Beowulf

Year of Release: 1999
Genre: Action / Fantasy
Rating: R for violence and sexuality.
Director: Graham Baker
Starring: Christopher Lambert, Rhona Mitra, Oliver Cotton, Gotz Otto, Vincent Hammond, Charles Robinson, Patricia Velasquez.

Date Of Review: April 2008

This 1999 version of “Beowulf” is a futuristic interpretation of the classic medieval tale. Falling somewhere between the post-apocalyptic nature of the "Mad Max" films and the sword and sorcery world of “Conan” and “Red Sonja” this cheaply made adaptation struggles to measure up to the grand nature of the tale. When I viewed this film on DVD, I had already seen the new 2007 version of "Beowulf" in an I-MAX theatre in 3-D. Unfortunately, this film was always going to suffer by comparison because the new film is so much superior in all departments. After a title logo credit and a brief, rather low-grade attention getter featuring the monster, this film kicks off with a nifty introduction to Christopher Lambert’s character, Beowulf. Lambert, complete with peroxide bleached whitish blonde hair is shown on horseback riding towards an army of men who are about to sacrifice a peasant woman (Patricia Velasquez) who they believe is possessed by the beast. The film quickly establishes Lambert’s character as a fearless unstoppable warrior who exudes all the skill and confidence of a master samurai.  In fact he even carries his sword on his back, not to mention an arsenal of other weapons such as crossbows, knives, clubs and an assortment of swords. Lambert’s rescue of the woman, where he takes on and wipes out part of the army is a well-staged, lively action sequence. At this point anticipations are high and expectations for scenes of similar ilk are in place.

Sadly, after this high energy introduction to Lambert’s character the film slips a few gears and meanders around for most of its running time with the occasional gruesome confrontation with the beast put in for pacing. The beast, or should I say Grendel, is little more than an inferior version of the monster in the 1987 film “Predator” which starred Arnold Schwarzenegger. After more than 10 years since “Predator”, you would expect this Predator-type beast to be much better. Unfortunately, the creature is little more than a man in a monster-suit. In fact, the filmmakers went out of their way to distort and camouflage the image so as to cover up its deficiencies.  At times, the monster looks nothing more than a smudge or a distorted blur. When Grendel goes on his rampage we often get a number of screeching sound effects, followed by a view of a room full of dead bodies. These dark, dreary scenes of the monster offer very little to the viewer, in fact any of Lambert’s fight sequences with the monster are fairly lackluster. Even, the finale where he fights the monster’s mother, although a little bit better than the earlier confrontations, leaves a lot to be desired.

On a positive note, the film has got something special going for it and that is a good looking leading lady. English actress Rhona Mitra is stunning as Kyra, the King’s daughter but at the end of the day even her role can’t escape from being anymore than window dressing. At one point in the film, Lambert states “I am not like other men” but for some funny reason at that point I couldn’t help but think he reminded me of Italian action-comedy actor Terence Hill (“They Call Me Trinity”). I am not sure exactly why, but maybe it was a combination of his look, his voice, his attitude and of course his confidence in handling any situation. Whatever the case, Lambert’s character doesn’t deliver the laughs that Terence Hill is so famous for. Nevertheless, at almost 15 years after “Greystoke” and the original “Highlander”, Lambert is still convincing as the master swordsman, although he does get a little bit of help in the stunt department as his character has a panache for acrobatics, in particular exuberant jumps and back flips. Although far from being the best interpretation of the tale, this live action version, shot entirely on location in Romania, should please some fans of the genre and more than likely satisfy the appetites and curiosities of those intrigued by the tale. “Beowulf” is one of those films that you take in your stride and if you don’t think about it too much, you might just enjoy some of the nonsense and that's only if the techno-soundtrack doesn't grate on you.

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Other Beowulf Flicks - Now Available on DVD:

Beowulf (1999) [DVD]
In this futuristic version of the 8th-century poem, medieval culture is blended with modern technology, as mysterious wanderer Beowulf (Christopher Lambert) takes on the dangerous Grendel, a nocturnal creature killing warriors stationed at a distant fortress called "the Outpost." With Oliver Cotton, Patricia Velasquez. 93 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital stereo; theatrical trailer; featurette.

Beowulf & The Anglo-Saxons (2006) [DVD]
The epic poem of the legendary Anglo-Saxon warrior Beowulf and his memorable battles with the monster Grendel, Grendel's mother, and the dragon is explored in this entertaining documentary. Featuring breathtaking location cinematography, computer animation, archival documents, and interviews, the program celebrates the enduring 8th-century myth that author J.R.R. Tolkien famously recognized as vital to mankind's cultural legacy. 90 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital stereo.

Beowulf & Grendel (2005) [DVD]
Lo! Hearken all ye to the legendary tale of the heroic Beowulf (Gerard Butler), who charges into blood-soaked adventure when coming to the aid of a mighty king whose kingdom is blighted by the ferocious wrath of the monstrous troll Grendel (Ingvar Eggert Sigurdsson). Action-packed fantasy based on the epic poem also stars Sarah Polley, Stellan Skarsgard, and Tony Curran. 103 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital 5.1; audio commentary; deleted scenes; featurette; interviews; photo gallery and more.

Beowulf (2007) (Director's Cut) [DVD]
The Old English epic poem is brought to magical life through the use of state-of-the-art motion capture and computer animation. His kingdom threatened by the troll Grendel, Danish King Hrothgar summons the famed warrior Beowulf, who must do battle against the evil monster before facing Grendel's vengeful mother and, finally, a fierce dragon. Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins, Angelina Jolie, Robin Wright Penn, John Malkovich lend their likenesses and voices to this gripping saga. Director's cut; 114 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital 5.1, French Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1; Subtitles: English, French, Spanish; "making of" documentary; featurettes; deleted scenes; theatrical trailer.

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