Beowulf

[Vilge Duin]

Anyone else excited for it?

I've been waiting ever since I first heard word of it. And with a week and a few days left, the anticipation is bugging me.

The R rated trailer can be found here.

While the all audiences trailer can be found here.

You got Neil Gaiman on the screenplay. You have Robert Zemeckis directing. Crispin Glover, Anthony Hopkins, Angelina Solie, John Malkovich, and others providing voices. With Ray Winstone as Beowulf. That's just stacked.

Albeit there's been talk that it's censored for it's nudity and gore, but now it's being said it's all intact but with a PG 13 rating because it's animated.

Can't wait regardless.

[Gabriel]

I saw the sneak peek on the Scream Awards, and then the trailers that have aired on tv since then have also caught my eye. This looks like it's going to be one completely kickass movie.

Naked Angelina... even if it is an animated render of her... is always welcome.

[ROC]

It's weird that they have an R-rated trailer for a PG-13 movie. And it's weirder that they're able to keep the violence.

Anyways, this definitely has a 300 vibe to it (which oddly enough after hearing about 300, the original epic even got this vibe attached to it) so audiences will probably check it out, and Roger Avary getting work is quite fine with me especially with Gaiman also involved.

[Gongsun Zan]

I've seen better graphics on my 360.

[apsham]

The trailer that I saw for it looked so horrible, I made fun of it the whole way through... didn't impress me one little bit, looked cheesy as hell.

[Guest Psyence]

The trailer that I saw for it looked so horrible, I made fun of it the whole way through... didn't impress me one little bit, looked cheesy as hell.

[Liam]

I love the original story, but hated the look of what is basically a CGI love-in. I dunno whether I'd fancy seeing it, to be honest.

[Maxx]

Apparently its an incredible experience when seen in 3D, thats what the reviews are saying anyways

[tristy]

I'm psyched as fuck for it, basically for the sole reason that I really enjoying the original story. That said, I know some plot elements were taken out and replacements were added, blah blah blah.

It's still on my must-see list, regardless. And naked Angelina Jolie = more anticipated.

[gunnar hendershow]

The theater I work in is basically banking on this to destroy once it's out. We have a 3D theater and we more than expect it to be completely sold out all weekend.

[ROC]

I am really glad that not only am I gonna go, but I'm gonna go because of my school taking us, thus missing classes to see a possibly cool flick.

[Guest U.s_Champ_Mysterio]

Im going with my school too after studying the book last year. Looks cool.

[Sousa]

I am really glad that not only am I gonna go, but I'm gonna go because of my school taking us, thus missing classes to see a possibly cool flick.

Your school is taking you to see this complete and utter bastardization of Anglo-Saxon lore? Boo.

Nothing about this movie interests me. The actors look plastic and emotionless, just like The Polar Express (gee, I wonder why...), the arbitrary "sexy Grendel's mother" is the most random and asinine change I've seen in quite some time, and the fact that the story has apparently been rewritten as a morality tale speaks volumes for the fact that these authors know very little about Beowulf and a whole lot about Hollywood. No thanks.

[livid]

You know what? Regardless of if the story is changed or not (I don't know, I haven't read up on what's gonna be different or anything), it's hard not to predict this movie doing well. I think people are either getting too worked up about it being changed a bit (well, duh it's a movie, they have to add some stuff) or the look of the film. I don't know, maybe it's just me, but with who's involved in this movie, I think regardless of story changing or not, it should be a good movie.

Unfortunately should and will aren't synonymous, so we'll wait and see.

[The Kraig]

Never heard of the legend so I'll enjoy the film. And I never even knew it was all computerized, I thought it was another one of those heavily edited films like '300' or 'Sin City'.

[ROC]

I am really glad that not only am I gonna go, but I'm gonna go because of my school taking us, thus missing classes to see a possibly cool flick.

Your school is taking you to see this complete and utter bastardization of Anglo-Saxon lore? Boo.

Nothing about this movie interests me. The actors look plastic and emotionless, just like The Polar Express (gee, I wonder why...), the arbitrary "sexy Grendel's mother" is the most random and asinine change I've seen in quite some time, and the fact that the story has apparently been rewritten as a morality tale speaks volumes for the fact that these authors know very little about Beowulf and a whole lot about Hollywood. No thanks.

[Sousa]

But eh, most literary adaptations add and embellish details into the story. And how is the story not a morality tale in itself? The guy is summoned by God to kill an evil monster and while he is a braggart, he does what the others don't do and doesn't get drunk like they do and etc. and then kills the monster. I'm pretty sure that's a morality tale.

If by "God," you mean "his own will pending the permission of his king," then I guess you have a point. And if by "doesn't get drunk," you mean "doesn't get as drunk," then I guess you have a point. And by "kills the monster because he does what others don't do," you mean "is just fortunate enough to embody Anglo-Saxon and Christian ideals of heroism," then I guess you have a point. Of course, all of this adds up to the simple fact that Beowulf is not a morality tale; it's an epic poem, an idealized representation of a Germanic heroic ideals that favored qualities like boasting that a Christian morality tale would not condone. It's a poem, by and large, about kinship, loyalty, bravery, fealty, and cementing one's legacy, but it's not nearly didactic enough to be a morality tale.

I'm sorry; I'm not trying to ride your nuts or anything, but I've studied Beowulf pretty extensively, and I just want to set the record straight.

More importantly, is that there have been plenty of good movies that have strayed a good ways from the book while still holding the things that work about it in place. I think this is nowhere near destroying the legend simply because the story was about a hero named Beowulf who kills monsters for the Danes, and this movie is about a hero named Beowulf...who kills monsters for the Danes.

I'll withhold judgment until I see it or know a bit more about it, but everything I'm hearing about this version of Grendel's mother goes against my instincts about what makes this poem great. If I can take a shitty example, Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter is about a Puritan woman and her adulterous affair with a preacher. The Scarlet Letter with Demi Moore is also about a Puritan woman and her adulterous affair with a preacher, but it shits over pretty much everything else the book is about (even though I'm not a fan of the book). But I'll hold off until I know more.

[ROC]

More importantly, is that there have been plenty of good movies that have strayed a good ways from the book while still holding the things that work about it in place. I think this is nowhere near destroying the legend simply because the story was about a hero named Beowulf who kills monsters for the Danes, and this movie is about a hero named Beowulf...who kills monsters for the Danes.

I'll withhold judgment until I see it or know a bit more about it, but everything I'm hearing about this version of Grendel's mother goes against my instincts about what makes this poem great. If I can take a shitty example, Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter is about a Puritan woman and her adulterous affair with a preacher. The Scarlet Letter with Demi Moore is also about a Puritan woman and her adulterous affair with a preacher, but it shits over pretty much everything else the book is about (even though I'm not a fan of the book). But I'll hold off until I know more.

[TheRyno]

I want to like it, I really do, but whenever I see the ads on TV, I can't help but thinking that Beowulf is the fucked up flipper baby of 300 and Shrek.

[livid]

So I saw it last night in IMAX 3D and well, it disappointed; quite a bit, actually. I don't know, I don't think that Avary and Gaiman did a very good job with the story, especially since they started writing it 10 years ago. Visually, in IMAX 3D, it's amazing but the story is shit. I apologize to JP Sousa because he was right about it for the most part. The pacing of the movie was pretty off as well.

Regardless though, people should see the movie but only in 3D because it truly is awesome visually; they just didn't bother putting together a fluid story.