There are only a few films in the world that have the same unpleasant sleepy floating picture. These are "Captain of Heaven," "300 Spartans," and "Immortals, War of the Worlds." I don’t know what they did to them, I feel it, but I can’t say it. The whole film is like looking through an aquarium, everything is blurry, approximate. And the graphics and the plot, even when you retell - the language is braided. How can a film so blur the reality that then words are not enough to tell, or to name what exactly is wrong? Unpleasant. I feel like I’m dreaming and dreaming about something stupid and endless. In addition, the story of Beowulf here is not just distorted – desecrated. It's an ancient English epic. He killed the monster and his mother. And the fact that in the remake of the great warrior, this mother of the monster began to eat, and she gave birth to a dragon from him, is the same desecration of relics of history as modern Russian cartoons about heroes, where they are friends with Gorynych, they drink with the Tatars, and Baba Yaga is killed.
Now no one will be surprised by the technology of motion capture. In Disney's "The Jungle Book" (2016) and "Correll the Lion" (2019), the graphics have reached such a high level that even if you look closely, it is difficult to distinguish it from reality. Released in 2007, Beowulf shows the previous stage of development, when the possibilities of digital technologies were enough only for realistic cartoons. The fact that this is a cartoon, there is no doubt that can not be said about the above two tapes. The feelings of the audience are about the same as when watching "Shrek" - it seems that everything is cartoonish, but you get used to it over time. After carefully working on all the images, the artists avoid the effect of an ominous valley (fear of something too human-like), although the pealism of what is happening here is the same as in video games of the time. You will not see small cuts, creases and moles on the faces of the characters, as the textures are not fully worked out. The strength is more lighting.
Movies are judged not only by visuals. The heroic medieval plot of Beowulf, reproduced in this film adaptation, anticipates the release of Game of Thrones with the same unchildish rating and related problems. No, the trouble is not in vulgarity, which looks quite appropriate, but in nasty scenes that even cartoonism does not save. Looking at the ugly, rotting and slimy Grendel, you wrangle from assumptions about what he would look like in an ordinary movie. Why it was necessary to draw such a repulsive creature is unclear. Not much better and the final boss, in the fight against which the main character makes not the smartest act. Even Grendel's mother Nestor looks repulsive in her seductiveness, and, in her case, the problem is just excessive cartoonism.
The main drawback, however, is misogyny, which even the male audience is too conspicuous. The idea that women hide all the ills of humanity sweeps away all arguments and obstacles in the way of implementation. Beautiful, ugly, young, old - all the women in Beowulf are shown in a humiliating light. Of course, such prejudices existed in the Middle Ages, but there was another side, more positive, that this cartoon does not show. In isolation from the unsuccessful monsters, many scenes of this film do not want to review and listen, because the director hides any hints of a better future and shows civilization with pure evil, where monsters not only howl and fly, but also hold swords, drink, rape... and everything. It is as if the harsh warriors of the North are not capable of anything good. Antiheroes, including Beowulf, look good surrounded by other, different characters. And here the situation is such that of the "different" only a close servant of Beowulf and, perhaps, the Queen. Not enough for a heroic epic.
To sum up, it is safe to say that Beowulf has destroyed an excess of patriarchal values. Just as we now often see an overabundance of matriarchy. I pay tribute to the artists’ attempt to create a special cartoon, but there are many other mistakes.
5 out of 10
Beowulf is one of those films that left me with the most contradictory emotions after watching.
The beginning of the film very quickly and sharply immerses in the plot of the saga. The sudden appearance of the monster makes you excited to watch what is happening on the screen.
From the beginning to the middle of the film, you will have the feeling that you are watching the classic saga of a hero and a monster, but in this tale, the main plot twist will greatly surprise you, turning everything upside down. This is a good way to watch the movie at least once.
But after such statements, you will have a logical question: why is the review neutral? Let me explain.
I watched this movie after it came out. And, although I know that in the 2000s there was a fashion for computer graphics, I can say that today it is more repulsive than gives the film charm.
At the beginning of the picture, Robert Zemeckis sets the narrative a great pace, which chains you to the screen. However, after the middle, the story becomes slightly sluggish. This can be correlated with the fact that the main character is getting older, but even in this case it does not go well with action scenes.
After a couple of weeks, you will forget the names and faces of the minor characters. It’s a shame because they are an important part of the story. Strictly speaking, Beofulf himself is remembered only because he is the main character.
As a result, if you are not disgusted with old 3D graphics and love Norse mythology, then you should watch this film at least once for the sake of an interesting story.
A classic story about a deal with the devil for gold and glory. And the last king, in spite of his irony and contempt, was hardly tempted by these blessings—and who could resist such a temptation? The desire for power is inevitably associated with evil – with all sorts of deals with conscience. Beowulf had the strength to overcome his curse, but is there enough strength to other kings?
' Beowulf' can rightly be called a pioneer of computer cinema, where the world and heroes are fully recreated on a computer. Many people call it a cartoon or even worse a cartoon, but I wouldn’t say that.
In the future, people will be able to create movies while sitting at a computer. Directors can choose any interiors and exteriors, landscapes, as well as any actors and actresses. For example, Vladimir Mashkov or Ingeborg Dapkunaite with the whole spectrum of their inherent emotions will come to life on the screens. In the future, 3D animation will reach such a level of realism that the need to distinguish the present from the fake will disappear. So in perspective 'Beowulf' something more than a cartoon.
With the same success you can call cartoons ' Avatar' and ' Lord of the Rings' and a bunch of them like that with the only difference that there, on a green background, real people flash mixed with cartoons, and here only cartoons. Someday, with the development of technology, 3D animation will turn into a full-fledged movie and films like Biowoulf laid the foundation for this.
