Beowulf ferociously attacks with brave animation to disguise an uninteresting story.

Rating: 5/10 (9 September 2018)

After 'The Polar Express', Zemeckis returns to the innovative world of photorealism. This time substituting a friendly Santa Claus, snow and a train with a ghastly Grendel, blood and an enraged dragon. Death, fornication and plenty of testosterone cannot masquerade a blatantly dull narrative that is as tasty as Grendel's rotting flesh (hint: not tasty at all). A small kingdom is tormented by a monstrous creature and his mother, where the king has no choice but to ask the legendary Beowulf to slay them. In terms of technical competence, Zemeckis is among the best. From point of view camera shots gliding through decomposing trees to glorious tundra landscapes, his varying directing techniques encapsulate both the cold dark nature of the mythological world he is creating and the bravery of its population. Once you get passed the jagged animation, that has aged incredibly poorly (seriously 'Shrek 2' had better human animation), the visuals absorb you into Zemeckis' creation. Therein lies the problem. The focus on the narrative's visualisation has become a detriment to the story, characters and pacing. The lack of attention to the plot has produced one-dimensional characters that are ultimately unlikeable. Even the titular protagonist had limited personality, despite Winstone famously bellowing "I am Beowulfffff!!". The story itself is forgettable and includes infrequent memorable scenes, such as Grendel's mother slowly seducing Beowulf. The dreadful pacing did not help either, with the entire second act dissipating minutes after it concludes. It picks up during the third act with an almighty dragon battle, however it is too late. Those who have fallen asleep shan't be waking up for its predictable conclusion. Overall, a weak entry in Zemeckis' illustrious filmography. Undeniably littered with technical astuteness, but lacking in other critical areas that amalgamate to create a boring yet watchable fantasy flick.