Review: Beowulf (Grade B)

I guess I was one of those rare individuals who somehow missed being forced to read "Beowulf" in school so as a result I didn't know anything about the story. What can I say, I was the product of the public school system.

Going into it all I knew is that Angelina Jolie was supposed to be naked (Whoohoo!), it was shot with motion capture maximized for 3D and that Robert Zemeckis directed it. And that was good enough for me.

Zemeckis tried this technology before with 2004's "Polar Express" and even though that film was uber creepy I expected that three years later there would be some radical advancement. But there wasn't. Now don't get me wrong, the new and improved 3D was breathtaking and the colors were brilliant, heck the movie even had pretty good performances and a tight story, but the people? Yeah, still creepy. The problem with this technique is that a soul less computer cannot capture the life and soul of REAL people. They look dead or at best wax figures. And this is what bothered me because I thought if anyone could get this right it would be Robert Zemeckis.

The story is based on the seventh century poem about a Viking hero who even with the best intentions falls prey to lust and greed when he tries to fight a monster that's been wreaking havoc in a far away kingdom. Apparently this poem is one of the first pieces of western literature ever written and as such it's pretty convoluted. Screenwriters Neil Gaiman and Roger Avery have taken the essence of this poem and brought it to life in a very easy to understand way, perhaps too easy at times as I felt I was being hit on the head with pseudo religious allegory. But hey, they're no dummies, right?

I actually got to see this movie and discuss it afterwards with an actual Hollywood director and I was a little surprised by his reaction. He unabashedly loved it. He said the movie was stunning (it was) and that the people were very lifelike (they weren't.) Personally, I think that he was distracted by all the objects and pretty lights flying at him from the 3D.

But let's get back to the best part. Angelina Jolie as the monster's mom. Wow, she looked scarily real. It was extremely obvious that most of the budget went to making her look downright delicious and also to make Beowulf NOT look like Ray Winstone. Money well spent on both accounts.

So, I recommend you see this in the theater, in 3D and at IMAX if you can because this film is an amazing cinematic experience, something that can't be duplicated at home. If this is what Zemeckis wanted to pull off then he more than exceeded his goal but if he actually thought the "people" in the film could actually replace actors, then he was sadly mistaken.

Musings Grade: B