Many computer graphics films are made for kids and more often than not, filmmakers choose to use computer graphics so they can make characters look deformed and inhuman.
But as CG advanced over the years and producers have seen the potentials of replacing stunt actors and extras with intricate digital doppelgangers, demand for all realistic, all digital movies has slowly increased.
Though films like 300 walk a fine line with detailed overlays and shading techniques, few films go the distance to create fully computer-generated action film.
Beowulf is one such film, and what’s more, it’s offered in 3-D.
Following the story of the great warrior Beowulf (Ray Winstone, Sexy Beast, King Arthur) and his army of vikings, Beowulf is actually much more complex than a simple fantasy slasher flick. Although the epic poem upon which the movie is based was written about 1,300 years ago, conceptually the tale is surprisingly fresh, even with the updates to the story from writer Neil Gaiman.
Beowulf is called into King Hrothgar’s (Anthony Hopkins) kingdom to rid the land of a demon known as Grendel, and in exchange for killing the beast will receive gold, glory, etc. While he is a capable warrior with a sharp mind, he’s no hero, and this is one of the things that makes the film worth watching. Beowulf is flawed in that his goals are not justice, peace and satisfaction in doing the right thing. As Beowulf himself says, “Mine is strength and lust and power. I am Beowulf!”
While references and comparisons to 300 have been prominent leading up to the film’s release, the comparison isn’t a fair one. 300 is the tale of a group of free-minded men standing against global tyranny, and their leader Leonidas is unwavering in his convictions. Beowulf is a story of heroes and how they can come to fall, as well as what role religion plays in the role of heroes. In a jarring line, Beowulf calls out, “There are no more heroes — the Christ God killed them.”
As far as action goes, though, Beowulf gets some serious badass points — maybe not as many as the Spartan army, but more than enough for one man.
The CG actually serve to enhance this quality in many ways, as it becomes easier to get away with some pretty absurd levels of violence. Actually, this is probably the most violent PG-13 movie I have ever seen. Period. Waterfalls of blood from limb-tearing, head-bashing, disembowelment and so forth. Admittedly, there are only two fight scenes in the whole movie, sizeable though they are, and fun.
But getting back to the animation, I don’t feel it’s so integral to the film that it couldn’t be done without it. This movie would have worked fine if it were live action, as there’s nothing so special they do with the visual effects that the movie would be at a loss without it.
For CG movies like Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within or Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, there was a reason behind it, be it for sprawling cityscapes, titanic and impossible fight sequences or a wealth of nonhuman characters.
Beowulf’s 3-D glasses component does help smooth this over by having a few fun little moments where they shove spears and arrows in your face.
And though the expressions were computer-generated, the acting quality was definitely not. Winstone makes for a fantastic protagonist, his voice a unique brand of guttural Russell Crowe. Lines like “I am ripper, tearer, slasher. I am the teeth in the darkness, the talons in the night,” sent chills down my spine. Brendan Gleeson, who plays Beowulf’s companion Wiglaf, adds a good deal of necessary humor and camaraderie to an often dark and bitter tale. Grendel’s mother, played by an often nude CG representation of Angelina Jolie, has a surprisingly generic tone to her performance. She merely sounds evil and taunting, but not evil enough to wash over the fact that she’s meant to sound like a character with a lot of depth and involvement in the story.
Save a hollow end scene, Beowulf is an excellent and fun action movie, and I recommend it to anyone looking for a good time who can take a large quantity of violence in his or her movie.
