BEOWULF is a marginally entertaining film. Not as mindblowingly awesome as I hoped, nor as mindnumbingly shitty as I feared. The well-timed Austinpowersism (the term comes from Roger Ebert, which means "putting things in the foreground to keep you from seeing the family jewels") is funny.
But I don't think my life will be any different whether I've seen the film or not.
Director Robert Zemeckis had been experimenting a lot with his motion-capture technology these days. I enjoyed the first two thirds of 2004's THE POLAR EXPRESS because when the kids were taking the train to the North Pole, it was awesome as heck, but everything went downhill after that.
Animation looks smoother in this film, but I still have some reservations about the motion-capture technology. Everything still feels like a cut-scene from a PS3 game. Think the film would've been more badass if it were done like 300. This film is rather manly, but not as manly as 300. 300 has more quotable lines.
Would love to see Robert Zemeckis make live-action films again. I want the Zemeckis of Castaway, Forrest Gump and Back To The Future films. As much as he loves to play with special effects, I still think special effects should only be part of his film, not all.
A more detailed review of the film can be read on my friend, Sebastian's post. Though he was discussing more about 3D cinema than the actual film itself.
Anyway, the following is a MSN conversation I had with Sebastian regarding the film.
Warning: Contains spoilers!!!
I said:
I saw Beowulf.
He said:
in 3D?
I said:
Nah.
He said:
normal cinemas are playing it in 3D right?
I said:
Normal. Feels somewhat lacking.
He said:
of course you fucking idiot, it can only be watched in 3D
I said:
Yeah. There were just some scenes which made me went "Damn, this should be watched in 3D!"
He said:
how did they handle the violence?
He said:
the severing of grendel's arm, of beowulf's
I said:
A lot of it were there, even nude Angelina Jolie.
I said:
Got all those.
He said:
even her pubes?
I said:
Oh, not that. I think there was a sudden cut when she emerged from the water the first time.
He said:
ah, there we go
He said:
she doesnt really have a pubic area
He said:
it's smooth
I said:
Hm. But other than that, I don't think there were that many cuts.
I said:
Not really that much of a fan of this motion-capture technology.
I said:
Should either go full-blown animation, or do something like 300.
I said:
There's just something stiff and lifeless about the people in Beowulf. As much as they looked like Anthony Hopkins or John Malkovich. Hmm.
He said:
i agree
I said:
Was a little different from the actual poem.
I said:
Beowulf in the poem is a pure superhero.
He said:
but gaiman found a good way to make him flawed
I said:
Gaiman likes to do things like that.
He said:
i mean, being seduced by angelina jolie? that's brilliant
He said:
oh, didnt know that ... dunno anything about gaiman
I said:
Been doing that since Sandman. And in 'Smokes and Mirrors', he even had this short story which made Snow White the bitch and the queen the victim.
Beowulf trailer
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