The computer can remove and correct physical defects. For example, Angelina Jolie in Beowulf became thinner and Ray Winston got a muscular body.
The hybrid cartoon from the movie gave birth to a monster
The hybrid cartoon from the movie gave birth to a monster.
It's a failure, even if you can't tell. In principle, the film did not work, but at least returned what was spent. To answer the question, what did you spend on? Well, that's a little more detailed.
Eight years before this came out, there was another weird but stylish Beowulf starring Lambert and a powerful soundtrack.
In the midst of the fascination of film lovers, it was possible to watch such a mixture of music videos with a twist under the plague of non-cyberpunk in half with something like diesel and stylish medieval superstitions, since the film clearly did not take the ancient German epic seriously and allowed themselves to play around with the themes of the classic Anglo-Saxon epic poem of the VIII century. It was not serious, almost caricatured, and I liked it.
However, if you are shown a humanized cartoon with absolutely serious intentions, as if it is not a fairy tale, but a reconstruction of ways to solve complex ancient problems.
Either it had to be done more qualitatively, or clearly make it clear to the viewer that they are not fooling their heads, but are offering a fake gloom. As a result, for the adaptation of the epic it turned out to be too cheap and stupid, albeit with a pathetic run. Criticism of superstitions did not work. It worked. . .
It turned out to experiment with motion capture technology, with a fully computer video sequence, i.e. with the movements and facial expressions of live actors, taken as a basis. And no one explained why these experiments should be paid by the viewer.
2 out of 10
The film takes place in Denmark of the VI century, where King Hrothgar decides to celebrate the completion of the construction of his honey hall - Heoroth. But the sounds of music and fun awaken and anger Grendel's monster, who attacks the festivities, killing many of them. But when Hrothgar summons him to battle, the monster returns to his mother, the water demon. The king closes his hall and offers half his gold to whoever kills Grendel. Beowulf and his group of Goethe warriors arrive by ship in the land of Khrotgar, agreeing to destroy the beast.
A fantastic drama based on the eponymous ancient Germanic epic, created with the help of motion capture technology, with a fully computer video sequence, movements and facial expressions of live actors, taken as a basis.
Dynamic action tells about the courage of the brave warrior Beowulf (Ray Winston) and the storyline can be safely divided into 2 parts. First we get acquainted with the king Hrothgar (Anthony Hopkins) and raids Grendel (Chrispin Glover). And in the second part of the film (dividing invisibly, of course, the whole picture) is closer to Beowulf himself and how his victory over Grendel reflected. After all, he had to meet his mother Grendel (Angelina Jolie), and she turned out to be a thing.
In addition to the fascinating storyline, there is a chic exciting sound to become a film. The composer was made by the well-known Alan Silvestri. The tense notes are absorbed into the Beowulf story, and if at the beginning of the story it is an epic dialogue battle, then at the end there is tragedy, played out by a stingy male tear.
The gloomy atmosphere in the compartment of the tense history of the ancient Germanic epic, surprises with its entertainment and good presentation. From the hero blows a solid male character, he definitely impresses me. I think you'll get sympathy too! Despite the errors in the animation, I still recommend getting acquainted with the legend of Beowulf.
8 out of 10
Beowulf is an ancient Germanic epic, one of the oldest works of English literature. In its significance for native speakers, it is almost comparable to our “Word about Igor’s regiment”. But when Robert Zemeckis was doing this at school, he wasn't very interested. The main reason why he made a film on it was the script written by Neil Gaiman and Roger Avery (“Pulp Fiction”). And for the second it was a dream project, but he for a long time could not bring to mind the idea of the script, until he contacted Gaiman, who is not just considered one of the most famous writers of our time.
So coincidentally, Zemeckis took up Beowulf immediately after his first attempt to make a fully animated cartoon claiming photorealism - Polar Express. This time, he was determined to correct all the mistakes he made in his career. Fortunately, technology did not stand still, so he had somewhere to go. The actors, whose performance was transferred to the film with the help of motion capture, literally had more space to perform their roles. In software terms, the authors especially tried to create more lively eyes. And released a year before “Beowulf” “Catch the wave!” gave animators additional tools to work with sea scenes.
Evaluating the result, it is worth considering both the scripted origin of the film and its technical implementation, since both of these elements are perceived almost separately. Yes, there's something about demons, their mother and the ringed history of becoming king, but sometimes you just forget about it. And the script is actually interesting, the characters in it are quite spelled out and the actors play them with dignity. The only problem is that the tape itself is not that much interested in what is happening in it.
A perfect illustration of this approach is the scene where Beowulf tells the story of how he lost in a swimming competition. His words are illustrated with a flashback in which he colorfully kills sea monsters and meets a mermaid. On the one hand, this story works as a shorter version of what the main character will do in real time, and on the other hand, it is if not absolutely useless scene, then at least definitely takes up more time than it should. There's nothing wrong with the spectacle itself, of course, but it distracts from telling the main story, unless it disorients that it's no longer very good. Now imagine how much effort and money could be saved by reducing this slaughter. I'll tell you a lot. After all, water animation is one of the most time-consuming things.
Local people you can hardly confuse with the real, flesh and blood. But it should be noted that for 2007 this is an amazing work, in some ways superior to the “Christmas Story” of the same Zemeckis, which was published two years later. And the monster Gretel creators managed especially well - it's surprising that the picture with such a good ugly monster managed to get a "teenage" rating PG-13.
