Hollywood Ruins Another One

Rating: 1/10 (19 November 2007)

I waited for this movie to come out for two years. I was in awe at people they were using in the script. I thought for sure the movie would be great, and truly show what a great story Beowulf is.
The 16th comes along, I purchase my tickets and sit in the movie theater as the show starts. The animations where wonderful, Anthony Hopkins made Hrothgar a great and more dynamic character. Of course their accents sucked but I didn't care as long as the movie got better.
Then here comes Beowulf, the first true hero. They make him look like a jackass right from the start. My heart starts sinking. About an hour into the movie, nothing changing, the script keeps pointing out imaginary flaws in the character Beowulf, then the movie just plunges, completely flies off track that the original story was on.
The rest of the movie I sat in agony as I watched one the greatest literary masterpieces get butchered, again and again. Beowulf in the end did't seem to end up a hero like he should of been. The movie gave him too many flaws. It seemed he was more of a martyr.. and for nothing too. Butchered story, butchered character.
The only character that I truly thought they did well with, was Grendel, and the way Glover showed his plight, and made you feel Grendels pain.
.. but come on, this movie was not Beowulf.
Guess I have to wait again till I find a truly good version of Beowulf. And hopefully they read the story this time, and perhaps even John Gardners version of Grendel.