 
Beowulf
a.k.a. “La Légende de Beowulf,” “Die Legende von Beowulf,” “La Leggenda di Beowulf” MPAA Rating:
 for intense sequences of violence including disturbing images, some sexual material and nudityReviewed by: Michael Karounos Extremely Offensive
Moviemaking Quality:
Primary Audience:
Teens, Adults
Genre:
Fantasy, Adventure, Drama, Animation, Adaptation
Length:
1 hr. 53 min.
Year of Release:
2007
USA Release:
November 16, 2007 (wide)
           Relevant Issues
“Pride is the curse.” Like the pathetic version of the Beowulf legend released in 1999, and like the pathetic one released in 2005, this recent incarnation grovels in moral relativism. In the 1999 version, Beowulf says:
In the 2005 version, Beowulf says,
In the 2007 version, Beowulf says,
It is comforting to know that all three filmmakers are consistent in their degraded perspective of heroism and that all three agree that Man is inhuman. Fortunately for the rest of us, that perspective isn’t in the ancient text which adulates heroism, deprecates evil, and glorifies God. The twice-stated premise of the movie is that the “sins of the fathers” are visited on the sons. Without giving away the details of the interesting twist lent to the ancient story by writers Neil Gaman and Roger Avary, the particular sin is lust which eventually causes the death of the three men who the movie carefully portrays as suffering from it. The movie succeeds in its portrayal of a Beowulf (Ray Winstone) who is masculine, heroic, and convincingly conflicted without being emasculated, as Gerard Butler’s character was in “Beowulf and Grendel” (2005). At the same time, it is hard to take the animated Beowulf seriously when he moves like a stop-action cartoon and repeatedly displays his naked backside to the audience. It is a perspective that is not of primary interest to prurient women and is of no interest to heterosexual men. (This is especially true of the naked and overweight, bearish rear end of Anthony Hopkins, the sight of which can only appeal to a certain constituency which shall remain unnamed here.) Similarly to the 2005 film, this most recent Beowulf subtly debases whatever is masculine in culture—heroism, husbandry, and fatherhood—while simultaneously glorifying the feminine. Women lust without penalty in this “Beowulf,” including the teenage wench who is Beowulf’s mistress. Rather than suffer for her transgression, she is actually comforted by the queen. Meanwhile, the queen is unforgiving of her hero/husband, Beowulf’s sin. Likewise, the serving wenches lust after Beowulf without penalty, but one of Beowulf’s warriors is killed when his lust for a wench gets the better of his common sense. In this movie, sexual transgression is all on the part of the men. The women are portrayed as innocent victims of men’s lust. The character of Angelina Jolie as Grendel’s mother is similar to that of Sarah Polley as the witch in the 2005 movie in that she is the one whose metaphysical and sexual powers are greater than Beowulf’s. At one point, the beautiful demon grasps Beowulf’s uplifted sword and causes it to suggestively melt in her hand. In both movies, the women are more powerful than the men, purer than the men, and are both redeemed and redemptive, whereas the men are “damned” or simply weak. More disturbing than the one-sided feminist portrayal of men as weak and venal is the persistent anti-Christian bigotry that seeps into, it seems, everything Hollywood produces. The first Christian reference in the movie occurs when John Malkovich and another character discuss Jesus while urinating at length. I’m sure that scene caused gales of laughter in the blue states, because there’s nothing more hilarious than making fun of the Jesus-believing rubes. Subsequent scenes show a grim Christian escort to the queen, a groveling convert (Malkovich), a burning cross tumbling in slow motion into the ruins of a church, and a decision not to pray to Jesus. Later, a character, I believe, Beowulf says,
Nietzsche was famous for saying that Christianity was a weak religion and had killed the unbridled Dionysian spirit in man which allows him to be a “superman.” It is typical of the confusion of the postmodern left that it cannot make up its mind. Is Christianity weak and insipid or is it murderous and powerful? Is lust a good thing or is it a sin to be punished even outside of a Christian context? Aren’t men supposed to be “supermen” or are women more powerful? These contradictions make ridiculous the premises of a movie which can’t think straight but, like the pigs in Animal Farm, can only bleat mindless formulations, in this case: “Men bad; women good.” The movie, at its heart, evinces a secular Puritanism that is radically feminist. Simply put, sex is bad. There is no sex between Hrothgar and his wife Wealtheow; there is no sex between Beowulf and Wealtheow; the sex between Beowulf and his child-mistress reflects poorly on him (though not on her); sex with Grendel’s mother is always good for her and always bad for the man who has it with her. Marriage is a cursed state; a state without men, whether as demon or queen, is morally purifying. This is similar to the 2005 movie in which the witch has voluntary sex with the troll, but