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Beowulf
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Editorial Reviews:
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In the age of heroes comes the mightiest warrior of them all, Beowulf. After destroying the overpowering demon Grendel, he incurs the undying wrath of the beast?s ruthlessly seductive mother who will use any means possible to ensure revenge. The ensuing epic battle throughout the ages, immortalizing the name Beowulf. Academy AwardŽ winner director Robert Zemeckis tells the oldest epic tale in the English language with the most modern technology, advancing the cinematic forum through the magic of digitally enhanced live action. A stellar cast is led by Ray Winstone ("The Departed," "Sexy Beast") in the title role. Joining him are Academy Award winner Anthony Hopkins as the cursed King Hrothgar, John Malkovich, Robin Wright Penn, Brendan Gleeson, Crispin Glover, Alison Lohman and Oscar Winner Angelina Jolie as Grendel?s mother.
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Spectacular animated action scenes turn the ancient epic poem Beowulf into a modern fantasy movie, while motion-capture technology transforms plump actor Ray Winstone (Sexy Beast) into a burly Nordic warrior. When a Danish kingdom is threatened by the monster Grendel (voiced and physicalized by Crispin Glover, River's Edge), Beowulf--lured by the promise of heroic glory--comes to rescue them. He succeeds, but falls prey to the seductive power of Grendel's mother, played by Angelina Jolie... and as Jolie's pneumatically animated form rises from an underground lagoon with demon-claw high heels, it becomes clear that we're leaving the original epic far, far behind. Regrettably, the motion-capture process has made only modest improvements since The Polar Express; while the characters' eyes no longer look so flat and zombie-like, their faces remain inexpressive and movements are still wooden. As a result, the most effective sequences feature wildly animated battles and the most vivid character is Grendel, whose grotesqueness ends up making him far more sympathetic than any of the mannequin-like human beings. The meant-to-be-titillating images of a naked Jolie resemble an inflatable doll more than a living, breathing woman (or succubus, as the case may be). But the fights--particularly Grendel's initial assault on the celebration hut--pop with lushly animated gore and violence. Also featuring the CGI-muffled talents of Anthony Hopkins (Silence of the Lambs), Robin Wright Penn (The Princess Bride), and John Malkovich (Dangerous Liaisons). --Bret Fetzer
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Beowulf
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User Comments About Beowulf
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The movie could've followed the true story that was written about Beowulf. The graphics were okay but not really a movie that I would want to puchase.
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Great 3d effects come alive in blu-ray presentation of this movie. The tale of Beowulf is a must see for all of Northern European extraction. Only slight flaw is some may think Angelina Jolie is not appproiate for a role in this tale, due to her liberal anti-white politics.
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Hi tech retelling of a classic
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I'll stick to the tech aspects as the content has been thoroughly reviewed elsewhere. The movie looks great on my system (Toshiba A35 HDDVD, Samgsung 58A550 Plasma). Hi Def (either version) is a great platform for today's animation. The Dolby Digital Plus sounds great on my Pioneer Elite receiver.
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Not Your Forefather's Beowulf
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Okay, I was wrong. Tolkien's essay on "Beowulf." Gardner looks at the story from the monster's point of view and Tolkien shows he had a life away from elves and hobbits.
We watched it. I didn't see "Polar Express" so I had no preconceived notions about the look of the picture.
When I heard Angelina Jolie was playing Grendel's mother, I gave up on this "Beowulf." Then yesterday, I noticed the Red Box machine (this is a rental DVD vending machine usually found at supermarkets in the U.S). had it for rent; at $1, I figured what the heck, and brought a copy home.
I'd also suggest "Grendel" by John Gardner and J.R.R. The movie is one of the better film versions of "Beowulf." So good in fact, I put it on my wishlist this morning.
My impression on the whole was good, I only noticed the CGI once or twice and wasn't particularly bothered (after decades of seeing massive anachronism in Hollywood products, I may be a little hardened).
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I like Jolie but this movie di noithing for me. Angelina Jolie plays Beowulf's mother.
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