Bloody good Beowulf

Rating: 8/10 (28 December 2009)

I admit that when I first saw the preview for this years ago I thought it was made with real actors although it seemed not quite right. So I saw it in 3d when it was in theaters and I saw it recently on my TV. The graphics still hold up extremely well today (2009) with some of the most life-like computer characters I've seen not only in terms of likeness but in terms of acting. It should be since advanced motion capture technology was used extensively with the real actors including facial expressions. The process is interesting because it allowed a wonderful character actor (Ray Winstone) to play a buff hero like Beowulf although he's middle-aged, not particularly in shape and basically looking nothing like the hero. It allowed a fine eccentric actor like Crispin Glover to play the very physical role of Grendel, the monster, and actually give it a tormented pitiable yet menacing presence. As for the other more famous actors, Anthony Hopkins, Angelina Jolie, Robin Wright-Penn and John Malkovitch, they are quite recognizable, almost in an eerie way, yet not quite the same. The highlight for me was Robin Wright-Penn in the role of the queen. Her sad facial expressions shone through despite the virtual avatar.
The story is basically the Beowulf legend retold with a few creative liberties taken here and there. It's the foundation for many other stories and the prototypical warrior hero. At first glance, it seems rather simple but it's told really well and it has a mythic otherworldly quality to it. Beowulf as a character has a nice character arc and shows personality although he's not the most likable fellow, more of a macho boastful jerk actually. The action scenes are thrilling and filmed with angles and camera movements that are often surprising and original: sometimes not possible in real life. I especially enjoyed a long sequence where Beowulf fights naked yet his "member" is artfully hidden throughout. On occasion, certain scenes show that they were trying to impress with the 3d effects and it makes things look artificial on TV (ex: guard poking spear at Beowulf's head). At their best which is most of the time, the computer graphics are almost totally photo-realistic. At their worst, especially for secondary characters, they make us think of the human characters from Shrek. The monster designs and animations are wonderful and impressive with particular credit going for Grendel. So all in all, I think that although Beowulf might not have the most emotionally involving story or the most relatable characters, it's still quite entertaining and exciting today and you should have a very good time watching it. It has lots of dismemberments and bloody killings so people allergic to that should be warned.
Rating: 8 out of 10