Visually impressive and enjoyable fantasy

Rating: 7/10 (17 February 2008)

A well rendered computer generated fantasy inspired by the epic anglo-saxon poem Beowulf, from which it derives its title. Pedants will argue over the deviations from the classical text but, frankly, I couldn't care less.
The voice acting is generally very good, although it takes a little while to get past some of the accent choices, and it's easy to become immersed in the film and become less conspicuously aware that your watching CGI.
It's not a film without its share of minor frustrations either. Robin Wright Penn's portrayal of a jaded, world-weary queen did not translate well to her computer generated character on screen, which seemed annoyingly bland and wooden among an otherwise very charismatic cast.
Overall, a very enjoyable movie that is worth watching.
Note: Although most computer generated PG-rated movies are child-friendly, note that this is PG-13. It is dark and blood-splattered in places. This may not be a good film for younger children.