“BEOWULF”
Starring Ray Winstone,
Angelina Jolie, Anthony Hopkins,
Robin Wright Penn, John Malkovich
Released: Feb. 26, 2008 (DVD),
Nov. 16, 2007 (Theaters)

WATCH THE TRAILER

I would recommend the film to anyone who likes action movies and is not afraid of blood.

EPIC ACTION ADVENTURE movies are fairly common in theaters nowadays, so to be worth watching, a new one has to be exceptional in some way.

In the case of “Beowulf,” director Robert Zemeckis (probably best known for “Forrest Gump” and “The Polar Express”) decided to think outside the box and use motion-capture technology.

The epic tale and crisp graphics combine to make an action-filled adventure, with few moments of downtime in the entire movie.

“Beowulf” is the legend of the titular Danish king, voiced by Ray Winstone.

He comes to Denmark on a quest to slay a troll named Grendel (Crispin Glover), who has plagued the local kingdom. In an intense battle, Beowulf fights the troll, wins, but doesn’t finish him off.

Beowulf then heads off to kill Grendel and finally rid the land of its curse. Things do not go as a smoothly as planned as Beowulf meets Grendel’s mother (Angelina Jolie).

One issue I had with the motion-capture system was its uneven quality. At times, as in the very beginning of the movie, one could not even tell that the image was not real.

However, in other times, it seemed as if those working on the special effects had not tried as hard in less important scenes.

That being said, the technology creates a different experience from that of a normal movie. The graphics look similar to that of a video game. The actors can be easily recognized in their motion capture forms.

The style looks like an even more graphically enhanced version of what was used in the movie “300.” Both are highly stylized and create a completely different viewing experience than normal.

The use of motion-capture technology definitely helps a movie of this variety. Monsters fit seamlessly into the film, whereas in a normal movie they would look out of place and obviously made with special effects.

The battles in the movie are also fairly impressive. Some fights are very creative in the way they are done. For instance, Beowulf tells a story about a battle he had with sea monsters. The movie cuts to the story, and the events unfold while Beowulf tells the story in the background. While the monsters are unrealistic (because they are monsters) Beowulf actually manages to look fairly normal throughout.

The acting in the movie is also above average. The cast is filled with critically acclaimed actors such as Jolie and Anthony Hopkins, who plays Hrothgar, king of the Danes

While all do a good job, I was impressed by the performance of the less well-known Winstone, who is probably best known for his role as foil to Ben Kingsley in “Sexy Beast” and as Jack Nicholson's right-hand man in “The Departed.” I imagine it is difficult to act in a film with no props, as actors had to do in this film. The cast members stepped up to the job and played their parts well.

From what I have read, the film adaptation takes many artistic liberties with the original epic. The Old English poem dates back to around the eighth century. Most notably among the changes, the film makes Beowulf a flawed hero, whereas in the poem he is invulnerable to all distractions.

Other changes include an added influence of Christianity and a humanization of the monster Grendel.

I would recommend the film to anyone who likes action movies and is not afraid of blood. However, if you are looking for a plot-driven movie steer clear of Beowulf. The larger portion of this movie is devoted to fight scenes, or it is setting up for the next fight.

While the film is a good novelty, I believe that is all that it is. It won't reinvent the genre of the action adventure movie, and the movie doesn’t really have much emotional depth. However, the movie does well for what it is, and I enjoyed watching it.

“Beowulf,” not rated, is available on DVD in two versions: widescreen ($29.98) and unrated director's cut ($39.99).

DVD Special Features: “Beowulf”

• The Basics
  1. Region 1
  2. Keep Case
  3. Anamorphic Widescreen
  4. Audio: 5.1 Surround Dolby Digital — English, French, Spanish
  5. Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

• Additional Scenes
  1. Wealthow Shows Beowulf the Sundial
  2. Beowulf Boasts to the People of Herot
  3. Celebration and Seduction
  4. Wulfgar Greets Beowulf at the Stockade
  5. Beowulf's Day: Unferth Finds the Horn
  6. Cain on the Barrows

• Featurettes
  1. A Hero's Journey: The Making of Beowulf
  2. Beasts of Burden
  3. The Origins of Beowulf
  4. Creating the Ultimate Beowulf
  5. The Art of Beowulf

• Miscellaneous
  1. Easter Eggs Coffee Break with John Malkovich
  2. Theatrical Trailer