What
a rollercoaster of a movie – more fun than Luna Park and
cheaper too. It’s based on an ancient Anglo-Saxon poem
recalling Norse Legends which were also the source of inspiration
for Richard Wagner and The Ring of the Nibelungen.
Siegfried a hero, the dragon, giants, and the magic sword are
all motives in The Ring.
However this film is no Wagnerian opera. By comparison it’s
rather silly, yet it provides a couple of hours of cheerful
escapism and you certainly won’t be bored.
The story is set in Denmark in the 8th century when Geatish
(basically, Swedish) warrior hero Beowulf (Ray Winstone) sails
across the seas to arrive at the court of King Hrothgar (Anthony
Hopkins) who enlists his help to kill the marauding local horror,
a giant demon named Grendel (Crispin Glover); who bears a notable
resemblance to the Golem. For some oddball reason, Beowulf strips
off to attack the giant requiring much fortuitous placement
of foreground objects to conceal his private parts. He succeeds
is killing the demon, but is then led to come to grips with
Grendel’s daemonic mother who turns up in the form of
a glowing gold naked Angelina Jolie, lips and all in Prada high
heels sporting a spiked tail. Years later, somewhat aged Beowulf
now the King of Denmark is again confronted by Grendel’s
persistent mum and a terrifying fire breathing dragon. Naturally
there’s a decisive battle to the death.
Director Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future) uses
the same motion capture technique that appeared in Polar
Express, giving the actors a digital enhancement resulting
in a curious amalgamation of animation and live action. In the
case of this mythological tale, it works well; even enabling
actors like Ray Winstone to have bodies they can only dream
about, so they are more than happy to display their nudity with
pride.
The script is by Neil Gaiman and Roger Avary (co-writer of
Pulp Fiction) whipping the dialogue into contemporary
shape and getting the action rolling. One detects a tongue in
cheek, especially with the bawdy ditties sung with gusto by
the unlikely choir. But its all fun. There’s a fair amount
of good natured bloodletting and disembodied bits flying about,
but that should be anticipated.
The
cast is top draw, Anthony Hopkins (All The King’s
Men) provides his usual competent routine right down to
the sinister chuckles, even manages the line “How’s
your father?” without breaking up. Ray Winstone (The
Departed) never looked so good, a true “Siegfried”
albeit with that gravelly cockney delivery that does seem a
bit out of kilter. As Grendel’s stunning mother Angelina
Jolie (A Mighty Heart) is one of the most sensual figures
on the screen since Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman. You
might recognize John Malkovich wheedling his way as the sinister
Unferth, while Robin Wright Penn is given a touch of Snow White
as Wealthow.
The special effects are dramatic, especially when the camera
moves back revealing actors in the foreground who seem right
in front of you. It gives totally new meaning to closeups. Director
of photography Robert Presley makes excellent use of the technique,
so be assured there are shocks aplenty. Perhaps we’ll
even have to learn new grammar in film technique if the industry
goes further in similar productions.
At all events, this should be popular with a wide audience.
Take my advice and do see Beowulf as it was intended
on as a large a screen as possible.