Speaking of ratings. Beowulf has a video version without a rating five minutes longer than its theatrical counterpart. But instead of the usual versions of the greater development of characters, we are waiting for more violence and blood. And even strangers from the primary version will not be difficult to recognize where the blood was added at least because of how powerful it pours in some moments. But don’t worry, the changes also touched on erotic topics, including on the computer model of Angelina Jolie, partly protected by the golden tide, this very ebb has become less.
It is worth giving authors credit - they do not revel in additional elements. They even help to generalize the narrative about the ancient times of barbarian tribes, in which people believed more in Scandinavian gods than in Jesus Christ.
In general, we got an adorable thing that arouses interest both for its visual series and strong script. His ambiguous final note may well make you think while the credits play already appearing in the movie A Hero Comes Home. Only now this song sounds performed by Idina Menzel, six years later became famous as the performer of the main hit in “Frozen”.
Animation is only a way to convey a story, and it is not alien to the elements inherent in stories for an adult audience. Perhaps, there is no more powerful evidence for this thesis at the moment than “Beowulf” in 2007.
8 out of 10
After watching this film, I realized that I did not exactly the right thing – first, of course, I had to familiarize myself with the epic, and then compare it, because, as far as I learned from the famous Wikipedia, it has little in common with the original source of Beowulf 2007.
What puzzled me from the very first shots was the format: I was dealing with motion capture (a term I learned again later) for the first time, and I did not like this style at all. Either a movie or an animated film (even computer cartoons I can barely digest, preferring drawn ones, and here this). But then I tried to let go of the shell and get into the content. Actually, I watched this movie mainly because of the annotation that attracted me, and because of my beloved Angelina Jolie. But the plot seemed strange and somewhat ambiguous to me, and the beautiful actress flashed in the frame only a couple of times.
I, of course, expected ancient times, with monsters and heroes, and epic battles - well, there are battles and monsters, but to call Beowulf a full-fledged hero I can not turn my tongue. As he was beautifully presented – a fearless half-wolf, a half-bear, but to me he is above all the most ordinary man with ordinary human weaknesses – a man who is so easily charmed and seduced. For me, all these battles with dragons have faded into the background, primarily about the inner struggle of Beowulf - the struggle with his conscience and his curse.
It also seems to me that it would be possible to reveal the image and character of the Queen more, because I am sure she suffers a lot all her life, but this does not prevent her from being noble.
I will not call my review positive, but I will not take it to negative, because really – what man will resist such a fatal woman as Jolie?
And in conclusion recalls the famous phrase that you need to live so that it was not painfully painful for purposelessly lived years. And in this case, we see a clear retribution for the mistakes of youth.
After watching this film, I realized that I did not exactly the right thing – first, of course, I had to familiarize myself with the epic, and then compare it, because, as far as I learned from the famous Wikipedia, it has little in common with the original source of Beowulf 2007.
What puzzled me from the very first shots was the format: I was dealing with motion capture (a term I learned again later) for the first time, and I did not like this style at all. Either a movie or an animated film (even computer cartoons I can barely digest, preferring drawn ones, and here this). But then I tried to let go of the shell and get into the content. Actually, I watched this movie mainly because of the annotation that attracted me, and because of my beloved Angelina Jolie. But the plot seemed strange and somewhat ambiguous to me, and the beautiful actress flashed in the frame only a couple of times.
I, of course, expected ancient times, with monsters and heroes, and epic battles - well, there are battles and monsters, but to call Beowulf a full-fledged hero I can not turn my tongue. As he was beautifully presented – a fearless half-wolf, a half-bear, but to me he is above all the most ordinary man with ordinary human weaknesses – a man who is so easily charmed and seduced. For me, all these battles with dragons have faded into the background, primarily about the inner struggle of Beowulf - the struggle with his conscience and his curse.
It also seems to me that it would be possible to reveal the image and character of the Queen more, because I am sure she suffers a lot all her life, but this does not prevent her from being noble.
I will not call my review positive, but I will not take it to negative, because really – what man will resist such a fatal woman as Jolie?
And in conclusion recalls the famous phrase that you need to live so that it was not painfully painful for purposelessly lived years. And in this case, we see a clear retribution for the mistakes of youth.
I watched this movie for a long time, not daring to see it. The picture, completely shot with computer graphics, and also a heroic epic. “Something is boring,” I thought, and I was wrong. In fact, it's a very, very good movie. Yes, at some points the graphics were not at their best, but such moments rarely pay attention, being absorbed by an interesting plot.
Plot
In the center of the picture is a certain Danish kingdom, which is terrorized by a huge monster Grendel. All the people are panicking, and the king gives a reward to the hero who will volunteer to defeat the monster. And here comes Beowulf along with his team - arrogant, not doubting his victory. Grendel really wins - only this is just the beginning ...
It's very interesting to watch. Since this is a pretty tough and adult spectacle, you never know which of the heroes will die in the next moment. Even Beowulf himself is not immortal.
The film conveys the spirit of the epic - when beautiful speeches sound, when courageous heroes fight evil while beautiful women await them. And the plus of the atmosphere is that this epic is with a lot of fantasy. Dragons, monsters, mythology - all this gives bright colors.
Actors
Ray Winston He played the lead role, Beowulf. In fact, Ray is completely different from his hero, so I want to applaud the masters of the graphics that were able to create a similar image. Beowulf evokes conflicting emotions - from irritation to admiration, and Ray's great credit is that he was able to evoke all these feelings. I really liked it, although it was somewhat difficult to evaluate acting in such conditions - and this applies to all actors.
Anthony Hopkins played King Hrothgar. I don’t remember Anthony in any of his other roles, but as an actor, I know him. He was amazing and you believe his hero. A very bright and memorable image.
