Review of Beowulf (2007) by Pablo C — 02 Apr 2011

Review from Nov 2007.

One of the best compliments you can pay to a film is that it didn't feel as long as it really was; and that definitely happened to me during Beowulf. Unfortunately, I didn't get to see it in 3D, which kinda sucks since you can pinpoint the moments that were made specifically for 3D (spears coming in your direction, etc...) There's some great over-the-top violence in this movie. I'm actually kind of baffled by the PG-13 rating. I mean, there's actually a long fight sequence when Beowulf is completely nude, and I could swear I saw a digital wang flopping around every once in a while. It's actually really funny how they manage to keep his privates covered, "Austin Powers"-style (strategically placed shields and helmets, etc...) The film is a lot of fun. The actors all seemed to be enjoying their stuff. Brendan Gleeson makes a fantastic buff action hero (something he'd probably never play in real life...), Anthony Hopkins gives a pretty brilliant performance as King Hrothgar. His performance ranges from hilarious, to melancholy, to haunting, and he's not even the main character. And then there's Angelina Jolie, who is insanely sexy. I'm not even talking about the performance, I just mean her in general. But about the performance....it's sexy. Casting her as a devilish temptress is a no brainer. The problem I had with the movie is the animation. Sometimes it looks good, especially in a few close-ups where the eyes are totally convincing, but a lot of the time the characters look like creepy doll people, The movements are also kind of awkward, like I found a shot of people galloping on horses to be particularly hilarious, and I don't think it was supposed to be. So, to sum it all up: it's fast, funny, action-packed and occasionally over-the-top, lots of fun, but this type of animation just hasn't been perfected yet.