2008 Woodie Awards
Movie Review: Beowulf
Ashley Moreland & Jim McNierney/Online Reporters
Issue date: 11/30/07 Section: in Review(s)
Moreland's Review: Four/Five Stars
A little boy, probably about five-years-old, sat covering his ears and looking down nearly the entire movie.
I'm not sure what his parents were thinking, taking such a small child to see the extremely violent movie. Even more, I don't know why they didn't take him out of the theater after they saw him so disturbed. At least he didn't cry.
Needless to say, "Beowulf" is not for children. The movie is rated PG-13, although if I had a 13- year-old child, I don't think I'd want him or her to see it without my consent.
According to the Motion Picture Association of America, it is rated PG-13 for "intense sequences of violence including disturbing images, some sexual material and nudity."
The 1999 movie of the same name was rated R for "violence and sexuality" and the 2005 movie "Beowulf and Grendel" was rated R for "violence, language and some sexuality." Why this one wasn't rated R, I'm not sure; perhaps because it's not real blood and not a real naked Angelina Jolie.
The movie is based on the Old English poem, circa 700, which is the oldest surviving English epic. Of course, like most movies, "Beowulf" is much more glamorized than the original book.
In fact, in the book…well, I don't want to give the movie all away, but let's just say, in the book, Grendel's mother is nothing like Jolie and her and Beowulf's (Ray Winstone) encounter is far from the same.
If you are planning to see this movie just for Jolie, don't bother spending the ten dollars. In fact, I don't know if it would be worth it to rent the movie. She plays a very minor role, only making a few appearances during the film. Sure she's naked, but she's not naked. It's more like looking at a naked Barbie with the head of Jolie.
I went to see the movie because "Beowulf" is one of my favorite books, but what I liked the most about the movie was the realistic animation. Throughout the whole movie, I was analyzing it, trying to figure out if it was all animated.
There were many scenes where I was sure that it was real. I was wrong. The movie is completely computer animated; the actors simply provide the voices and appearance of the characters. "Beowulf" surpasses "Polar Express" in the animation and it is amazing to see the gains happening in computer animation.
While it was cool to put images to the characters I read about my senior year of high school, I'm not a big fan of action movies in general. However, if you are, I definitely recommend this one.
McNierney's Review
Young boys may like it, not parents
I learned two things from watching "Beowulf." Firstly, high-heels are evil. Secondly, the fewer clothes a person has on, the more powerful they become. In addition, I got to see an action-packed film with an amazing display of computer graphics.
I'll start with the first point, Grendel's mother, who is played by Angelina Jolie, is the high-heel-wearing villain of the film. She was redesigned from the original epic poem version to be a villainous seductress rather than a grotesque monster.
This is one of many changes in the film that looks at the original epic poem as if it were a lie told by Beowulf to make him look good. The new villain changed the mood of the story considerably. Instead of being a courageous undefeatable hero, Beowulf is seen as a man who is only defeated by his lust and greed.
My second lesson makes some of the most humorous points of the film. Beowulf cannot seem to keep his clothes on in a fight.
As such, numerous objects have to be thrown in the way in order to keep the movie rated PG-13. Some of these are so utterly ridiculous (such as a dagger dropped in a table at just the right moment) that the audience cannot help but laugh.
The film itself is an excellent display of how far computer graphics have come. At several points I found myself forgetting that I was not watching real people. In fact the models are so close to the people that are portraying them that I find it difficult to say that a character is simply "voiced" by an actor.
The film is clearly geared towards its PG-13 audience, however, with an ample supply of animated blood and gore, action packed fights and as much flesh as can be shown without slipping into an R rating. "Beowulf" will have 13-year-old boys thinking they are in heaven. Their parents may find it less than divine.
A little boy, probably about five-years-old, sat covering his ears and looking down nearly the entire movie.
I'm not sure what his parents were thinking, taking such a small child to see the extremely violent movie. Even more, I don't know why they didn't take him out of the theater after they saw him so disturbed. At least he didn't cry.
Needless to say, "Beowulf" is not for children. The movie is rated PG-13, although if I had a 13- year-old child, I don't think I'd want him or her to see it without my consent.
According to the Motion Picture Association of America, it is rated PG-13 for "intense sequences of violence including disturbing images, some sexual material and nudity."
The 1999 movie of the same name was rated R for "violence and sexuality" and the 2005 movie "Beowulf and Grendel" was rated R for "violence, language and some sexuality." Why this one wasn't rated R, I'm not sure; perhaps because it's not real blood and not a real naked Angelina Jolie.
The movie is based on the Old English poem, circa 700, which is the oldest surviving English epic. Of course, like most movies, "Beowulf" is much more glamorized than the original book.
In fact, in the book…well, I don't want to give the movie all away, but let's just say, in the book, Grendel's mother is nothing like Jolie and her and Beowulf's (Ray Winstone) encounter is far from the same.
If you are planning to see this movie just for Jolie, don't bother spending the ten dollars. In fact, I don't know if it would be worth it to rent the movie. She plays a very minor role, only making a few appearances during the film. Sure she's naked, but she's not naked. It's more like looking at a naked Barbie with the head of Jolie.
I went to see the movie because "Beowulf" is one of my favorite books, but what I liked the most about the movie was the realistic animation. Throughout the whole movie, I was analyzing it, trying to figure out if it was all animated.
There were many scenes where I was sure that it was real. I was wrong. The movie is completely computer animated; the actors simply provide the voices and appearance of the characters. "Beowulf" surpasses "Polar Express" in the animation and it is amazing to see the gains happening in computer animation.
While it was cool to put images to the characters I read about my senior year of high school, I'm not a big fan of action movies in general. However, if you are, I definitely recommend this one.
McNierney's Review
Young boys may like it, not parents
I learned two things from watching "Beowulf." Firstly, high-heels are evil. Secondly, the fewer clothes a person has on, the more powerful they become. In addition, I got to see an action-packed film with an amazing display of computer graphics.
I'll start with the first point, Grendel's mother, who is played by Angelina Jolie, is the high-heel-wearing villain of the film. She was redesigned from the original epic poem version to be a villainous seductress rather than a grotesque monster.
This is one of many changes in the film that looks at the original epic poem as if it were a lie told by Beowulf to make him look good. The new villain changed the mood of the story considerably. Instead of being a courageous undefeatable hero, Beowulf is seen as a man who is only defeated by his lust and greed.
My second lesson makes some of the most humorous points of the film. Beowulf cannot seem to keep his clothes on in a fight.
As such, numerous objects have to be thrown in the way in order to keep the movie rated PG-13. Some of these are so utterly ridiculous (such as a dagger dropped in a table at just the right moment) that the audience cannot help but laugh.
The film itself is an excellent display of how far computer graphics have come. At several points I found myself forgetting that I was not watching real people. In fact the models are so close to the people that are portraying them that I find it difficult to say that a character is simply "voiced" by an actor.
The film is clearly geared towards its PG-13 audience, however, with an ample supply of animated blood and gore, action packed fights and as much flesh as can be shown without slipping into an R rating. "Beowulf" will have 13-year-old boys thinking they are in heaven. Their parents may find it less than divine.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
patrick
posted 3/04/08 @ 10:53 AM CST
Beowulf's animation was all around impressive, though the characters' movement reminded me a lot of Shrek. I appreciate the fact that this movie gives a pseudo-education in ancient literature (never had to read the book as a child)
How to play backgammon
posted 10/21/08 @ 4:56 AM CST
Robert Zemeckis' take on Beowulf is a marvel visually but eye-popping effects are still no challenge for good old-fashioned human emotion.
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