It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

If you're interested in the topic at hand, you should just watch it and judge yourself because the reviews have gone very biased by people that didn't even watch it and just hate (or love) the creator. I liked it, it was well written, narrated, and directed and it was about a topic that interests me.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

O.M.G. To say that this show was terrible would be an UNDERSTATEMENT. It was basically just Game of Thrones only they scrimped on the special effects and aired it before the watershed. This idea sounded WONDERFUL but the end product was as best campy and at worst like a budget Game of Thrones. Even the THEME MUSIC is reminiscent of the Thrones theme. Whoever conceived this should be fired!I could go on for hours about the faults of this show but, I'll end on this: Beowulf is a story that has been around for over a thousand years and is ripe for adaptation, but the next time you want to adapt it for TV, stay close to the source material. In short, GET. IT. RIGHT!

Beowulf: Return to the Shieldlands is exactly what is was designed to be - a really entertaining, well made family action adventure. As many other reviewers have said this series has been unfairly compared with GOT but clearly it was never intended to sit within this bracket. Where GOT is clearly an adult fantasy drama, Beowulf is aimed at families hence its 7pm Sunday time-slot. Its better compared with BBC's Merlin or ITV's Robin of Sherwood from the 80's. A clever reworking of the epic tale this version of Beowulf is well cast, with some great performances & has strong plot lines which build throughout the series. It also manages to combine some genuine character development with a large dose of adventure. If you've been put off by some of the worse reviews I'd suggest giving it a proper go - by episode 4 it really begins to gain ground and builds to become a really enjoyable, genuinely entertaining family show. Hope to see a 2nd series.

Not the sort of thing I usually watch but I was lured by the attraction of North East scenery. I wasn't particularly enamoured by the first couple of episodes but it has improved and I have found myself looking forward to the light entertainment it provides on a Sunday evening. It is billed as a fantasy tale so who cares if it is true to the original 10th century poem? That was fantasy too! Personally, I think the ratings would be higher if it was broadcast on a more appropriate day, possibly a midweek evening when more youngsters would be likely to view. Programme schedulers did not do it any favours when they pitched it up against the national institution that is Countryfile and although there was quite a lot of hype before the first episode was broadcast, there has been very little advertising since. This should have been a great showcase for the North East region and I feel disappointed for the hard working cast and crew who worked on this production.

After doing what most people should of done and given it a chance to let the story and characters get moving, I have become more than pleasantly surprised by the amazing story, excitement and characters. I suggest ignoring the bulk of the other comments and try watching all the episodes over a couple of nights , or if your brave or bored then in on day. You will be surprised by how good the series is becoming.-------------/\--------------------------/\---------------- Don't be shy, give Beowulf a try !!! Kieran Bew is actually an amazing actor, he is playing a man damaged by wars over the years and experience and portrays this well. I would compare his actions likened to someone with massive depression.