The Colonial Gazette
Anybody Call for a Hero?: Beowulf Movie ReviewFriday, February 01, 2008 By Robert Halliwell
What does it mean to be a hero? Who is a hero? Well, this fall, a movie came out that pretty much sums it up: Beowulf. The CG smash hit opened November 16, 2007 and took the country by storm receiving 9.7 million dollars on opening day from 3,153 movies theaters across the country. Beowulf's groundbreaking animation, stunning visuals, and talented cast (Ray Winston, Anthony Hopkins and Angelina Jolie) make for an extremely entertaining time at the movies. Monsters, hot moms, and a rough, tough hero, make this movie a fantasy blast from the long, long, long ago past. This medieval tale was adapted for the screen by Neil Gaiman and Roger Avery, and the only things that actually stick to the book are the names. The story starts with King Hrothgar (Anthony Hopkins) and his people are being terrorized by the horrific monster Grendel (Crispin Glover). Hrothgar sends out a call to any and every brave man who can come and attempt to slay the monster. Who answers this call? You guessed it, Beowulf (Ray Winston) and his brave band of soldiers. Beowulf is a mighty warrior, and he quickly defeats Grendel, cutting off his arm in the process, but in doing so he enrages Grendel's mother played here by an extremely sexy and serpent-like Angelina Jolie. Beowulf journeys out to lay waste to Grendel’s mother as well, but soon finds his resolve tested by a great temptation that any man would have a hard time refusing from someone who looked like Angelina. His choice ultimately brings about a new curse; one far worse than the creature Grendel. Beowulf must live with regret from that moment on, until the day finally comes when he is given a chance for redemption. I must say this was quite an amazing movie. It was surprisingly long, but instead of that working against the movie, I thought it helped the movie because I never wanted the awesome visual effects and CG animation to stop. The fight scenes were ridiculously intense and fierce. The humor was at responsible and appropriate times. The CG was spot on and I thought that it looked better almost than real life. The actors were amazing. Angelina, along with being a great actress, is unbelievable sexy, Ray Winston is hard-core and badass, and Anthony Hopkins is always top of his game. I would recommend this movie to almost anyone who likes fantasy and mythical creatures. I mean this when I say it; this is one of the greatest fantasy movies I’ve ever seen. |