Blame it on the dusty literature degree in my closet or a lingering fascination with ancient epic poems, but I get excited anytime a cinematic adaptation of "Beowulf" appears on the horizon. Even though its characters are simple and monsters deliciously evil, the tale relies on ethereal language and imagery to evoke the savage brutality of a forgotten age. So it was with great trepidation and anticipation that I tromped out to the theater to see director Robert Zemeckis' computer animated take on this beloved classic. I wanted the film to offer more characterization than the original text provided, but still retain a certain faithfulness to the poem's context and structure. Needless to say, I had lofty expectations.
'Beowulf' begins as a lavish banquet is interrupted by a murderous beast named Grendel (voiced by Crispin Glover). After the creature's attack, King Hrothgar (Anthony Hopkins) seals the blood-soaked dining hall and offers half the gold in his kingdom to any hero who can kill the monster. Answering this call to arms, a legendary hero named Beowulf (Ray Winstone) arrives to great fanfare, slays the malformed demon, and wins the accolades of the people. The entire kingdom celebrates until the monster's mother, a sultry, aquatic demon (Angelina Jolie), descends on the banquet hall and kills Beowulf's men. Seeking revenge, Beowulf tracks her to a cavernous lair where he faces temptation, a dangerous choice, and certain death.
Sound simple? Believe me, it's not. Writers Roger Avery and Neil Gaiman make several fascinating departures from the classic text, uniting the punctuated vignettes of the original epic by reinterpreting Beowulf as a flawed, tragic hero. Grendel's family tree, Beowulf's encounter with Grendel's mother, and the origins of the fire dragon have been drastically changed. More importantly, Beowulf isn't portrayed as a confident braggart, but as a man trapped by his pride and exaggerations. Surprisingly, these changes work extremely well, allowing the filmmakers to deconstruct Beowulf as a character while exploring the contrast between truth and legend.
Unlike the grim and gritty realist take on the poem found in 'Beowulf & Grendel,' Zemeckis expands the fantastical elements of the story even further -- Grendel is now a tormented behemoth, his mother is a seductive siren, and the fire dragon is a shape-shifting demon with revenge in his heart. These alterations don't neuter the beasts, but rather make them more threatening. Grendel's rage is no longer animalistic, his mother's attack isn't a simplistic response, and the fire dragon isn't merely a creature of chance. If anything, Zemeckis's 'Beowulf' manages to fill in the gaps of the original myth. By humanizing the protagonists and antagonists, the struggles between the men and monsters have a lasting psychological relevance. 'Beowulf' emerges as a study of pride that forces a seemingly impervious hero to come to terms with his own fallacies and inadequacies. Each time Beowulf is confronted by the truth of his decisions, his face reflects his shame. His ability to overcome that shame makes his actions more heroic than if he were simply portrayed as a classic mythological hero.
Unfortunately, I still have a few major issues with specific design hiccups that yanked me out of the experience. To start, Grendel's final look just doesn't sit well with me. I appreciate the representation of unbearable suffering in his gnarled form, but I think his rubbery face and clumsy strides rob his attacks of their sheer horror. More troublesome are several 'Austin Power'-style gags Zemeckis uses to cloak Beowulf's nudity in his fight with Grendel -- a dropped sword, a cloud of smoke, and plenty of conveniently placed forearms are cheap and laughable tricks that interrupt the tone of the film. If Beowulf decides to face Grendel's mother in a pair of boxer-briefed loincloths, why resort to comical cover-ups in the hero's showdown with Grendel?
Worst of all, Zemeckis's motion captured faces lack the nuanced expressiveness of his cast's live-action performances. The PiP feature included on this Blu-ray release reveals dozens of these subtle shortcomings. Robin Wright-Penn is more haunting and effective in person, Anthony Hopkins uses his eyes more than the animators could capture, and Ray Winstone imbues Beowulf with more visual vulnerability than the stoic hero who appears on screen. I found myself growing more and more disenchanted with the animation -- by the end of the film, it was clear that Zemeckis's vision would have been better realized if 'Beowulf' had been shot as a live action epic in the vein of 'The Lord of the Rings.'
