Beowulf - BLU-RAY Version (2007)

Average rating

(63%)

Starring:	Ray Winstone \| Anthony Hopkins \| John Malkovich \| Robin Wright Penn \| Brendan Gleeson \| Crispin Glover \| Alison Lohman \| Angelina Jolie
Director:	Robert Zemeckis
Studio:	WARNER HOME VIDEO
Run time:	110 mins
Genres:	Action/Adventure \| Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Languages:	English
Released:	March 17, 2008
Also available on:	Beowulf - BLU-RAY Version is also available on Digital Beowulf - BLU-RAY Version is also available on DVD Beowulf - BLU-RAY Version is also available on hd_dvd

Using the same CGI technique as his film The Polar Express, Robert Zemeckis directs this adaptation of Beowulf and Grendel's legendary story. Angelina Jolie, Anthony Hopkins, and Ray Winstone voice the epic heroes and villains with a script from Neil Gaiman and Roger Avary.

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Highest rated reviews

4 out of 4 people found the following review helpful:

Uncanny Valley

Akira from from Birmingham, 18th March, 2008

While i felt the film itself was rather good the cgi spoilt it for me. The characters lack emotion and it all feels extremley fake. I know people are praising the film for its graphics but i'm sure they have not seen Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within another cgi film which featured much more realistic graphics and is a film from 2001. Prehaps i am being a little harsh though if you can look past the graphics there is enjoyment to be found here. Beowulf is an epic tale of heroes and monsters and anyone who enjoys the fantasy genre will enjoy this fillm. I do feel the film would have benifited more from giving the wonderful Angelina Jolie a bit more screen time as her character is fascinating but this is not her tale, but still who dosen't want to see Jolie?

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Most recent reviews

Polar express on steroids

Jeffa from from Southampton, 4th October, 2008

Fro the same people who brought you Polar express, which for a child's fantasy is a good film. But this is an adult story with adult themes. Not ideally suitable for children. Robert Zemickis admited it himself in the making of featurette. Largely dtached from the original poem and story narrative. An atypical Hollywood rewrite. The animation was completely out for the female characters. In fact I have never seen so many womens facial features look the same. I would go as far as saying that the women's features except Jolies' looked Shrekish. The CGI lighting and atmosphere were half creations and not quite finished. The actual film looked rushed and felt rushed. Some of the characters more could have been done with more time and more crafting. Like one of the reviewers here I to have FInal Fantasy Spirits within, and I admire what Sony did with that. I have it on DVD and Blu-Ray and so far this doesn't come near it in terms of story and depth as well as CGI animation. Tony Hopkins John Malkovich and Angelina Jolie are the only real feature actors which you are able to recognise either by their facial or vocal expression and perhaps in terms of Ms Jolie let us just say her body and soul are in this movie. I didn't recognise her voice but once I saw the face and figure there was no mistaking whom I was looking at. Verdict: Well I should be raving about it by now but I am not. Perhaps it was the unemotiveness of the animation before me. How can you empathise with something that is giving you little or no feeling or lack of response onscreen. Overall I give this 3 stars. It has some good parts to the animation and some good parts to the story, but too little expression leaves too much to the imagination. I would describe it at times like one of those bad Sat Navs that wants you to turn left up the wrong way of a one way street.. Time warner, Learn from Sony, They have been doing this for years, Their Rotoscopic effect staging is second to none. Their unit technical staff and Animation teams have been practicing for years producing not only the Final fantasy film mentioned above but have kept up practice doing the Barbie fable movies based on ballet art and movement for years. And on top of that they have the experience to make more of this movie than was. The film has its good points and some good story effects but lacks that edge. It also lacks in many other areas and needs some more fine tuning. Worth a rent but I would not buy it.

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