I saw some initial trailers for this upcoming film, and thought it looked okay, but wasn’t particularly amazed. However, Harry at AICN has now seen the finished product and is raving about it. He writes,
It is here, where it is time to witness legend unleashed, heroism, sacrifice and the sort of greatness we are blessed to see envisioned from the imagination of the Dark Ages and trumpeted upon the whiz-bangery of 3D High Tech 21st century spectacle.
I have to admit that there is a primal quality to the ancient legends like Beowulf. The reason that Lord of the Rings was such a success was because it sought to tap into that primal source, and creating the depth to replace centuries of lore took JRR Tolkien decades. If the Beowulf movie truly brings the ancient legend – without any Hollywood tropes, but with its integrity intact – to the modern screen, then it really will be a spectacular epic.
If Grendel is unconvincing, the whole thing collapses like a house of cards. Irrespective of anything else, the CG will determine if this is good or crap. (Though hammy acting could kill it, too.)
agreed. In many ways I think that the story needs to be told using CG, because no “man in suit” portrayal of Grendel could possibly inspire the necessary mix of emotive revulsion and sympathy.