slaps and rapes the weak-willed Beowulf. One of other ways the movie manages to have its cake and eat it too is to show extended scenes of a naked Angelina Jolie and still retain a PG-13 rating. Many reviewers said that this technology is the wave of the future. Perhaps it is, although there were many awkward moments when the movie played like a cartoon, and it was impossible to ascribe the on-screen emotions to anything human. However, if filmmakers can show male and female nudity with impunity and still retain a PG-13 rating, then you can be sure there will be many more movies like this one, showing the naked form of Angelina Jolie. Watching her is not as disturbing to a Christian as watching the naked Mystique in the third X-Men, but director Zemeckis clearly understands that what is going to sell the movie is not the cheesy 3D action but the opportunity to see a PhotoShopped Jolie naked as a doll. Her character is mesmerizing because she seems less than human and more than animation. She’s a walking, talking soft-core porn illustration of a beautiful woman. Technically, the movie is full of amateurish attempts to produce scenes of horrifying gore. It is as if Zemeckis asked the opinion of a room full of 13 year old boys what was the grossest kind of violence to depict, and they responded “Stab things in the eye!” There are at least three times when Beowulf stabs creatures in the eye, and actually comes through one of those times. This allows Zemeckis to drip 3D gore onto the audience, but because it is so over the top, the audience can’t relate the experience to anything imaginable and is unaffected. The better moments are those such as the rain falling, but even that is made ludicrous by the fact that the audience can see 3D rain falling on itself, but the character’s helmet remains perfectly dry! The character of Grendel is poorly conceived. He is neither horrifying nor disgusting, but comes across as a bad artist’s attempt to depict both. The only interesting aspect of Grendel in the movie is when he converses in Old English with his mother and shows his childish, i.e. victimized, nature. Once again, Man is the evil, and the evil is Victim. We saw all that in the 2005 movie and tire of having to see the same, dull, ideological sermon over and over again. This year’s version of Beowulf is anti-Christian, misanthropic, full of nudity, but otherwise childish in its conceptions. As always, read the book to learn that:
As well as to read some 38 other reverent references to God whose spirit and truth are entirely absent from this abortive attempt to portray both Man and God in an honest manner. Violence: Extreme / Profanity: Minor / Sex/Nudity: Extreme See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.   Comments available:
Negative
Negative - This was probably the worst movie I have seen in years. While the producers did an excellent job with the animation and in keeping with the appropriate time period, the movie itself left me feeling sick. I took my 13 year old daughter to see this (and yes, I did miss the part in the ratings about partial nudity) simply because this is a character that fascinates her. The original Beowulf was written with God as the source of all that Beowulf was able to do. As a fact, When Beowulf relates his battle with Grendal's mother he states 'The fight would have ended straightaway if God had not guarded me'. This is what fascinates my daughter—this story of a man who battles those who harbor God’s wrath (Grendal) and the victory over them. Negative - Words cannot describe how bad much of this film was. There was more nudity than in the 80s sex comedy “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” (the fact that the nudity was “digitally enhanced” makes no difference) and more violence than in the first few “Friday the 13th” movies! Even the technical quality of the film was lacking as it seems they digitally rendered even scenes with human beings talking where no special effect shots would normally have been needed. The result was that even the actors appeared wooden and animated! Only the last half of the film made the movie tolerable at all. It is disgrace that the movie managed to get a PG-13 (doubtless they argued that since everything was animated, it was “okay”), and the movie offered nothing of redeeming value. Please do not waste your time or money with this and DO NOT take your children. Negative - Angelina Jolie never ceases to amaze me. She basically went nude and ruined the whole film. Garbage film terrible acting. To me, I wasted 2 hours of my life watching Julie being stupid. Negative - I can’t believe I sat thru this film. It was offensive on so many levels, one of which is the sight of Angelina Jolie prancing around in the altogether. The image of the monster was disturbing, and I closed my eyes several times throughout the film. Please don’t take your kids, as this is a VERY strong PG-13 which should have been rated R. Negative - A preposterous movie about the ancient legend of Beowolf. The semi-animated acting is so poor as to be unbelievable. The violence needed a far higher certificate. And the Christian God is referred to as “weak.” Thankfully, the film as a whole was so bad that no-one will take it seriously. The only good thing was the 3D which was fun. But that soon lost its attraction in the presence of so much mediocrity. Neutral
