Epic!

Rating: 10/10 (6 December 2009)

Oh dear, some people have found out the story is not true to the poem. Not by far, actually. So what? It's a Hollywood production all right, but this entertaining movie has plenty of strong merits going for it.
For instance, the fine art direction and sweet set design work in harmony with the wonderful CGI cinematography to make a brilliant gem of a picture. This animated work of art is a marvel to behold! As technology progresses, it may look slightly dated one day, but never outdated.
The acting is also strong, with perfectly rounded stereotypes, though none overly shallow. Especially Beowulf is a fine character: a genuine epic hero who's actually a bragging windbag who then becomes a hero. There's lots of love, lust, friendship, machismo, pride, greed, glory and opportunism going on, just as you like it!
The language used strikes a perfect balance between general accessibility and a genuine Old Germanic feel. There's even some dead language used by Grendel. I would not know for sure how accurate it is, but since the audience can follow it, this really adds a lot. Again, well done! Some may consider the plot a bit too typical for modern age Hollywood movies, but still the story holds up pretty well and stays interesting to the end.
In sum: mighty fine high-tech entertainment based on the epic poem. Sit back and enjoy the ride! All hail Beowulf! And bring on the monsters!
(I recommend the making-of documentary on (at least) the Bluray release, so you can see how the actors were transformed to their CGI counterparts.)