly follows Beowulf into battle, when really he could have used some of his earlier cynicism. And it proves his undoing.
But the scene stealer is Angelina Jolie, giving a brief but very impressive performance as Grendel's mother. She only gets one scene to strut her stuff, but what a scene it is! She emerges from a pool of water, stark nude and proceeds to seduce Beowulf's mind. Watching her peel away the layers of his defences is very unnerving. Speaking in an exotic tone. Appearing from the shadows and disappearing into them just as quickly, she holds a complete magisterial presence.
Its impressive the way Beowulf has come to kill this creature, and by the end of the scene, without even realising it, he's completely fallen for her. She carefully and sinuously twists and twirls her words around Beowulf like a web. Until he's practically at her beck and call. Even convincing him to have a new son with her, one that will pick up where Grendel left off. If you think Angelina Jolie is just a pretty face with an incredible body, watch Beowulf to see some very impressive acting ability on her part. Her finest role to date.
This being a Robert Zemeckis film, the special effects are expectedly excellent. But like The Polar Express, the whole process of motion capture still hasn't quite got the hang of emulating human facial responses. They've made notable leaps and bounds in the three years since, and Zemeckis has polished his act in the interim, but that deadness to the characters eyes is still there. They can keep refining they're technique, but I'm not sure if technology can ever completely mimic the spark of life present in a real human face.
But the backdrops of Beowulf are worth the price of admission alone. Zemeckis has created some truly stunning surroundings for you to enjoy. Mountain regions. Gorgeous horizons. And the camera enjoyably swoops and soars throughout. There's a particularly eye-popping scene from a bird's point of view, flying away from a village, further and further while trees, branches and bushes appear around all sides of the screen.
And Zemeckis doesn't disappoint on the action front either. Beowulf's fight with Grendel is rip-roaring stuff, although why Zemeckis has him naked at the time is anyone's guess. But its thrilling to watch, with the camera always on the move so every viewing reveals something new to you. The crowning glory of the entire movie comes in the final 15 minutes, when Beowulf must battle his own son to the death. A terrifying dragon he conceived with Jolie. Its one of the most pulse-pounding action scenes you'll ever see. Filled with hair-raising camera swoops, angles both claustrophobic and expansive, its one hell of a wild ride!
Beowulf is marred by a sometimes sluggish pace, but its a fine treatment of the poem. It has a nice structure, plenty of action, and interesting ambiguities too. Like the ending. Just as you think its all over, Grendel's mother shows up in the presence of Beowulf's friend, and leaves you with the absolute certainty that the chaos is about to start all over again.
Stirring score from Alan Silvestri too.