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| Beowulf: Director's Cut (2008) |
| Director: Robert Zemeckis |
| Cast: Anthony Hopkins, Ray Winstone, John Malkovich, Angelina Jolie |
| Running Time: 114 minutes |
The Plot:
For years, a small town has been forced to deal with the havoc and chaos that is Grendel, a grueling beast who kills at will. But when Beowulf, a Scandinavian hero, comes to town, the people hope that they can rid themselves of the beast, once and for all. However, after Beowulf comes up victorious, the town and the hero realize that Grendel was only a small problem when compared to his mother. Now, in hot pursuit of revenge, Grendel's mother looks to destroy the town for good, forcing Beowulf and his men to secure the civilians and fight the ferocious creature to the death. |
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The Movie:
Featuring a clever idea and a unique style, Beowulf successfully integrates both animation and live action, creating a strong film and story in the process. However, with that said, I must also admit that I found the film to be a bit tedious as the script drug out, never really gaining the momentum or showcasing the necessary qualities to live up to the high expectations that that people had placed on it.
By far the best quality of this film is its animation. Containing possibly the most advanced and precise pixel for pixel account of a character, the work on this film is simply brilliant. From the sweeping of one's hair to the destruction created by the film's two villains, everything is captured in its purest form and shown to the audience with pinpoint accuracy.
Unfortunately, the animation is about as far as this film gets as the action, acting and script were all a major disappointment and really prevented the film from reaching anything near its potential.
For starters, the script that tells the well-known legend is quite dreadful. Plagued by miserable dialogue and a sluggish pace, Beowulf is never able to come across as entertaining or fun. Additionally, the acting within the film is decent at best. I am sure that both Anthony Hopkins and Angelina Jolie did their best with the parts they were given; however, there is simply no excuse for their unflattering characters or performances.
Sadly I feel that those behind this film put too much emphasis on the animation and visual aspect of the film, forgetting that these days, films are much more than what meets the eye. |
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The Extras:
A Hero's Journey: The Making of Beowulf (23:57): This segment shows just how the world of Beowulf was created and how much work and 'imagination' was required by the film's stars. Very entertaining, especially the exclusive on-set interviews with Ray Winstone.
Beasts of Burden – Designing the Creatures of Beowulf (6:56): Taking each creature of the film and explaining how he was created and brought to life was both interesting and entertaining. A must see for any viewer.
Creating the Ultimate Beowulf (1:58): This extremely short segment dives into how Ray Winstone got cast as the leading man and just how they transformed the shorter actor into the strong and sturdy Beowulf - simply brilliant.
Deleted Scenes (14:03): Featuring an enormous number of small, incomplete scenes, this segment provides very little additional info on either the story or the characters that thrive in it. |
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The Verdict:
While thriving on its animation and visual aspects, as a complete film, Beowulf is a heavy disappointment. Thankfully the film takes to the heavy upgrades that are provided by the Blu-Ray disc, improving its overall appeal from what was seen in theaters. Not to mention the heavy number of bonus features, most of which are adequate for the film and worth a watch. Together, these two aspects create a stellar disc, one that should be considered by any fan of the film or its leading actors. |
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