Robin Wright played the role of Queen. A beautiful woman, her image immediately attracted me. What was really interesting was that in this film we saw her young, and then after many years (like some of the other characters). And she was able to convey those aspects of character that are characteristic of a young girl and a wise experience of an elderly woman.
John Malkovich. I love this actor, he’s amazing. Here he played the king's adviser, Unfert. I really liked him in this movie. His image is sometimes ambiguous, but undoubtedly bright.
Crispin Glover. That's what I want to highlight. Because the actor himself was almost invisible, because he played a monster, Grendel. And I'm amazed at how skillfully Crispin did it. His Grendel evokes both hostility and sympathy. He admires me.
Brendan Gleeson Played Beowulf's loyal friend. And he's probably my favorite character in the whole movie. Faithful, brave, wise - Brendan perfectly conveyed the character of his hero. He was wonderful.
Angelina Jolie Of course, I couldn't keep quiet about her. I like Angelina as a person and as an actress. And in this movie, she's just beautiful. You know how Grendel's mother could attract all these men. A very bright role, and I just can’t imagine anyone else in its place.
Costas Mandilore. As usual, I've been watching this movie lately because I knew it was Costas. However, it was difficult for me to recognize him here, I had to get used to this image. It is a pity that it was so small, as the role is very colorful and interesting. It's hard to judge acting, but Mandilor was good here (as always). It was interesting to see him in this way.
I was also very surprised when I found out that Sebastian Rocher, my favorite from Supernatural, was filming here, since I absolutely did not remember him. The role, apparently, was quite small - but there will be a reason to reconsider.
I was fascinated by this movie. I did not expect that you can make a truly adult, sometimes even hard movies, using only computer graphics, albeit such reliable. But this picture could change my mind. Probably, it would be much more exciting to watch in the movies – such a spectacle and asks for the big screen. This is a real, “heroic” movie, bright and beautiful.
Once watching the trailer of this unusual fantasy, it intrigued me, and I eagerly watched it. Robert Zemeckis, who made a bunch of movies that I love, so I was waiting for something really cool and exciting. With a budget of 150,000,000 million dollars, Zemekis shot adventure fantasy in the original production with a fully computer video sequence and movements of live actors. The idea was unusual and original, but the film as a whole made me ambivalent.
We see Denmark in the sixth century. Before us unfolds a real slaughter of people with close forces coming from the depths of the forests. In an exciting battle, a monster was defeated - the son of a water demon, and now she is looking for a new, strong man, from whom she could give birth to something as strong, but with her mystical genes.
In some places, the film looked very cool, sometimes long, but fantasy fans should appreciate this movie, because it was created for them. Of all this story, only the demon of water charms the viewer, which was so mysteriously and seductively played by Angelina Jolie. That was really cool, and the scenes with her demon, I would revisit and revisit. Other roles were played by actors such as Ray Winston, acting talent and a wonderful actor Anthony Hopkins, actress, remembered by the viewer on "Santa Barbara" Robin Wright, John Malkovich and Brendan Gleeson.
In my opinion, this film was missing something and could have been made much, much better. The film was not a failure, but it was for one time.
"Beowulf" - American adventure fantasy with a taste of action and drama in 2007. The movie is unusual, but the second time I would not watch it. All fans of Angelina Jolie will certainly be pleasantly surprised by her character. There's nothing more to say.
The impression left this picture quite favorable. I’ve watched every movie I know about Beowulf, and I liked the 2005 movie the most. "Beowulf and Grendel." This one would be second. It looks pretty easy and exciting.
About, let’s say, the incomplete relevance of the animated format in this creation has been said a lot. In my opinion, this plays a role here, but the main thing is not in this. The main thing is plot and action. And that raises questions. First, why is Grendel presented as a creepy freak, and mentally retarded? It seems that the epic plot of the legend tried to combine with Hollywood cliches about mentally disabled maniacs. This is an interesting mix.
Secondly, Grendel’s mother repeatedly warned him against communicating (in the form of their extermination) with people, pointing out that it is very dangerous – there is a kind of hero for any monster, sit in a cave and do not boozy. He didn't listen to his mom. I wonder if her second son, a dragon, she also instructed in a similar way? Or, on the other hand, did you feel confident in the power of another child? The topic of raising a dragon is not disclosed, but a pity.
Thirdly, that very mother, the demon or the spirit of the water, or whatever she is, is really beautiful. And this is despite the fact that I do not love Angelina Jolie, I do not consider her beautiful, sexy and attractive and sincerely wonder why so many people around the world revered her as such. As they say, it tastes like color or just fashion. In addition, there are girls crazy, but smart. It seems to me (not personally familiar with) from the category of crazy and stupid, which is not good. But cartoon Jolie is incomparably better than her life counterpart.
Then why is the connection with Beowulf born a beautiful Goldman, aka Golden Dragon (in my opinion, one of the best dragons in the world of cinema), powerful, almost invulnerable, like most dragons? From the connection with Hrotgar, there is the same huge, strong, but mentally defective, hysterical and ugly Grendel, covered with pelvis with pus.
Obviously, the fact is that Hrotgar, always drunk and to the gilded lady in the cave, fell in a fair drink. No, he is, of course, a hero, in his youth he beat dragons and so on, but alcohol does not give a damn - he certainly produces his action. As a result, this posterity.
Beowulf, going to the cave with the intention of exterminating the demon, of course, did not drink (and in general, obviously, he did not like it very much), took the matter seriously. Therefore, his offspring turned out to be so handsome and “smart”. In addition, Beowulf, in fact, fulfilled his military duty - at first he became convinced that the demon was invulnerable to his sword and only then went on to perform "conjugal duties." I suppose that he was extremely excited precisely because he had killed a beautiful maid (Eros and Thanatos in action).
