Beowulf the CG movie

[GRAND CANNON]

Synopsis via http://www.beowulfmovie.com :

"In a legendary time of heroes, the mighty warrior Beowulf battles the demon Grendel and includes hellish wrath of the beast's ruthlessly seductive mother. Their epic clash forges the timeless legend of Beowulf.

Groundbreaking director Robert Zemeckis offers a unique vision of the Beowulf saga in a way that it has never been told before. "Beowulf" stars RAY WINSTONE in the title role and ANTHONY HOPKINS as the corrupt King Hrothgar, as well as JOHN MALKOVICH, ROBIN WRIGHT PENN, BRENDAN GLEESON, CRISPIN GLOVER, ALISON LOHMAN, and ANGELINA JOLIE as Grendel's mother.

Neil Gaiman (the graphic novel "Mirrormask," "Sandman") & Roger Avary ("Pulp Fiction") have adapted the legen to the screen."

If I had only paid attention in English class back in high school, I might remember more of this poem.

Movie sounds and looks great, IMHO. Although some character shots look "CG", there are many that are amazing:

Ray Winstone

Anthony Hopkins

Angelina Jolie

Any thoughts?

[Loner]

You should have done what I did when I had to do a report. Read the Cliff's Note version.

[eriku]

I'll see it because it has Crispin Glover in it.

[Smiley424]

At first I figured the movie would be cheesy Hollywood attempt to cash in on the LOTR Fantasy craze, but with Gaiman doing the adaptation and the cast, I'm giving this more of a chance.

[Golden Arms]

Have they shown what Grendel and his Mother look like? I used to love this story when I was a kid.

[Morpheus]

Have they shown what Grendel and his Mother look like? I used to love this story when I was a kid.

I heard Angelina Jolie is the Grendel mother......

[EXO]

CG actors suck... looks like a bunch of good actors acting stiff.

[GobotFool]

Yikes. While there is something not exactly right about the way they look, if you didn't tell me these pics were of CG people, I would never have been able to tell. The uncanny valley is getting alot smaller.

[Kamjin 639]

What? Christopher Lambert isn't good enough anymore?

I seriously sat-through that whole movie, going "There can be only one...Beowulf!"

[Graham]

Bah, listen to the Marillion song 'Grendel'.

Graham

[GobotFool]

Have they shown what Grendel and his Mother look like? I used to love this story when I was a kid.

I think Joli's playing Grendel's mama. She's scary enough for the role. BTW, check out some of the trailers on the offical site. it looks pretty cool. Definitly several leaps beyond Final Fantasy and Polar Express.

Edited July 30, 2007 by GobotFool

[realdeal]

It is so hard to tell those pics are CG at all! I'm defintely going to check this out.

Did any of you see "Beowulf and Grendel" starring Gerard Butler before he did The 300? It is a pretty good flick and you might be able to rent it still at Blockbuster. It takes a realistic view of the Beowulf and Grendel story and is quite a compelling movie.

[Effect]

It didn't even click with me that the whole thing was going to be in CG. I knew something about the actor playing Beowulf seemed off but never made the connection.

[Roy Focker]

It didn't even click with me that the whole thing was going to be in CG. I knew something about the actor playing Beowulf seemed off but never made the connection.

Didn't the younger and fuller face Angelina tip you off?

[Fatalist]

CG actors suck... looks like a bunch of good actors acting stiff.

Hmm...someones off my christmas list.

[the white drew carey]

Wait a sec, Angelina Jolie's just reprising her role froom Alexander as his...

"Trrranzylvay-nian Moe-thrrrr..."

Man, does she ever suck.

[Fatalist]

And well I would imagine with those DSL's she has. Man...........

[electric indigo]

CG actors suck... looks like a bunch of good actors acting stiff.

I was wondering what Zemeckis is trying to accomplish with CG actors, too. Or did the general standard for acting sink so low that the CG creatures surpass it now? If they must use CG actors, they should take it to a totally different direction, but not that boring pseudo-realism.

On top of that, the cinematography sucks, too. The trailer looks like a cutscene from a video game.

Maybe the script will save this one... ha ha

Edited July 31, 2007 by electric indigo

[Ladic]

the trailer looks fantastic

[Graham]

Man, does she ever suck.

With those lips, I'm sure she does......................and probably quite well.

Graham

[GobotFool]

Maybe the script will save this one... ha ha

It's written by Gaiman, so I bet the script will be awesome.

[eugimon]

fast saw the trailer, it was attached to Bourne Ultimatum... I say meh. Looks and feels like the last the polar express movie, and the character "animation" didn't feel very convincing. Angelina's character moved exceptionally akwardly.

[uminoken]

Well after seeing this on the IMAX screen, I must say it's a feast for the eyes indeed (and not just naked 3D Jolie) There are some awesome shots in this movie. The characters are mainly hit or miss, the guys usually look great, but the women seem off. The facial animation on Wiglaf's final scene is amazing. Grendel looks and sounds creepy as all hell. Overall, it's a fun night at the movies. Here's hoping we don't get a repeat of FF:Spirits Within's box office.

