Film Review: Beowulf! in 3D!
Besides the odd swimming feeling after removing the 3D glasses and confronting unfiltered reality, I thought the 3D version of Beowulf rather good!
All in all, a surprisingly mostly-faithful adaptation (thank you Neil Gaiman!) of the ancient tale. Yes, I did miss Wulfgar (at least in the role the original tale cast him in), and it was slightly sad that only Grendel appeared to be speaking Old English, but accepting that, it was still good adventure fun, and Seamus Heaney might even have approved of this adaptation. Oh, and yes, I am looking past this very "alternate ending."
Before getting to the disarming (haha) chatter about the film - the trailer gold...adverts for Coraline in 3D (ahhh! needle!).
Observations:
1. 3D effects: I actually think they complimented this film very well...from the floating opening titles, to the massive spear-in-eye, to the rat-eagle flight, to the Grendel fight scenes. Besides the yawning chasms and dragon flame.
2. Graphical Renderings: I think we're at a real risk of actors prefering a graphical rendering of themselves to their actual physical presence on camera. Beyond the bouqous bucks of game tie-ins, it's the impossibly idealized caricature of themselves...from the Austin Powers-styled near-comedy covering of Ray Winstone's boldly nude physique, to Antony Hopkin's improbably non-saggy bum, to the unearthly sight of moisture-dripping Angelina Jolie (ahem).
Ladies & gentlemen, I think we have now found our idealized statuary for the ages.
3. Was I the only one who thought there could be sequeled dramatic gold by viewing the entire tale again, only this time behind John MalkovichUnferth's eyes? Who knows, maybe one has to sneak through a weird space in the rafters of the great hall, and are subsequently spit out onto a pebble beach somewhere. ;-)
4. I like how much of the alien culture of that age they kept in the tale. There was no Charlemagne-izing it. Old Beowulf had blonde bedwarmers still. ;-)
5. It's altogether shocking to realize George McFly was Grendel! Surprising still to see that Crispin Glover's career rebounded from his notorious drugged-interview on TV with David Letterman. On the whole, he did a good job, but he was no Andy Serkis - 'nuff said.
---
Meanwhile, I am now doubly-curious about 2005's Beowulf & Grendel.
All in all, a surprisingly mostly-faithful adaptation (thank you Neil Gaiman!) of the ancient tale. Yes, I did miss Wulfgar (at least in the role the original tale cast him in), and it was slightly sad that only Grendel appeared to be speaking Old English, but accepting that, it was still good adventure fun, and Seamus Heaney might even have approved of this adaptation. Oh, and yes, I am looking past this very "alternate ending."
Before getting to the disarming (haha) chatter about the film - the trailer gold...adverts for Coraline in 3D (ahhh! needle!).
Observations:
1. 3D effects: I actually think they complimented this film very well...from the floating opening titles, to the massive spear-in-eye, to the rat-eagle flight, to the Grendel fight scenes. Besides the yawning chasms and dragon flame.
2. Graphical Renderings: I think we're at a real risk of actors prefering a graphical rendering of themselves to their actual physical presence on camera. Beyond the bouqous bucks of game tie-ins, it's the impossibly idealized caricature of themselves...from the Austin Powers-styled near-comedy covering of Ray Winstone's boldly nude physique, to Antony Hopkin's improbably non-saggy bum, to the unearthly sight of moisture-dripping Angelina Jolie (ahem).
Ladies & gentlemen, I think we have now found our idealized statuary for the ages.
3. Was I the only one who thought there could be sequeled dramatic gold by viewing the entire tale again, only this time behind John MalkovichUnferth's eyes? Who knows, maybe one has to sneak through a weird space in the rafters of the great hall, and are subsequently spit out onto a pebble beach somewhere. ;-)
4. I like how much of the alien culture of that age they kept in the tale. There was no Charlemagne-izing it. Old Beowulf had blonde bedwarmers still. ;-)
5. It's altogether shocking to realize George McFly was Grendel! Surprising still to see that Crispin Glover's career rebounded from his notorious drugged-interview on TV with David Letterman. On the whole, he did a good job, but he was no Andy Serkis - 'nuff said.
---
Meanwhile, I am now doubly-curious about 2005's Beowulf & Grendel.