Finally, the film is quite clear anti-Christian line. Beowulf notes that the Christian god leaves people nothing but fear and despair. The magnificent Golden Dragon is almost the first thing to burn the Christian church with a hellish flame. And Unfert, who has become a Christian and, apparently, a priest, still beats his unhappy servant as horribly as he did in his pagan youth. A good illustration of the fact that no one gets better from religion, here's the worse - please. However, despite his dislike of Christianity and religion in general, I note that the above-mentioned remark of Beowulf in the general context of the picture looked somehow strained and artificial, looked like a foreign body.
In general, the film is quite decent, although not a masterpiece.
7 out of 10
Beowulf the creation is funny, a retelling of the famous saga in the form of a cartoon, and even shot for an adult audience, it would seem that could be more delusional? But at the same time, the film even manages to keep the tension and please well-staged action scenes.
And the script as a whole did not fail, the authors did not look for original approaches or unusual interpretations, but simply retold the plot of the saga. Of course, they could not resist the “piquant” additions, but the main canvas remained intact.
The design of monsters is out of competition, each of them has an individual style reflecting both character and combat capabilities. The fights are incredibly dynamic and tough, especially for the cartoon. And the life of the Scandinavians was transferred harshly and without much ennobling.
And of course, Beowulf himself, here he looks like a real harsh and uncompromising hero of the sagas, and not another champion of good and justice. And he does not do it for the sake of salvation, but for the sake of glory.
As a result, the cartoon conveys the spirit of one of the most famous sagas, but as a separate work is not so interesting.
6 out of 10
The authority that Robert Zemeckis has earned himself, plus a joint, very close work with Steven Spielberg himself, allow Zemeckis to feel solid ground, and space for experiments. This first experiment Zemeckis was the film Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988). The combination of cinema and animation was taken with hurrah and Zemeckis began to earn fame as a successful innovator. Subsequently, Ralph Bakshi with the picture “Parallel World” with the participation of young Brad Pitt and then star Kim Basinger tried to adopt some methods of Zemeckis, but it came out quite weakly. The experience of the film “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” Zemeckis endured sixteen years later, when he took advantage of advances in computer graphics and started new techniques, creating something in between the movie and the cartoon in the “Polar Express”. About these techniques written and rewritten, so who is interested can plunge into the world of creating complex special effects in a bunch of articles. "Polar Express" was tolerated by the public, although admiring reviews did not wait. Zemeckis, apparently, decided that his work (work-intensive, no one denies this) was underestimated and takes on a similar picture of Beowulf.
In the “Polar Express” he used his carte blanche: one of the roles (if it can be called a role) was played by Tom Hanks, whose cooperation with Zemeckis bore the best fruits - one became one of the best actors, the other - from the directors. In Beowulf, Zemeckis used another tactic, trumping the lust of the audience: among the big ads of Beowulf, it was stated that Zemeckis sectioned Angelina Jolie. This actress was on the front pages of all publications, top fans, some of them represented Jolie closer than you think, so the tactical PR move Zemeckis succeeded: people went to the movies. But Beowulf with the desired Jolie left more questions and bewilderment from the audience than admiration and idolatry.
Boewolf is based on ancient Germanic myths and legends, ballads and songs. The Polar Express was more of a cartoon film for children, but Beowulf became a scary tale for adults in the best traditions of the brothers Grimm and Charles Perrault. Angelina Jolie, who wanted to see naked, appears in a painted form, and even with a long tail. As for myth, it is normal, but it was stated differently. The disappointment at that moment was great. To eclipse all this, it was necessary to interest the story of the battle of a great warrior with a fabulous monster. But if the start of the cartoon really arouses curiosity, then all the interest suddenly disappears and for some reason you want to end the legend of Beowulf and Grendel as soon as possible.
This should not in the least detract from the great work done to create Beowulf. Zemeckis and his team clearly tried, it seems that they worked in a profuse sweat, each episode was given with shocking labor costs, but the viewer wanted to get something as grandiose, intriguing, causing genuine interest, striking visual style, but all this was not achieved. All clear, all good, but without the flight that always accompanied Zemeckis's films. But this is not an accusation, this is a statement, because I will not be surprised that after some time the methods invented by the genius of Zemeckis will enter the annals of world cinema and more than one film will inadvertently adopt the cunning techniques of technology of the famous director and producer Robert Zemeckis.
Thanks to drawing graphics, many actors were able to create not as they are in life. Ray Winston became clearly thinner and younger, Robin Wright became younger, Anthony Hopkins turned out to be unpleasant, although the talent of this actor allows him to play the eternally drunk and lustful king without the help of computer processing. John Malkovich does not know at all, only if you read the credits of whom he played (if I may say so), and Crispin Glover was in the image of Grendel only in movements, but the appearance was changed beyond recognition. Among the other eminent actors in the project (this is the correct definition of what Zemeckis worked on), that is, Brendan Gleason and Alison Lohman, but about them you can say even less than about their colleagues, that is, almost nothing.
Without begging for Zemeckis’s merits over the time-consuming process of creating Beowulf, we can conclude that for such a venerable filmmaker, he was a failure. Personally, as for me, if there is a choice between a movie with animated inserts "Who framed Roger Rabbit" and "Beowulf", which is similar to advertising reviews of computer games, then I will choose the first one unequivocally.
6 out of 10
P.S.: I wonder if Robin Wright helped in the creation of the semi-film/semi-movie "Congress", where she also played a major role? It is difficult to compare with Beowulf, but there are similar features, maybe this is how Zemeckis conveys his skills?
