I was excited about seeing this movie for a while, so once it was released my friends and I decided to call it a `guy's night' and throw back some beers and watch us some `Beowulf'. Sure, it's a cartoon, but it's so much more than just a cartoon. I personally enjoyed this movie quite a bit. Yes, it's campy but intentionally so, and yes it is a bit extreme, but that's where all the fun lies. I will admit that I totally prefer my actors in live action mode, and I would have loved to see this `in living color' so-to-speak. I think that all the actors used are talented and would have done a phenomenal job in their respective roles. Ray Winstone is a brilliant actor, even if he is not widely known, and while he is not physically a specimen like that of Beowulf (he's more on the `beefy' side) I still would have loved to see him take it on in the flesh.



I am dying now to get my hands on the actual poem.



The film follows the warrior Beowulf as he slaughters the monster known as Grendel, a monster that proved to be a curse for King Hrothgar. When Beowulf attempts to kill Grendal's revenge seeking mother he is seduced by her beauty and falls captive to her curse. That curse follows Beowulf well into his rule as King and serves as the catalyst for a most epic battle that pits father against son.



I can't say that I'm fresh on all the details of the poem that spawned this film, I still need to watch this a couple more times and, as I mentioned, get my hands on the classic itself, but I can say that it is a most interesting story indeed. Director Robert Zemeckis delivers a solid action adventure film that is thrilling as much as it is entertaining. The battle scenes are memorable and engrossing, especially the final dragon battle that is nothing short of mesmerizing. Beowulf's battle with Grendal is done well also, even if it recalls certain comical moments from `Austin Powers'.



The acting is decent, as decent as can be expected. The only actor who is really required to do much acting at all is Winstone, and he pulls his weight. Angelina Jolie dons that horrible accent from `Alexander' once again, but she's only on the screen twice and both times you won't be listening to the words coming out of her mouth. Anthony Hopkins does a mean drunk, and John Malkovich is funny as the bitter Unferth. Robin Wright Penn is a little dead and fails to really deliver anything close to a performance here. It's hard to judge since the film is, in the end, a cartoon. While the eyes are undoubtedly human the facial expressions are one-note most of the time. `Ratatouille' is a better example of expressive animation.



In the end "Beowulf' is a lot of fun even if it isn't perfection. I rather enjoyed the campiness of the film; I thought it added a comical edge I wasn't expecting. This is not a film for children by any means. It is littered with gore, nudity and innuendos. I'm floored it remained PG-13 and it truly pushes the boundaries to an extreme. For you adults though, `Beowulf' is where you should look for a guilt free (or is it guilty) good time.