[Hoptimus]

Saw this today. Pretty cool. The dragon battle was amazing!

[Hikuro]

So, guess I'm gonna go watch it next thursday. Every thanksgiving my mom and I go see a movie while we let the turkey cook...helps pass the time. So this a good popcorn flick?

[Radd]

I'm worried about how the CG will look. Mostly the animation. On the other hand, it's showing at the Sundance Theatre in town, which has a bar right in the theatre, and midnight showings Friday and Saturday, so it might be a fun night out with some friends.

[kanedaestes]

It was okay. Some parts were stunning and some were rubbery looking. I enjoyed the film but it wasn't great, just good. Not something i would add to my DVD collection. After you see it once you don't really need to see it again. There is no return value at least not to me. But hey a half naked Angelina wasn't bad, and yes you do see her breast and nips, and yes the cgi is very accurate to the real person for those who are wondering.

[Southpaw Samurai]

As much as it might mean increasing the cost of tickets by 50% (or more, if you're a matinee person), I'd HIGHLY recommend that anyone who's tempted to see this see it in an IMAX 3D theater if they can. It adds considerably to the impact and it looks like a lot of scenes were done with 3D in mind (some gimicky 'here's a spear in your face' ones, but just certain flybyes and such just aren't as fun without the 3D).

I enjoyed it. It's one of the better adaptations of the original work, staying true to the 'rah,rah, Beowulf's great!' feel of the poem, but throwing on a failible, mortal side that doesn't overtake Beowulf being larger than life (Beowulf & Grendel is an example where trying to add on 'realism' and more depth kills the epic nature of the material). It works on a storytelling level and can be simple as you want or your can pick out some of the extra depth they tossed in. I like how they tie all the main events from the poem together to make them related, then explain why today we don't hear about why they were related.

I wouldn't go in to watch it for the technical aspects. You'd spend your time being disappointed at what doesn't quite work that you'll both miss the stuff that looks great and the overall experience of the film. The closer they get to it looking like live photography, the more there will be to nitpick. Yes, often the characters don't look like they were actual people filmed, but they do all work together with the background, non-human characters, and effects, so I don't see a problem. Robin Wright Penn's character is particularly a problem, but I think that's mainly because her face just doesn't translate as well. She has some wide, flat, smooth features which just come across as plastic in CG. The younger girl works a little better because of freckles and other detail, but I think the problem with the CG women in this is the same problem artists (mostly male ones, anyway) have had for years with women: if you put too much detail on, they look worn and haggard, if you put too little, they're simplistic and fake... a guy can easily draw a woman who's supposed to be ugly, but the minute we try to go for 'beautiful', we keep playing it and just screw it up. That said, Jolie comes out very nice... in some cases, she almost looks like someone just took the film of her and composited it with the CG characters.

But, go in to the theater looking for a nice retelling of an old epic, not to marvel at the technology. It's not a 'must see', but it's a good experience, particularly in 3D.

[1st Border Red Devil]

I thought it was rather dumb. Sorry, but I've gotten to the age where I cannot simply suspend disbelief when it comes to the kinds of arms/armour and other accoutrements (not to mention architecture) that movie makers routinely crap all over. The fact none of the Geats are wearing anything to protect their extremities from the climate was among the most patently absurd things I had seen in a long time. This is not Conan the Barbarrian and Beowulf was very much a human, however much he was the 5th/6th Century Anglo-Saxon Warrior personified. Heorot looked like a Roman ruin, which is rather absurd as it was supposed to be the typical period timbered hall.

Ah well...

[chrono]

I've got to echo 1st Border Red Devil on this one. I got the distinct "Clash of The Titans" vibe from just the trailer!

This has "pet project" all over it...

[Hikuro]

My family and I just got back from it, we all agreed a CGI film such as this would require us to finally watch it Imax 3D style and boy was that interesting...I flinched when the arrows were being fired at the Dragon XD, dunno how that exactly happened but it did and I couldn't stop laughing.

All in all, good movie, though, I don't remember the second half being that way in the poem.....I do remember him killing grendle and having his arm on a meat hook.......and he later became king....but I tend to remember him having some sort of an apprentice or something while fighting that dragon which wasn't his son.

[Fatalist]

The thing about the Beowulf tale is that there are so many interpretations and liberties taken. This is also the case with the movie. Gaiman and Avery took the original tale and just interpreted it and added their own liberties to it to possibly make it a little more interesting.

As for me, I liked it. I have some minor gripes about it, but overall I really enjoyed it. And I cannot wait for the DVD release.

Edited November 23, 2007 by Fatalist

[wolfx]

Beowulf the poem was probably written by a drunk Gead.

I enjoyed the movie. It had so much manliness in it that I'd call Beowulf GAR. And though some parts the CG was awkwardly obvious, most of the film I really forgot that I'm watching a CG show. The rendering for this film was awesome!