This CGI film, based on the Anglo-Saxon epic poem of the same name, contrasts sharply with the original plot of the early Middle Ages. Hollywood screenwriters Neil Gaiman and Roger Avery greatly altered the plot comprehensively unfolding their script fantasy, which is very often resorted to by filmmakers of the dream factory. So much is filmed by Hollywood studios of epic films and almost always realities are distorted that they almost spoil the picture, and those who want to know the truth should turn their eyes to the original source.
In the original work, the record of which dates back to the X century, Beowulf arrived from the southern part of Scandinavia to his neighbors Danes only helped to destroy the dreaded kingdom of Hrotgar, the monster Grendel, and then the blow of a giant sword found at the bottom of the swamp and his mother. Beowulf was not a protégé to the throne of the Danish king as shown in the film, but returned with his soldiers to his homeland and already there he inherited the throne from his uncle becoming a just ruler of the Geat tribe, where he later defeated the dragon by dying himself.
Beowulf is a very interesting picture, which, despite the differences with the poem and interacting with it, still brings some clarity. When reading the text of the poem, images of the characters of the film flash in your head, which is doubly fascinating, for example, there are ideas about the image of the swamp troll Grendel. In the film, as well as in the poem, one can see a small fraction of the motives of both works were or for such. Like Beowulf's battle with the dragon. Some researchers of this topic, namely E. V. Limonov in his book of insights "ILLUMINATIONNES" argues that dragons can be relics of the age of dinosaurs and perhaps in the early Middle Ages dragons still existed, because the mention of them is in the mythologies of all peoples ever inhabited the earth.
Also of interest is the production of the film itself, motion capture technology was used to create the picture. A person is put on a suit with sensors, he produces the movements required by the script, stands in the agreed poses, simulates actions; data from the sensors are recorded by the cameras and enters the computer, where they are reduced to a single three-dimensional model that accurately reproduces the movements of the actor, on the basis of which later (or in real time) animation of the character is created. Also, this method reproduces the facial expressions of the actor" (material taken from the website wikipedia).
In general, Beowulf is a fascinating Hollywood cartoon, which I want to see more.
7 out of 10
Of course, the local interpretation of ancient legends is not entirely innovative, and quite in the trend that is now applicable in the embodiment and modern interpretation of monuments of ancient literature. But the plot possibilities of the epic poem are used quite inventively, and many of the twists and turns of the plot are soldered with each other extremely resourceful. It is true that the film is unhurried, and there is a lot of piquancy here, especially in the triumphant way Beowulf takes off his clothes... well, only to fight honestly with someone who does not have a sword and clothes, of course. Paphos is enough. But here there is a dynamic action, and sharp irony, and a good sense.
The technical execution is acceptable. Ring, grab the soul of songs that would do honor to any minstrel. Relying on any such holiday, the cranberries branch diligently, albeit surely and standardly: boars on a spit and braga, stronger than which, of course, you will not find in the whole world. Halls and outfits are not bad, hairstyles are elegant. Perhaps you can even imagine that you are in some bear palaces of Rohan, in Tolkien’s Meduselda.
Beowulf tells everyone how, in parallel with a five-day swimming race, he cut various sea snakes there. He often believes in his own praise. And epithets in the spirit of “claws of the night” and “fangs of darkness” already evoke in consciousness the metaphorical poetry of the Scandinavians, with all sorts of descriptions and epithets, as in poems dedicated to the ancient time of Yaroslavna, by the Norwegian king Harald Hardrad. Grendel is so heartfelt, you really feel for him. And writhing, lamenting, tearfully exclaiming, he looks like Tolkien’s Gollum. Intrigues Grendel's mother. Not à la "The Devil Wears Prada", not some nayada, nereid or Amphitrite, in short, some water spirit.
Whether the creators had something in mind or not, I feel here a lot of analogies with everything in a row. It’s probably something like Star Wars, but more like “I am you son!” And such a specific "Kill the Dragon" is very reminiscent, not even because one dragon is still present. A knight who kills a monster must bring a new monster into the world. But, to be honest, the knight here from the very beginning is not noble and not sincere, and the monster is not so monster in comparison with the drunken clique of obscene bums. Beowulf’s associates, shouting scabby, disgusting things, boasting that they raped many women, not shying away from cruelty or looting, look much more dangerous.
And perhaps the most important theme of the whole work is remorse. And to ask forgiveness - such a feat for the hero is much harder than all his previous battles. Which is not just in myths. May Beowulf be forgiven!
Another attempt to interpret one of the epic epics now in a new format. Robert Zemeckes shot something between cinema, computer game and cartoon, despite the fact that the emphasis on the latter two genres is made with greater success than on cinema. The film is clearly designed for a teenage audience, since it will not be particularly interesting to watch this Beowulf as an adult, and children will not want to show such a fairy tale-fighter either, it is better not to see a large amount of outright cruelty for children, so this film will be just right for the generation raised on computer games.
To talk about an inaccurate interpretation of the epic about Beowulf, I think, is not worth it, the movie was shot more based on the saga, and not on its text (the transformation of the dragon Grendel into a troll, apparently, was the director’s idea, and not an inattentive reading of the source). The presence of an extremely decent cast, in such a seemingly entertaining picture, gives it additional advantages. Anthony Hopkins, the aging king, the most humanized character in the film, has always proved his greatest skill and even the semi-computer version of his role shows great skill. Ray Winston is not at all like himself, both in the type of role he played and in appearance, so his game is most difficult to evaluate, it seems that there is an actor, and it seems not, so this is a minus to the character of Beowulf. Brendan Gleeson played a faithful friend of his master, Beowulf, and he, like Anthony Hopkins, did not cause any complaints, he is a good actor and a good actor among the Vikings. Angelina Jolie and John Malkovich, one played the main villain, but as always struck with their, this time computer forms, the role is not large, but rather memorable, Malkovich played the role of Umfert, who first puts sticks in the wheels of Beowulf, and then hitting Christianity periodizes his place and role on earth.