Neutral - “Beowulf ” is no children’s film. It tries to remain true to its original source that of old Anglo-Saxon tale, it is violent and graphic in detail with a story strictly for adult. In high school, my literature class was made to read 'Grendel' by John Gardner, a retelling, and like Gardner’s version, so is Robert Zemeckis' animated feature. By compacting the long poem and adjusting some of it’s plot elements, the film tells the story of a warrior destined to be a hero, then a king, and finally an old man facing his past sin. Neutral - I would have given 'Beowulf' a negative rating, but I saw it in 3-D. The 3-D visuals are quite impressive. The movie itself is subpar. The story is cliche and the violence is extensive. The demon in the movie is disturbing and looks, well, demonic. Not for children. And yes, although animated, Angelina Jolie is nude whenever present. There are at least a few moments of humor although most is sexual in nature. Overall, not a movie to recommend unless you can see it in 3-D where the film becomes a treat for the eyes especially during a dragon scene at the end. Neutral - Some cheesy dialogue ('I am… Beowulf!!!' is bellowed a couple of times), some far-fetched action sequences, and some, yes, austerpowerism show this movie is geared for WWE fans or… austin powers fans. Okay, well, maybe not the latter, and probably not the former either, but 'Beowulf' as a whole is an adult movie. The inherent themes, violence, implied sex, nudity, and language make this flick unsuitable for kids. But unfortunately, the movie is rife with the little nuances first mentioned, so Beowulf is successful in blurring its target audience. Neutral - Having not read the piece of classic literature that this film is based on, I can’t delve too far into comparison between the film and itself. However, I have discussed the subject with friends and have been told that, true to the story, Beowulf indeed does portray a haughty attitude throughout the story as well as the movie. What you see in this film is no more than the images you see in your head when reading ancient mythology of any sort, knowing that, I can say that there are parts that many would consider offensive. It is a high PG-13, and only missed an R-rating due to the fact that it was indeed animated. However, the animation was extremely realistic at times, which is part of what made this movie-going experience worthwhile. Having viewed the film in IMAX 3D, I was blown away by what could be accomplished through technology. You literally were taken into the story as if you were participating in the movie. I did enjoy the movie, but as I stated before, proceed with caution.… Neutral - “Beowulf” was a classic tale that I agree definitely has a few anti-Christian elements in it. Although I must say I didn’t notice all of the ones that the reviewer brought up. The movie is like the “Spider-Man 3” action scenes. Which can be decent at times, but laughable at other times. The story does tell a message of man’s seemingly inability to make the right choice when it comes to women. It’s true. If a woman comes hard after a man, especially a desirable one, the man will be weak. However, that’s where Christ comes in. He gives us the wisdom to know if a relationship is right. Especially if you’re married, there should be no question to avoid such women. In the end, I hope it teaches men that you must not be captivated by wrong relationships. Stay true to your wife or your faith until the right one comes along. Or the consequences could be bad. All in all, I thought the movie was ok. I think it helped that I went to the 3-D showing at IMAX. Otherwise, it could’ve been a bit more dull. Positive
Negative - Warning — some spoilers are present in this review. The overarching theme of this film is the idolization of heroism. While acting heroically is certainly not wrong, the film suggests heroism is the trait towards which all should strive, and that the worship of those who are already heroes is due. Heroism in the movie is pursued for the end of self-glorification; a theme in direct opposition to the teaching of Jesus (see Luke 9:46-48). Positive - Zemeckis, with aid from writers Avary and Gaiman, has produced a compelling, enjoyable pop-culture rendition of the classic ancient poem with a great deal of thematic weight and some thrilling sequences. Zemeckis' BEOWULF, at its core, is a tragedy. BEOWULF is about flawed men and the consequences of their actions haunting them. We are introduced to King Hrothgar (Anthony Hopkins), whose past sins haunt him in the form of the monster, Grendel, who ravages the lands. The warrior Beowulf (Ray Winstone), seeking heroic glory, slays the monster, and frees the king from his curse. Positive - This movie was good in my opinion. It portrayed spiritual warfare… Good vs. Evil. There were mentions made to the king about following Christ, to life the curse upon the land. (Christ is the deliverer). Also the queen who at the end of the movie was converted to Christianity, and forgave Beowulf for his adultery. When Beowulf