Beowulf

Starring: Brendan Gleeson, Anthony Hopkins, Ray Winstone, Robin Wright-Penn, Angelina Jolie

Directed by: Robert Zemeckis

RS: 3.5of 4 Stars Average User Rating: 2.5of 4 Stars

2007 Paramount Pictures Drama

I expected the film version of the epically tedious Old English poem to be a craptacular. Director Robert Zemeckis used the same motion-capture process in 2004's The Polar Express and turned live actors into digital humans who looked invaded by body snatchers. Boy, have things changed. The eighth-century Beowulf, goosed into twenty-first-century life by a screenplay from sci-fi guru Neil Gaiman and Pulp Fiction's Roger Avary, will have you jumping out of your skin and begging for more. Be sure to see it in 3-D. I can't vouch for the flat version, but the 3-D Beowulf will debut on a record number of digital screens (1,000, and 90 in IMAX). Put on those plastic glasses and ride, baby, ride. I've never seen a 3-D movie pop with this kind of clarity and oomph. It's outrageously entertaining. Terrific actors were hired to do the movements and the voices. Ray Winstone, so good in The Departed and, well, everything else, speaks the role of Beowulf like a Viking hero for the ages. The Adonis body (Winstone is fifty and flabby) comes courtesy of the digital department. Angelina Jolie didn't need body tweaking to play hottie mom to the monster Grendel (Crispin Glover). That is, until she transforms into a literal dragon lady. Anthony Hopkins plays a king with a thing for Mom, whose penchant for nudity also rouses Beowulf. Credulity is stretched tighter than the film's PG-13 rating. There are unintentional laughs, especially when Beowulf strips off his Village People skivvies to fight Grendel. It's a balls-out scene, with impressionable audiences protected from testicle whiplash by carefully placed objects (no doubt a nod to the censored orgy in Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut). But as humans battle monsters, Zemeckis springs so many pow 3-D surprises you'll think Beowulf is your own private fun house.

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PETER TRAVERS

(Posted: Nov 15, 2007)

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Give us your review of
Beowulf

Review 1 of 5

1of 4 Stars

What a bad, bad movie. It's "Beowulf" for nine year-olds. It seems intended to appeal to the same crowd that found "300" thrilling, i.e., closeted gay men and sexually confused teen boys. Avoid at all costs.

Apr 16, 2008 22:10:34

Review 2 of 5

3of 4 Stars

I enjoyed it.

Dec 18, 2007 18:11:48

Review 3 of 5

4of 4 Stars

This movie is great. It's filled with subtleties that the critics are missing because they are so stupid. Like when the gold man is pulled out by the sea at the end, the talk about the one and only God at the beginning, the fact that Angelina Jolie has never been physically attractive to anyone, ever, except film critics and women, and that awesome part with the gold (gold!! brilliant) dragon at the end where you see him torch all the men that were shooting arrows and then turn to shoot the men on the bridge all within the same shot.

Nov 17, 2007 11:19:18

Review 4 of 5

3of 4 Stars

Not bad. Definitely a welcome surprise but I do wish they
would've stayed true to the story without adding a secret love
affair into it. Beowulf is appreciated for its language and
cultural richness, not secret celebrity romances.

Nov 17, 2007 08:31:46

Review 5 of 5

4of 4 Stars

saw the film here in ireland today and its absolutely stunning,and i didnt even see the 3D version.mr zemeckis truly has outdone himself here.the animation is astonishing,there are times when you'd swear you were watching live action actors.but the film is not just a visual ride it has genuine depth to it and is genuinely moving as well.the performances are wonderful across the board-winstone is superb in the title role,hopkins is clearly having great fun,gleeson is great as always and jolie in a small role is absloutely brilliant.the best performance probably comes from crispin glover as grendel,this is a truly startling and brilliant performance from an underrated actor and you fel genuine sympathy for grendel.i also loved the touching relationship between himself and jolie's characters.i honestly cant recommend this film highly enough so all i can say to people is go see it,its a masterpiece.10/10.

Nov 16, 2007 16:07:02

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