Better Late Then Never

Excellent characters with emotional depth. My wife, daughter and granddaughter all enjoyed it...and me, too! Very good movie! You won't be disappointed.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

It was just too much...but to be fair I saw it in 3D. The none 3D version may have actually been better, but honestly I have no way of knowing.At first it was, well, it was wow. I had never actually seen anything in 3D, being far too young for for the first round of popular 3D movies to hit the theater, but my father assured me it was nothing compared to this...He also assured me it didn't make him as nauseous, and sometimes I can see where he's coming from on that point.It came out right in the first wave of the new 3D, right when 3D was becoming popular again and actually worth it.And it was jaw dropping even if some of the motion made my old man sick.But it was also too much. A new technology and one that was a spectacular in itself, but not exactly tested to perfection.It seemed like a 14 year-old girl putting on make-up and not yet understanding that less is more.Less than half an hour into it, I had no idea what was going on, the 3D was too distracting to even attempt to follow the plot.About an hour into it, the 3D got boring, and yes, still over-the-top distracting.By the time I left I had the feeling that I had just experienced something that I had never experienced before. I had the feeling that watching a movie on the big screen would never be the same again...but I still couldn't figure out if I saw a movie or not.

While the Polar Express has become an Xmas classic in the past 12 years Zemeckis' follow-up has sort of taken a backseat (and his return to live action has been met with constant disappointment). It's a shame because Beowulf is a visually stunning film with a dark, brooding atmosphere. It may not be Xmas-y but it sure is winter-y and perfect viewing for this time of year.Based on the ancient epic poem (among the very earliest "English" literature) the story sees famous hero Beowulf arrive in Denmark to defeat Grendel, a horrific monster who has been terrorizing the locals. Beowulf likes to exaggerate his life and some are suspicious of him but when he lures Grendel into a confrontation his reputation is validated and he quickly becomes the reigning monarch. Many decades later Grendel's mother reveals a shocking secret and threatens Beowulf's kingdom with total destruction.This is not the family-friendly viewing of the Pole Ex. Beowulf is brutal, bloody, very gory, and sometimes hard to watch. Grendel is one of the most gruesome, ugliest monsters ever to appear in a movie but Crispin Glover's typically eccentric performance (after settling a years-long feud with Zemeckis over BTTF 2) is harrowing and sympathetic. He may be a merciless killer but it's very hard not to feel sorry for him. Themes of surrendering to wicked temptation, regret, and mortality continue to resonate to this day. In fact, I honestly cannot think of any other work of fiction that has had as much influence on literature, history, and even popular culture (other than the Bible) as the ancient poem by Anonymous.Alan Silvestri's score is, as usual, highly involving and emotional lending a huge weight to the cold, lonely feel of the movie. Ray Winstone is the perfect actor to bring a voice to the character mixing cockney charm, bravado, honor, and secret shame to what might otherwise be a hollow CGI creation.Please do not write this movie off. It seems like it still struggling to find an audience despite being one of my favorite of Zemeckis' career.

Beowulf is a 2007 American motion capture computer-animated fantasy film directed by Robert Zemeckis and written by Neil Gaiman and Roger Avary, inspired by the Old English epic poem of the same nameThe cast includes Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins, Robin Wright Penn, Brendan Gleeson, John Malkovich, Crispin Glover, Alison Lohman, and Angelina JolieIn a legendary time of heroes, the mighty warrior Beowulf battles the demon Grendel and incurs the hellish wrath of the beast's ruthlessly seductive mother. Their epic clash forges the timeless legend of Beowulf.

Adventure legend movies in days of yore had swashbuckling heroes based on famous legends who were reworked as magnificent, brave, honorable heroes whose deeds inspired us all. The reworkings did NOT follow the legend. This is true of this remake of the Beowulf legend which tells, in middle English, of the Danish heritage today seen primarily in northern England and in East Anglia. This movie seems inspired by the old Ray Harryhausen legend rework movies as it remakes the story of Beowulf with marvelous state of the art special effects and an all too brief appearance of Angelina Jolie as a meld of many ancient pagan moon and water and earth goddesses. It will not please those who want to find out the real middle English legend or those who do not believe these old legends have any more a place in this culture. Otherwise, a good adventure movie perhaps without a target age group in mind.