Rating of
2.5/4
Technologically impressive with a mixed end result
newmans_own - wrote on 11/13/07
BEOWULF was promised to be a step ahead of 2004's THE POLAR EXPRESS, which was criticized while its techincal aspirations were admired. Zemeckis and company do succeed on several levels; the animation is superior to previous outings, as is the fluidity in action and storytelling. Yet there are still key detractions in the animation that keep BEOWULF from being a completely satisfying experience.
Once Grendel’s mother enters the picture, it takes drastic turns from the original poem. This will likely frustrate fans of the source, yet as this film is being marketed squarely at the young adult male set, its target market will forgive faithfulness in favor of animated Jolie’s naked body. And Jolie isn’t the only character showing some skin. The usually portly Winstone, transformed into a Conan the Barbarian-like muscleman (ah the wonders of animation), battles Grendel in the nude; Zemeckis utilizes several self-conscious objects (candles, arms and, most appropriately, swords) to keep the film from straying into R-rated territory.
Yet all the daring choices taken with the material do not make up for the faults in the film’s production. The techniques of the animation have certainly improved since THE POLAR EXPRESS; the amount of detail in the settings are particularly astounding. But the characters’ faces are largely immovable. There is still something about these figures, their lifeless eyes, unexpressive faces and too-fluid movements that stick out. In certain cases, they seem like no more than well-rendered video game characters. Zemeckis is also tempted one too many times to get gimmicky; he favors long “takes” moving from one place to another, trying to be as all-encompassing as possible. Sometimes the tactic works, such as when Grendel is introduced. But when nearly every shot is constructed that way, it gets noticeable and irritating.
**1/2
Full review at http://newmanscorner.blogspot.com