The emphasis in Beowulf itself is made on the usual values of the Vikings, fame, thirst for prey and death in battle, in principle all this is observed here, since Beowulf in the pursuit of fame, as often happens in life, was intoxicated with her and from here everything went wrong as he planned when he arrived in Cheogard.
A good budget, a good director and a strong acting team are the main advantages of the film.
The free interpretation of the Beowulf saga itself, a great emphasis on computer technology, although here it is a matter of the amateur - these are the main drawbacks of the picture.
It turned out quite good fairy tale-action for those from 16 to 25, but still looks this tape is quite interesting and unusual. Therefore, deserved
Starting to watch the film, I did not doubt its success, because I knew that Robert Zemeckis is a master of making fantasy cartoons so that it was a fairytale adventure and at the same time was designed for audiences of different ages. And again he succeeded after such a beautiful picture as “Polar Express”.
Unique computer graphics with advanced technology bringing the faces of actors almost to the ideal, the main component of the "Beowulf". And of course the cast itself. You can see that the director takes this issue seriously in each of his films of this kind, because he has to make a decision and make the right choice. And this could happen if his proposal is accepted by such strong actors, as not everyone can agree to his face being used as a cartoon image. But let me just point out one flaw... Compared to the rest of the characters, which are generally well done, Beowulf himself as Ray Winston does not look quite clearly, probably not even at all similar.
In everything else, this is quite a good fantasy-historical action movie about a brave and valiant warrior, a famous fighter against demons, who saved the kingdom from the terrible monster Grendel and established himself as a brave hero.
Given the considerable budget, the film naturally looks quite spectacular and even more so the use of a dragon in it. Based on this, there is a possibility that the developers of Skyrim were inspired by the history and atmosphere of Beowulf. It's a very nice fact. Since it is always interesting to notice the comparability, albeit some moments, between the film and the game, since a noble fan may be tormented by the idea of the similarity of a particular situation occurring in a picture with the same name, or an identical theme and a similar plot.
I appreciate this movie quite positively, including the fact with what meticulousness looked wonderful facial expressions of each of the characters. This was completed to the maximum.
In conclusion, I can only say one thing... Those who praise and rejoice in pictures such as an epic fairy tale, and who like the art of Robert Zemeckis to embody the faces of professional actors, whether in a cartoon or computer graphics, this movie is definitely for you!
I wish everyone a pleasant view
The gods will not do for us what we must do for ourselves.
Unfortunately, I watched the film not in the cinema, but just at home on TV, which I really regretted, because the visualization and quality of the created graphics amazes the imagination with its unusualness and atypicalness [You just look how the main character died under the prism of the work of video editors].
The plot of this picture was a long-standing myth about the great hero Beowulf, so I will not complain about the standardity of the plot, rather, on the contrary, I will emphasize the fact of a special interpretation of everything that is happening.
The main character is not just a great warrior, he is still a talker and a womanizer to look for, but even if you close your eyes to what was said earlier. Childish. Too stupid looks the whole story, which is presented in the role of a cheap tale about the “hard nut” of his time.
The idea of sins and the answer for them has degraded into a primitive style of a kind of “and the bazaar must be answered”, in fact, only the mother of the monster [whose main demon with the face of Jolie] is responsible for her words.
+Visually pleasantly perceived film
+Quality battle scenes
Supporting actors first-class coped with their task
-The lost essence
-Mutualized image of the main character
- A lot of extra vulgarity
You can watch it, but you don’t want to watch it a second time.
6 out of 10
During the viewing, it becomes clear that a considerable budget went to create beautiful graphics, which in the film abound. But numerous drunks, nasty monsters, vulgar jokes, a sea of blood and corpses (how did it all get a PG-13 rating?) - this is too much, and even the stunning villain performed by Jolie and a couple of generally cute moments do not save from gradually finding disgust. Unpredictable moves for the most part were stupid - the film would look more powerful if there was more of something, though stamped, more predictable, but reasonable.
The main character (Beowulf) seems to be trying to win the love of the viewer, but he manages this with difficulty. His courage is contrasted by his great self-love, beauty he flaunts (yes, in the most literal sense), the motives of some of his actions are incomprehensible. Although he has been made a hero, he is not sympathetic.
The character of Grendal's mother is well spelled out - her motives and methods of execution are quite clear. Beowulf's friend is shown to be correct, reliable, and in the end it becomes scary for him - does history repeat itself? Beowulf's wife is the only one who causes real pity. A woman who from her youth lived in fear and humiliation, deprived of love and yet managed to keep a piece of kindness in herself, although she did not show it.
Throughout the film, the creators kind of tried to find morality, to say something memorable and intelligent through the mouths of the main characters, but still failed. Perhaps the wisest thought of the film is its slogan, which reads: “Pride is a curse.”
I would like to write something about acting, but what about when most of their work is done by computer graphics?
Conclusion: this film is of no value other than a beautiful picture and special effects. But time moves, and soon it will be possible to contemplate pictures more beautiful than this, so this work will be remembered only as a failed multimillion-dollar project. There are a lot of them now.
I don't think it's necessary to give a lecture on stereo. Of course, it was much earlier than “Avatar” and “Beowulf”, and even “Children of spies” somewhere.
Just specifically “Beowulf” is included in the history of modern 3D, as a film that was originally shot for display using the stereo effect. That is, comrade Zemeckis consciously went to create a picture where the painted blades will swing right at your nose, and the water from which the beautiful demon comes out will flow at your feet.
