A 3D IMAX experience like none other
WARNING: Contains spoilers about Beowulf. If you haven't seen it yet, you may not want to read this.
That being said, on with the show.
Beowulf was hands down freakin' awesome. I don't know how else to put it. There's nothing else quite like going to the Indiana State Museum and watching 3D movies of monsters, heroes and curses. Jeez. Though the movie is by the same people that brought us Polar Express, they have definitely upped the ante and provided digital worlds and actors who are almost photo-real at times. I remember having to tell someone that they weren't real actors after having seen the trailer at some point. Again, these digital actors looked good: they could sweat, laugh, cry, fight, swim, take off their clothes (Beowulf in particular), and many other things. Amazing. Seeing it in 3D also helped, as the digital actors were given all the more depth and 'reality' with the extra dimension, allowing debris and blood to fly at the audience, spears and weapons to leap out from the fourth wall, and flights through trees and countrysides make you feel as though you were really there. I don't know if I would've liked it as well having not seen the 3D version, and though it was a bit more on the costly end of things, it was definitely worth it. I wouldn't have had it any other way.
The story follows the framework of the original Beowulf epic poem, but writers Neil Gaiman and Roger Avery bring it to life and add some interesting twists and dimensions to the tale of old. This is definitely not the Beowulf some of us read in 8th Grade, and though it was cool then, it's even cooler now. Where the writers took the story, with its elements of a curse, misbegotten creatures and ill-gained fame, made the story new and fresh in my opinion. Grendel and his Mother are no longer just generic beasties hiding in the dark only to randomly strike out at man; they were made more real, more actual characters with motivation, wants and needs. This humanizing of the monsters, and the animal nature displayed in Beowulf served to reverse the roles traditionally given to the heroes and the villains, making them a bit more ambiguous, and more interesting to watch. I was excited to see where this 'new' tale would take us. It's just like with Peter Jackson's remake of King Kong: everyone knows how it ends, but how they arrive at the ending is what makes these reinventions so fun and fascinating to watch. The music, overall, didn't seem to be too out of the ordinary, but for this movie and what it was trying to get across, it worked and helped beef up the really extra-manly parts (of the film). ;) The beautiful parts worked with the music, too, especially the songs sung to Beowulf by the queen, Wealthow.
The 3D, for all its glory, took a few minutes to really get used to, but after that really helped bring the movie to life. I don't know if it was the IMAX screen itself, or the 3D images leaping about, but my eyes seemed a bit tired after the film ended. Probably because I didn't blink for a few minutes in there during the really crazy scenes. Maybe because I was tired. Maybe because they absorbed more epic manliness than is recommended for an evening's entertainment. Who knows.
All I can say is that Beowulf is a hell of a ride. I definitely suggest viewing the film in 3D, and also in the IMAX format. These factors combine with an already great movie, and make for an all-too-over-with-too-soon experience not soon to be forgotten. From a pounding soundtrack, to a fantastic cast of actors, to cutting-edge technology in both digital worlds/actors and 3D visual experiences, to a fresh take on the Beowulf tale, this movie has all that. It sets out to thrill audiences and does just that. Go, dear readers. Go pay homage to the silver screen and pray upon the altar of popcorn, mass media and culture. You'll enjoy it, I just know it. Don't have too much fun, now...
Rock on!
That being said, on with the show.
Beowulf was hands down freakin' awesome. I don't know how else to put it. There's nothing else quite like going to the Indiana State Museum and watching 3D movies of monsters, heroes and curses. Jeez. Though the movie is by the same people that brought us Polar Express, they have definitely upped the ante and provided digital worlds and actors who are almost photo-real at times. I remember having to tell someone that they weren't real actors after having seen the trailer at some point. Again, these digital actors looked good: they could sweat, laugh, cry, fight, swim, take off their clothes (Beowulf in particular), and many other things. Amazing. Seeing it in 3D also helped, as the digital actors were given all the more depth and 'reality' with the extra dimension, allowing debris and blood to fly at the audience, spears and weapons to leap out from the fourth wall, and flights through trees and countrysides make you feel as though you were really there. I don't know if I would've liked it as well having not seen the 3D version, and though it was a bit more on the costly end of things, it was definitely worth it. I wouldn't have had it any other way.
The story follows the framework of the original Beowulf epic poem, but writers Neil Gaiman and Roger Avery bring it to life and add some interesting twists and dimensions to the tale of old. This is definitely not the Beowulf some of us read in 8th Grade, and though it was cool then, it's even cooler now. Where the writers took the story, with its elements of a curse, misbegotten creatures and ill-gained fame, made the story new and fresh in my opinion. Grendel and his Mother are no longer just generic beasties hiding in the dark only to randomly strike out at man; they were made more real, more actual characters with motivation, wants and needs. This humanizing of the monsters, and the animal nature displayed in Beowulf served to reverse the roles traditionally given to the heroes and the villains, making them a bit more ambiguous, and more interesting to watch. I was excited to see where this 'new' tale would take us. It's just like with Peter Jackson's remake of King Kong: everyone knows how it ends, but how they arrive at the ending is what makes these reinventions so fun and fascinating to watch. The music, overall, didn't seem to be too out of the ordinary, but for this movie and what it was trying to get across, it worked and helped beef up the really extra-manly parts (of the film). ;) The beautiful parts worked with the music, too, especially the songs sung to Beowulf by the queen, Wealthow.
The 3D, for all its glory, took a few minutes to really get used to, but after that really helped bring the movie to life. I don't know if it was the IMAX screen itself, or the 3D images leaping about, but my eyes seemed a bit tired after the film ended. Probably because I didn't blink for a few minutes in there during the really crazy scenes. Maybe because I was tired. Maybe because they absorbed more epic manliness than is recommended for an evening's entertainment. Who knows.
All I can say is that Beowulf is a hell of a ride. I definitely suggest viewing the film in 3D, and also in the IMAX format. These factors combine with an already great movie, and make for an all-too-over-with-too-soon experience not soon to be forgotten. From a pounding soundtrack, to a fantastic cast of actors, to cutting-edge technology in both digital worlds/actors and 3D visual experiences, to a fresh take on the Beowulf tale, this movie has all that. It sets out to thrill audiences and does just that. Go, dear readers. Go pay homage to the silver screen and pray upon the altar of popcorn, mass media and culture. You'll enjoy it, I just know it. Don't have too much fun, now...
Rock on!