Beowulf
2007  PG-13  ANIMATED  1h 55min
CAST— Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins, Angelina Jolie, John Malkovich, Robin Wright Penn, Brendan Gleeson, Crispin Glover, Alison Lohman, Costas Mandylor
MUSIC— Alan Silvestri  DIRECTOR— Robert Zemeckis  BASED ON— Beowulf (poem), by anonymous

     If you remember your high school lit. classes you may have a vague recollection of the centuries-old poem of Beowulf and Grendel. Well, for those of us who never paid attention in school here’s a high tech film adaptation, full of action, adventure and effects. The story is quite simple: an Anglo-Saxon land is being plagued by the creature Grendel, a hideous monster which no man can kill. A brave warrior named Beowulf arrives to save the day, rid the land of the beast, and ascend to the throne. But little does he know what the future will bring for he and his people… Terrific animation brings the action to life with few complaints; the characters are fleshed out, portrayed with realism as opposed to relying upon caricatures, except for, ironically, the title hero. Betcha won’t forget the name “Beowulf” after watching this film. Unrated version also available.
OUR RATING— ** ½
ORIGINAL— Beowulf (1999), Beowulf & Grendel (2005)