'Beowulf' isn't a perfect film by any means, but it is an exceptionally interesting retelling of a classic epic poem. I really found myself getting into the complexities of the tale and the manner in which Avery and Gaiman reworked the central characters. Zemeckis's computer animation techniques still have a long way to go before he can capture all of the facial subtleties of live-action performances, but the CGI does provides plenty of thrilling action scenes and battle sequences. In the end, 'Beowulf' is as flawed as its hero, but it's still worth the investment of your time.
(Note that this Blu-ray edition contains the "Director's Cut" of 'Beowulf.' Even though it's the same length as the theatrical cut, it packs more blood and gore into its action sequences. While I personally prefer the DC since it doesn't pull any punches, the extra violence doesn't make a significant difference in the story itself.)
Straight from the digital source (and identical to the previously released HD DVD edition), Paramount has put together a crisp 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 transfer that is, by my estimation, flawless. The palette simmers with warm golds and soft oranges, leaving skintones intentionally bronzed in firelight and quite naturalistic beneath cloudy skies. The colors are never overwhelming, but lend a certain otherworldliness to the creatures that fill the tale. Contrast is dead on and blacks are deep without leaving much to the imagination -- Hrothgar's dark kingdom is teeming with subtle details in the shadows, and delineation is exactly as I remember it in the theater. Want to be impressed? Skip to the scene where Grendel's mother confronts Beowulf and scan the corpses and trinkets discarded throughout the cave. Pay particular attention to the individual, phosphorescent dots in the water that shoot outward with each of the hero's steps. Then head for the fire dragon attack and note the individual scales, the teeth, and the crumbling debris from the castle walls.
Best of all, there isn't any hint of artifacting, noise, or compression issues that would hinder the proceedings -- I didn't even spot any significant color banding despite the fact that some scenes take place underwater and others beneath gray skies. 'Beowulf' offers a spectacular, reference quality transfer that makes this one a great demo disc.
Paramount's Blu-ray edition of 'Beowulf' includes a attention-grabbing Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround track that, like the HD DVD Dolby Digital Plus mix before it, is out for blood. Dynamics literally shake the room with powerful LFE support, booming low-end thooms, and crystal clear treble tones. From the opening credits, the '300'-esque soundtrack refuses to relent -- by the time Beowulf found himself fighting sea monsters in the midst of a storm, I was convinced this mix could do no wrong. Rear support is shockingly aggressive, crafting an involving soundfield and allowing listeners to immerse themselves in realistic environments (especially impressive since this is an animated film). Listen to Grendel's initial attack -- soldiers are flung across the room, chairs shatter and skitter across the floor, and the creature's screams echo around the hall perfectly. Want more? Head for the scene in which the fire dragon attacks and pay attention to his thunderous wings, the roar of his flames, and the cries of his victims.
To top it all off, dialogue is crystal clear, effeciently distributed across the front channels, and naturally prioritized within the chaos. I didn't have problems deciphering lines or instinctually understanding the placement of every object and character in the soundfield. This is a reference quality track that outperforms the majority of animated audio mixes on the high-def market.
The Blu-ray edition of 'Beowulf' includes all of the features that appeared on February's HD DVD and standard DVD releases, and presents the content in high definition. Paramount has even thrown in a generous helping of exclusive content (discussed in the next section) to sweeten the pot. The only thing noticeably absent from the supplemental package (both regular and exclusive) is an audio commentary from Robert Zemeckis -- a surprise considering how vocal he's been about the merits of motion captured performances.
'Beowulf: The Director's Cut' is a solid animated actioner that expands the classic tale with intriguing additions to the story and the characters. Zemeckis' changes and animation may not always work as intended, but the film soars more often than it stumbles. However, whether you love or hate the film itself, the triple threat of a gorgeous video transfer, powerful lossless audio track, and extensive supplemental package adds quite a bit of value to this Paramount release.
Portions of this review also appear in our coverage of Dunkirk on Blu-ray. This post features unique Vital Disc Stats, Video, and Final Thoughts sections.
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