My computer does not support 3D. I had the usual two-dimensional version of the movie. But each plan looked so obviously made in 3D, I was like I-MAX yesterday.
To implement his stereo idea, Zemeckis chose the distant past, when mythical creatures still lived on Earth, but Christian sentiments were already emerging. This film is made at the junction of faiths, although with a clear curtsey towards paganism.
Denmark. 507 AD. In the huge hall, warriors feast, and the queen herself delivers the famous braga. Here comes the king - an old puffy, but with a hard look and a sense of power in his hands. And here is the problem... a huge human-like monster Grendel, who bursts into the hall, tears everyone into pieces, and no one can do anything to him.
And here's the hero - muscular blonde in graceful armor, who breaks through the storm to save Denmark from the scourge.
Well, it seems like a trick. But by the time Grendel died, so much blood had been shed that you realize this is not a heroic tale. Not once. There's still half the movie ahead.
“Beowulf” was shot (drawn) in such a deliberately natural manner of ancient Scandinavia. Here it snows all the time, the rocks seem gloomy, the water feels icy and even the red dress of the Queen does not burn scarlet, but smolders dimly into the cherry. And this is not a children's cartoon, if only because scenes of copulation are as normal as scenes of carnage. I was even glad that television does not transmit smells, especially rotting flesh and fresh blood.
There is only one thing beautiful here: treasure. The golden horn of Fafnir (this is a Scandinavian dragon) is drawn with jewelry precision. And the crown is a whole story of the exploits of the old and new king.
If you’ve seen other projects like Zemeckis’ Polar Express and Christmas Story, you know that all the characters, even the ugly Grendel, are real actors. More specifically, their 3D models. That is, a painfully familiar face with the appropriate type is taken, and all his actions are drawn for him. And the viewer only has to play guessing who it is now on the screen.
Although with Beowulf, this guess makes almost no sense. It is difficult to recognize only the main character, in fact, Beowulf himself, because Ray Winston, who was 50 years old at the time of the film’s release, was chosen for the role of the young and brave. And he certainly did not have the body of Apollo.
The choice of the king was obvious even before the king appeared. Who else knows how to play an old but powerful power like Sir Anthony Hopkins? His recognizable since the time of “Silence of the Lambs” facial expressions multiplied by high-quality rendering creates a memorable and very accurate image. The seal of curses on the face and the piercing look of a man who alone knows the whole truth about the horrors that are happening.
The brisk preacher and favorite of the king before the appearance of Beowulf is John Malkovich. On close-ups, it seems that his eyes did not draw, but simply inserted fragments of the shooting.
A wise and tolerant queen, I have known her for a long time. 15 minutes right. Robin Wright's cheeky face was rounded, and only in profile did it become clear that it was her. This is not the first time she has played Scandinavian women. The last appearance in this role is “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”. Connoisseurs of Anthony Minghella’s heavy-duty, dramatic and sexy films remember her in Breaking and Entering ("Invasion) at the Russian box office. In her role as queen, she is so noble and chaste that when there is an attraction between her and Beowulf, I don't believe there will be anything between them. And the Queen is living up to my expectations. Yes, in fact, why undress in this harsh cartoon Robin Wright, if Angelina Jolie is unmistakably chosen for the role of a succubus, a lustful seducer.
Oh, yes, the creators of Beowulf tried. They painted skeletal Jolie such shapes ... they poured liquid gold on her so much ... and in her lips and eyes there were so many promises of unearthly bliss. It is clear that no one could resist her. And no faith in any new god could help to cope with this scourge.
Like any fairy tale, Beowulf has its own morality. Very simple. Pride is a mortal sin. Well, lethal. One is proud and all the others die. For the sake of making songs about one.
BioShlak The film is doomed, definitely. I was not familiar with the Polar Express. And about Beowulf nothing really heard, except an impressive budget and star cast, and rumors that A. Jolie in the film appears naked. Believe it or not, I didn’t know the most important thing was that this movie would be an animation. No, of course there were assumptions. But I fully understood it when I saw the initial shots. Even a friend who was sitting next to me asked, “Is this going to be the whole movie?” to which I replied, “Yes.” For God's sake, if I knew it would be a cartoon, I would never go. It was a purely cast cast. Now for the movie itself. I don’t know what the writers have written since 1997, but the whole plot of the film is summed up in one sentence and two words. It is so unoriginal and reminiscent of children's fairy tales that parents read for the night, or re-read many, many times the magnificent fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm, which, by the way, is much exciting that the film becomes boring by the 20th minute. An unusual illogical ending is also out of place. About technology. Yes, from the very first frames you can see how the developers tried and what they are capable of. Sometimes unrealistically beautiful, sometimes exciting and qualitative, and sometimes just real. But this isn't about people. Yes, the protopits of the actors are made cool, in the sense is quite recognizable, but the animation of faces, movements is clumsy. Although I am not an expert in this field, so I say what is visible to the naked eye. Indeed, it resembles some Blizzard video, which, in my opinion, looks cooler. About the actors. What can I say about them? The computer does everything for them. Just their faces (and those animated) and voices (and dubbing). There is nothing to appreciate. About the nudity. Ugh, I'll give you Angelin Jolie a lot of pictures if you need to. Not only are all the beautiful places covered, the truth fits all the forms, so they are not real. Although the boob prototypes look like hers. But the ass of all the main actors we will see naked. In general, about the banter over this nudity, the director went a little too far. Every time Beowulf fought someone, he took off his clothes. I understand mythical heroes and all that, but that’s too much. In general, love the cartoons of Ala Shrek - be sure to go. It’s not really a childish thing. 4 out of 10 Original