came to battle Grendel’s mother (A principality), he was over taken for he tried to wage war alone. I saw Grendel as an (Giant / Nephilim) Genesis 6:1. I would not recommend this movie to children under 18, for its nudity and violence. Positive - As a Christian English teacher who teaches Beowulf in her senior class curriculum, I was a bit nervous, actually tormented, if I should bring my senior class to view this film. I did my research, and after hearing both positive and negative comments, decided it was a go. I am glad I did. I found the film to have plenty of themes of which to teach in a Christian manner - vengeance, pride, and lust of the flesh. As Christians, isn’t it our duty to help our students/children process this information in a godly manner? These themes are as old as when time began, and it’s our duty as educators/parents to help our students deal with these themes that our children will encounter someday, if they haven’t already. The 3-D version at an IMAX theater is what we experienced, and it’s the only way to view it - excellent film. Again - I brought my senior class - 17 and 18 year olds, not 12 - 13 year olds. Positive - Beowulf is an ancient story with an ancient message—if a man compromises his sexual morality, he will live to regret it. Not only will the consequences haunt him for the rest of his life; they will also hurt the ones he loves the most. Beowulf cannot hide his secret forever, eventually the offspring of his hidden sin will rise up to devour him. Other good messages from the movie are ‘the gods will not do what we can do ourselves’, the truth about who you are, even though fallible and flawed is preferable to a pretence of greatness and what you do impacts everyone in your sphere of responsibility. There seemed to be an inevitability to the mens actions—a perpetual cycle of moral compromise and destructive back-lash. The most noble character, the queen, seems powerless to intervene—she simply watches on sadly as the men struggle and fight. In a way the story says the demon wins—or at least, sin prevails. There seems to be little hope of redemption or true breaking off of the cycle of sin—no forgiveness and repentance. The conclusion has to be that we need a real hero, a saviour who will break the consequences of sin and death off us forever—otherwise we are doomed. Positive - I could not help but notice that the vast majority of the complaints of this film was how it protrayed Christianity. As a Christian, I did not agree with what characters said about Jesus. However, historically, the view of Christianity that Neil Gaiman and Roger Avery wrote for the characters …would not be so far fetched. We have to remember that at this time period it was a brand new religion in this area of the world and would be something the people would be weary about. Also, it did not help that most of the people back then that accepted it were power hungry cowards. So, that the movie would have such a dim, or paranoid, though, it seemed more often indifferent view Christ would be historically correct. How can we, even as Christians, fault that? Positive - I’ve seen this movie twice now, the first time in a regular theater, the second in 3D. The 3D is a visual masterpiece, although the glasses are a bit clunky. The action comes (and goes) quickly in “Beowulf,” and never ceases to disappoint. As with every movie that has a lot (or in this case, the entirety) of computer-generated effects, there is some cheese. The portrayal of Grendel is interesting. Unlike past Beowulf films, which tried to make Grendel look like an innocent creature that just decided to kill some Geats, the Grendel found here has an interesting side. In the poem, he is a monster, nothing more. Zemeckis finds some neutral ground between past movies and the poem, so the Grendel found here is a beast, but is tormented in a very interesting (and, surprisingly, sensical) way. The action here is brutal, but shies away from things such as decapitations, showing just the shadows of the more grotesque scenes. The acting is strong for the most part, Ray Winstone has the perfect heroic booming voice, but John Malkovic proves to everyone once-and-for-all that he really is a terrible actor. All other actors/actresses fit in just fine. The music is both loud and triumphant (think “The Lord of the Rings”), but also surprisingly tender-themed as well. Beautiful music, one of my favorite scores. The dialogue is also smooth-flowing and clean, with the exception of an innuendo. Comments from young people
Negative - Alright, just got back from Beowulf. Bleh. The animation in most parts was incredible and it probably would have been spectacular in 3D. It did have a good share of action although it seemed too fluid - too rounded. Also, whenever Grendal attacked the building suddenly got 10 minutes of strobe lights threatening to give any sane person a seizure and good size headache. Positive - I have just came back from seeing 'Beowulf' and thought it was a good film(granted not 'the most amazing film to grace the big screen' but still good). There were some moments when the film dragged out,but what film doesn’t have those parts? |
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