'Beowulf'

[Jack Aubrey]

I picked this up yesterday and my wife and I watched it last night and really enjoyed it. Solid performances all around and the motion capture animation is fantastic. Even though there are some shots that are almost photorealistic, you can still tell it's artificial, but I predict in three or four more years you won't be able to. They're getting there.

 

If you like this sort of thing, I also recommend checking out 2005's 'Beowulf and Grendel' starring Gerard Butler and Stellen Skarsgard, it's by no means a classic but it's worth watching. Butler is pretty good and Skarsgard is great as usual. My biggest problem with the movie is that Grendel's dialogue sounds made up, like the actor just decided to go "Unga bunga" every time he had to speak. I think it would have been better if they'd have hired a linguist to help them come up with a primitive sounding artificial language. Also, if you do decide to watch it, watch the scene carefully at around 17:43, a crewmember accidentally walks into and quickly walks back out of the background.

[The Owl]

I still haven't seen it, and I am a big Robert Zemekis fan (Forrest Gump, Back to the Future).

 

 

How faithful is the movie to the poem?

[Jack Aubrey]

QUOTE (The Owl @ Feb 28 2008, 02:16 PM)

I still haven't seen it, and I am a big Robert Zemekis fan (Forrest Gump, Back to the Future). How faithful is the movie to the poem?

Well, it's more "based on" the poem than it is an actual adaptation and it does stray pretty significantly from the source material. I was a bit bothered by that, but then I asked myself if a faithful adaptation of the poem would engage a post-modern audience. I'm pretty much leaning towards "no". I fear that a faithful adaptation would only appeal to a niche audience, much like Branagh's 'Hamlet', which is brilliant and I absolutely love it, but I doubt very much if a majority of average twentysomethings have seen it.

 

By the way, I'm a big Zemeckis fan, too. My favorite of his movies is 'Cast Away'.

 

Edited February 28, 2008 by Jack Aubrey

[Tick]

I have this movie at home from Net flix. I have yet to watch it. Im looking forward to it. I will either watch this movie or 310 to Yuma tomorrow night and the other one on Saturday night. Hence the fact, i have no life.

[Janie]

I remember wanting to see this. I just added it to my Netflix list. Along with The Right Stuff and No Country for Old Men.

[theredtamasrule]

I saw it on the big screen in 3D which was pretty cool. I'd not seen a 3d movie since I can't remember when and the new 3D is pretty phenomenal even if it doesn't add to the storyline.

 

Overall I thought the movie was well done & entertaining however I'd say it was "loosely based" on the epic poem rather than the poem brought to life.

 

My big beef was the re-characterization of Beowulf as the modern day "flawed hero" and now we're to feel sorry for Grendel. Angelina...while she makes a smokin' hot cartoon, I don't think her version of Grendel's mother is quite what the poet had in mind way back when. And as if Richard Dawkins himself wrote the screenplay, Christianity is downcast and Christians are portrayed in a laughably negative light (with maybe the exception of Beowulf's wife). Zemeckis did the same thing with his Tom Hanks Christmas movie a few years back and that's fine if he wants but if anyone's read Beowulf you know it's an absurd turn to take and quite a departure from the source material.

 

Visually it's a marvel and the technology is mind boggling and like Jack said, it won't be long before you can't tell the difference between real and image capture.

 

I'm more than curious to see the director's cut to see what, if anything, was further explained or expanded or if the commentary can shed some light on the ending which left me wondering.

[Tortoise and Hare]

We finally got round to renting this last week. Even though I'm not a fan of animation techniques like Tortoise is, I was pleasantly surprised with the good quality of this film. Great acting!!!

 

As Jack said, the plot does stray from the original. But I suppose the original epic wouldn't work in a two hour movie.

 

I looooooooooved hearing Grendel speak in Old English - - I kept replaying those scenes just to absorb that beautiful language.

 

We also enjoyed seeing the special features on the disc. There were detailed instructions on the "dot" technology that the actors (including the horses!) were required to learn. Fun stuff!!!

 

Hare

[Ya_Big_Tree]

I saw it in the 3D in the theatre, twice. I really enjoyed it the first time I saw it. Not so much the second time around. I thought Crispin Glover did a great job playing Grendel.

[Cowtothesky]

I really liked this movie as well. And Jack, I have to agree, Castaway is an awesome movie. My only criticism of Beowulf is the decision to animate the movie. It saved them a lot of money to do this, but it won't ever be considered an 'epic' in my opinion.

[Tick]

QUOTE (Cowtothesky @ Mar 23 2008, 10:33 PM)

I really liked this movie as well. And Jack, I have to agree, Castaway is an awesome movie. My only criticism of Beowulf is the decision to animate the movie. It saved them a lot of money to do this, but it won't ever be considered an 'epic' in my opinion.

I agree the animation took away from what the movie could have been. It was a good movie but not earth shattering by any means.

[udanax]

I saw it, and it was pretty good. Except that they make flat Denmark look like Fjord covered Norway (according to my grampa who's been there a million times :rollseyes: ). Ive also had a couple of people tell that I look like Queen Gwendolin or whatever. I showed a pic of her to my mom and then a pic of the actress who is supposed to be her. My mom said I looked more like the rendered character than the actual actress did. (twilight zone theme)

[Dread Pirate Robert]

Saw this a few nights ago.

 

Thought the first hour was awesome. The second hour, not so much. Angelina Jolie as Grendel's mother seducing Beowulf is too much of a travesty of the original poem.

Edited April 18, 2008 by Dread Pirate Robert