Review of Beowulf & Grendel (2005) by Brian D — 11 Aug 2007

The movie is based on the Norse myth which happens to be the oldest story to be written in english. It follows the actions of a Norse hero Beowulf who is called to a village who is being attacked by a troll named Grendel. However the hero soon discovers that a simple troll killing is really a much more involved problem. I was kind of disappointed with this, though part of it was because I thought there'd be bigger fights. The acting was well done and the location was perfect for the story. Grendel was interesting and well done, though in the case of Beowulf altough he is more clever and the best fighter of everyone you don't get the whole epid hero feel. No larger than life character. However the big problem is that they changed the myth. Grendel is no longer your normal moster but something deeper and more 'human'. While it results in some cool scenes, such as when Beowulf and Grendel talk to each other, it annoys me when classic stories are changed. Also makes the movie kind of depressing. So while there are some good parts overall the movie was disappointing.

Best Scene: When Grendel first greets Beowulf and his band.

Best Line: "Have you ever walked the sea?" "No that's what my boat is for.".

Rating: Skip it.