Monday, November 19, 2007

Movie Review: Beowulf

By Todd Maternowski

Beowulf: An IMAX 3D Experience

"Beowulf" will be digitally converted and re-mastered into the unparalleled image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience® through IMAX DMR® (Digital Re-mastering) technology. Inspired by the ninth century English epic poem, "Beowulf" combines a digitally enhanced live-action filmmaking technology with an all-star cast. In a legendary time of heroes, the mighty warrior Beowulf battles the demon Grendel and incurs the hellish wrath of the beast's ruthlessly seductive mother. Their epic clash forges the timeless legend of Beowulf.

Source: Cinema Source

• Showtimes and more on Beowulf: An IMAX 3D Experience

Robert Zemeckis' Beowulf is a truly engaging visual spectacle, the most recent adaptation of the once-forgotten Old English epic poem of the same name. While mostly remaining true to the anonymously written original, a great deal of the movie, particularly in the second half, goes far beyond this ancient tale of heroism to expand modern notions of fame, kingship, and fabricated legend.

The basic story revolves around the story of how the warrior Beowulf helped King Hrothgar rid his lands of the murderous monster Grendel. Hrothgar's own men cannot defeat the terrible creature, and so the king sends for heroes to help him. In comes Beowulf, who slays Grendel, then goes after Grendel's mother, an even more powerful demon. In the epic poem, Beowulf slays her and ascends to kingship: but writers Neil Gaiman (American Gods, Coraline) and Roger Avery (Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs) have taken this bare-bones snoozer and added some meaty twists and ulterior motivations for all characters involved.

Generally 3D movies are gimmicky shock-fests geared primarily towards children: Beowulf's gore, violence, nudity and moral ambiguity and clearly intended for a more mature audience. The film begins with an empty celebration in King Hrothgar's newly-built meade-hall, where the half-naked king (Anthony Hopkins) drinks to forget his sadness and sorrow --much of which is caused by his joyless icequeen wife Wealtheow (WASPily played up by Robin Wright Penn). The scene seems innocent enough, until a gorgeous tracking shot from the meade-hall to Grendel's distant lair reveals otherwise. The tortured, twisted Grendel (Crispin Glover) --misshapen, unholy offspring of the king and Grendel's Mother-- attacks the meade-hall in a truly brutal slaughter sequence that will have even ironclad stomachs a little queasy.

Technically, you'd think the unholy offspring of Pitt and Jolie would look a little better than this

Enter Beowulf (Ray Winstone), the glory-seeking braggart who can back up his self-serving tall tales. Beowulf is not seeking the king's money, but much like Brad Pitt's Achilles in Troy, is motivated only by the immortality of legend. tale-spinner tho he is, Beowulf is also a first-rate bad mutha***er, and deals with Grendel mano e mano. When Grendel's Mom takes revenge, Beowulf must then face her, and this demoness isn't going to go down nearly as easily. As Grendel's Mom, Angelina Jolie captivates the screen in her role as the demonically maternal temptress, far more effectively than in her somewhat similar turn in Alexander. Jolie's ludicrously sexual demoness dominates every scene she's in, and has a history with the unhappy Hrothgar that is repeated with Beowulf: give her a son, and she'll give you a kingdom.

Trouble with trusting a psychotic, Thane-devouring succubus? Sometimes she nixes on deals: when a symbolic drinking horn in the shape of a dragon appears on the scene, it's time for a change in kingship. Beowulf is not just a by-the-numbers action flick, but, like Unforgiven, a story of fractured heroes with guilty consciences, and how the choices they make for fame and fortune often lead to unexpected disaster.

Using a relatively new special effect, motion-capture technology, Zemeckis was able to use actors, then transpose their computerized images over CGI landscapes. Similar to his first try at this technology in 2004's Polar Express, the technology has clearly improved to the point where the actors seem more like humans and less like malfunctioning Disney animatrons. The technique doesn't quite capture human motion and emotion perfectly, but then again, neither does poorly-shot regular film, and Zemeckis does a decent job making an actual film out of what easily could be a gimmick.

The 3D is impressive, if sometimes distracting --other than a few action sequences, it's impossible to get completely swallowed in the movie-- but the resulting wintry landscapes, Norse countryside and supernatural battle scenes are worth the price of admission. Some of the tracking shots are simply stunning, and the climactic battle scene of Beowulf versus the Gold Dragon is especially gripping. Specifically, if you're going to see this movie (and anyone who had to suffer the poem in sophomore English class should give it a try), go see it in 3D (with the glasses) for full effect. With optically-grabbing graphics and intriguing Gaiman-style story, Beowulf makes for an enjoyable romp through the frigid Norselands of yore.

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Comments

John Meyer Staff

Here's an interesting take on the movie from an SMU prof named Bonnie Wheeler who - it says here - "exudes the epic poem as she reads it." Aargh.

Professor Wheeler thinks the Zemeckis film treatment "sacrifices the power of the original for a plot line that propels Beowulf into seduction by Angelina Jolie." She also frets that the film brings to the surface a subconscious view of women as monsters who strive to kill men.

Don't they say that all myth is based in underlying reality?

12 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )