Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins, John Malkovich, Robin Wright Penn, Brendan Gleeson, Crispin Glover, Alison Lohman, Angelina Jolie. Written by Neil Gaiman & Roger Avary. Directed by Robert Zemeckis.
FILM SYNOPSIS: Robert Zemeckis offers a 14-year-old-boy’s alluring vision of the legendary saga of the mighty warrior Beowulf, who battles the demon Grendel and incurs the hellish wrath of the beast’s ruthlessly seductive mother. PREVIEW REVIEW: To look at, this rendition is awesome, if you’ll allow me the use that now corrupted word. Much of this awesomeness is due to the 3D trickery (do not see this film without the 3D effect). As with The Polar Express, a process known as “performance capture” has been used to excite our senses. It’s not live action, it’s not animation, it’s a hybrid visual technique done because, well, because they can. Like a camera in a cell phone or an ipod capable of recording every song known to ASCAP – there’s really no legitimate reason for performance capture, but they can do it. It’s like, cool. The look is the cinema’s equivalent to the comic book. The film has been sexed up, what with a seemingly nude Angelina Jolie prancing around as a fetching demon, complete with stiletto heels. And the special effects-driven dragon will entertain those who live for CG magic. But will this updated fable satisfy those who actually read the tome while in high school? Well, literary appreciators are not the intended audience. The story is condensed and refocused, but it does deal with the sins of pride and giving in to temptation. Somewhat. The legendary poem has as much to do with man’s destiny and his foibles as with his conquests. But here man’s nature takes a backseat to the action and special effects. What will no doubt draw repeat business is the hypnotic visual conception. It is a production where backgrounds become potent characters, the look of the film doing as much to propel the story as the dialogue or performances. Actually, more.
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