Just could not be more bad...

Rating: 1/10 (23 March 2008)

Any comment on this movie that starts 'Good, but..." is DEAD WRONG. There is nothing, and I mean NOTHING good about this movie. Yes, I am familiar with and indeed teach the book. But I was prepared for digressions. I can't even enjoy the primal act of looking at this movie. It looks like a cartoon or video game. Is that supposed to be good? I found it annoying at best, downright disturbing at worst. The "acting" consists of a bunch of guys hollering. Even Sir Anthony does not come off well. John Malkovich seems to be on tranquilizers. Ray Winstone leaps about naked in what is quite manifestly not his own naked body. And why naked? I don't know - he's supposed to be UNARMED. I know the whole Angelina Jolie thing has already been covered, but DANG. She's supposed to be a hideous monster - not even close. Grendel looks like Dobby in the Harry Potter movies - hardly horrifying. Everyone commented on the effects, but I found them kind of dreadful. It's unintentionally funny, if that's what you're going for.