Beowulf Review

I had the opportunity to see Beowulf over the Thanksgiving break with Foxbat. We paid the extra money to see it in Digital 3D, and let me just say that even though some of the photography was gimmicky, it was totally worth the extra money. I can’t remember the last movie that I saw in 3D, but I know that it happened when I was less than ten years old.

Initially, the glasses provided by the folks at AMC made my eyes water. I also had a habit of investigating the screen without the glasses because my curiousity overtook me. Both of these were my issues, but it gave the movie somewhat of a rocky start for me.

Once I became accomodated to the visual trickery, I really enjoyed the movie. Everything was filmed (animated?) in an over-the-top sort of way, just like 300 was. Even though the movie was animated, I found myself forgetting that it was until something not quite right called my attention to it. The fall of cloth due to gravity, or the lack of body in some of the women’s hairstyles really would drive this point home, jarringly so at times. The actual animation was accomplished with sophisticated motion capture technology, so the fight scenes were incredibly well rendered and the facial expressions were just about indistinguishable from real actors. (See Angelina Jolie pictured above.)

The movie followed the epic poem more closely than I had dared hope, although the heavy dose of sensuality was a Hollywood addition. Beowulf ended up showing a great deal of complexity for a muscle-minded would-be hero, and Director Robert Zemeckis handled his transition from braggart to king with a deft touch. The final battle (I won’t give away the details, since they are plot crucial) may be the best animation I’ve ever seen. It is rife with urgency and lends the film an emotional edge that was lacking until that point.

You owe yourself the opportunity to view this film at a large theater…in 3D. Waiting for DVD will cause you to miss some of the grandeur (and the special effects shots) that Zemeckis intended to be viewed on the big screen. This movie is hardly appropriate for English Literature classes, but older teens (especially boys) will appreciate the relentless action and the naked form of Angelina Jolie.