Films and TV

By Gordon in Films and TV ⋅ November 30, 2007 ⋅  Email this post ⋅  Print this post ⋅ Post a comment

Beowulf is a new film version of the Anglo Saxon epic poem, which as every schoolboy knows is the oldest poem in the (Old) English language.It tells the story of the hero Beowulf in his battles against the monster Grendel, then Grendel's mother, then finally in his old age against a mighty dragon.

This is an animated version, with a lot of clever CGI trickery, though all the actors are quite recognisable. Ray Winstone plays Beowulf, a real hero though given to boasting and lying. Anthony Hopkins is old King Hrothgar, complete with Welsh accent, as indeed all the Danes seem to have funnily enough. And Beowulf speaks cockney - gor blimey! John Malkovich is also on good form as the slimy and devious councillor Unferth.
Grendel and his mother, on the other hand, speak Old English (aka Anglo Saxon). Which is pretty hard to understand but sounds cool! Grendel's mother is played by Angelina Jolie. Wearing nothing much but some gold paint. She's got the same hairstyle that she had in Tomb Raider, though the plait has grown much much longer and is now prehensile!
Great scenes of wenching, feasting and fornication in the mead hall of Heorot. Great gory action scenes of monster fighting. Excellent intelligent script from Neil Gaiman (see Stardust review)

It varies from the original story in that several new elements have been added in to expand and explain the motivation of the characters, but I don't think that hurts. To me it captures the whole spirit of that lost heroic age perfectly. I loved it. (But then I do like this kind of thing, if done well.)
Highly recommended. Eleven stars from me!

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