Product: Beowulf (1999)
Rating: 1.0
Destroying a Classic.
I love the poem Beowulf. I've read it several times in the original verse and it is one of the greatest epics in English literature. Several years ago when I heard they were making a movie of this classic tale and that Christopher Lambert was scheduled to star as the legendary hero, I thought it was a good thing. However, I was wrong.The only thing BEOWULF shares with the classic poem is the name of the hero, the name of the king (Hrothgar), Grendel, and Grendel's mother. That's where the similarities end.The plot of this film is terrible. The acting is lame (Lambert does a decent job, but his character just doesn't fit in this world). The soundtrack is horrendous and feels like something out of a rave instead of a castle on the outer limits of space. The special effects aren't too bad, but considering the multi-million budget of this movie, they are rather crummy. The lighting in the movie is terrible and detracts from what little action occurs on screen. The dialogue is really bad too, but I guess the sfx budget kept the filmmakers from hiring decent writers.Overall, BEOWULF is terrible. Not only does it rip apart a classic piece of English literature, but it's even a disgrace to the sci-fi/fantasy genre. Not recommended at all.