Archive: 'Beowulf'

Movie Review
Beowulf (2007)


I just love this melding of school literature and a major motion picture. Upon first hearing about "Beowulf," I figured it would be a pile of crap, but I would see it anyway just to poke fun at the thrilling memories of trudging through the Old English epic poem in English class a year back. Ah, yes. Well, I couldn't have been any more wrong, and it just so happens that this is actually one of the most exciting times you'll have in a theater right now. It's hilarious how this centuries-old poem has been kicked into high-gear and transformed into one awesomely kickass action movie. I think even Mrs. Ladd would be proud. Good ol' Beo!

Director Robet Zemeckis uses the same motion-capture here that he used in "The Polar Express," except back then it looked pretty surreal. Although still slightly eerie, things have definitely changed because this time around, the style of animation looks more realistic and absolutely stunning. And the movie looks like it was specifically made for 3-D with plenty of things flying out at the screen towards you. I saw it in IMAX 3-D, and it was loud, exciting, eye-popping, and insanely entertaining. If you plan on seeing it, do yourself the favor of seeing it in 3-D; most theaters are offering it that way, and it's really the best way to experience it.

Plot summary is like reviewing for a test on Beowulf because it's actually quite faithful to the original poem with familiar names and places. It takes us to a land long ago where Danish king Hrothgar (Anthony Hopkins) is holding a celebration in the mead hall, a place where there are lots of women to fondle and mead to guzzle. Out in the distance, however, there is the monster named Grendel (Crispin Glover), who is known for hating joyous celebrations and therefore has a nasty habit of destroying mead halls. Grendel is conceived rather well, I thought, considering how the original poem would've intended for him to look. He's partially man, which is correct, but horrendously slimy and gross looking, also correct. King Hrothgar offers a reward to any man that can slay Grendel, even offering his younger queen wife (Robin Wright Penn).

And so arrives Beowulf (Ray Winstone) with his faithful friend Wiglaf (Brendan Gleeson) and other thanes to slaughter the beast, all boasting in manly robust talk. A man named Unferth (John Malkovich) questions Beowulf's abilities and mentions a swimming race Beowulf had with another man named Breka. This is humorous to me only because I distinctly remember Breka being briefly mentioned in the poem, and now in the movie, it's blown-up into an extended flashback showing that the reason Beowulf lost the race was because he was too busy splitting open and gouging the eyes out of sea monsters, all shown in gruesome detail with blood raining down on your 3-D glasses. Later on, Unferth even turns around and offers Beowulf a sword called Hrunting, also mentioned in the poem. So, it's faithfulness is definitely there; however, it's when Grendel's mother comes into the picture that some liberties are taken with the plot.

Yes, Angelina Jolie plays Grendel's mother, and she would not at all work in the context of the poem as she's supposed to be an ugly hag. In the way the movie wants to use Grendel's mother, though, Jolie couldn't be a more perfect match. When she first emerges from the pool in that single iconic scene, Grendel's mother is sexy, seductive, and tempting, covered in patches of gold to cover up her personals and even donning spike-heeled feet. And no, that's not actually Angelina Jolie's naked body you're looking at. Grendel's mom tempts Beowulf, adding needed intrigue to the story, and it really works out quite nicely. An innovative new layer is added to Beowulf's character, as well, which allows him to be not only a hero, but also a normally flawed man.

There are some unintentional laughs and occasional outbursts of snickering along the way, especially during a scene where Beowulf strips down completely naked to take on Grendel. Throughout the brutal manslaughter, Beowulf leaps around the mead hall with conveniently placed objects to cover himself. For the most part, though, people just sat and watched in silent awe. This was particularly noticeable during a final fight sequence against a giant fire-breathing dragon. Dare I say, FBD? This final fight's purpose, especially, strays far from the original epic, but this too ends up working out quite well with the rest of the movie's story.

Ray Winstone is fitting to Beowulf with his random outcries of triumphant phrases, reminiscent of "300," as this movie will probably appeal to the same audience. I actually liked this better than that for whatever reason; perhaps it's my English class connection. The movie is also bordering between its PG-13 rating and an R-rating, and it likely would've obtained the latter had it not been animated.

If you're looking for something fun to see in theaters right now, this is by far your best bet; just slap on those 3-D glasses and enjoy the rush. However weird I feel saying it, "Beowulf" is a really great movie.

A Big Win For James Cameron

Avatar


James Cameron has been all the rage with the ever-approaching release of his first movie since 12 years ago when he made "Titanic." With anticipation at its boiling point, judgment day for the self-proclaimed King of the World has finally arrived. The verdict? Well, let's just say he's keeping his crown for this one and perhaps expanding it to King of the Universe. Like many others, I was skeptical toward the director's venture that reportedly cost him $300 million. The building buzz for his new feature was holding up some lofty expectations that I was just worried wouldn't be met. It turns out, however, that every bold claim Cameron made about his latest film came true, and it was money well spent. So, here I am standing before you attempting to transform my skepticism into an undying love. I'm here to set the record straight: "Avatar" is the real deal. In astonishing and stunning IMAX 3D, this is a movie that transports in a way like nothing you've ever experienced before, and the unbelievable technical prowess involved is like nothing ever done before in cinema. Simply put, this is the most visually gorgeous film I have ever seen and a landmark in moviemaking.

The world of Pandora is such a rich, breathing, and fully-realized place it is comparable to other fantasy worlds represented in film such as "Star Wars," "Lord of the Rings," and "Harry Potter." This world's environment is similar to Earth with luscious forests, sprawling landscapes, except all the more fantastical with places such as floating mountains with waterfalls dropping off into nothingness. The world is inhabited by creatures both colorful and dangerous and also the natives, the Na'vi. They are a blue-skinned, yellow-eyed, slender, 8-foot-tall race. This world and these people are all rendered largely by CGI except it's like the next generation of CGI. The Na'vi are created through motion capture techniques that are entirely convincing, and they look like particular actors when they're supposed to without any creepy effect. Their blue skin glistens, the trees rustle and sway, the waters pound, and every aspect of Pandora--the eye-popping colors, textures, and meticulous attention to detail--is breathtakingly beautiful and an explosion of sensory delight.

But enough about the visual. How does the story hold up? It's simple, yes, but never too thin. And at the center is an emotional romance, one of elegance, grace, and real flesh and blood. Blue flesh, that is. The Na'vi thrive off their planet by being deeply connected with nature, but the nature of their planet is threatened by a mission lead by U.S. Armed Forces that want to harvest a rich mineral only found on Pandora and one that is worth millions. Armored, gun-wielding hover ships probe through the planet as they carry out their goal of displacing the native Na'vi. Diplomatic solutions are of first priority, but open-fire is a welcomed close second. To venture closely into Pandora outside the safety of machinery, they use avatars. These are linked to the minds of humans who remained wired on the ship, but they still have all the sensory connections to their avatar. They are them.

The hero is Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), a paraplegic who has been sent on this mission to replace his brother who died. An avatar was built for his brother, and Jake is the only genetic match. As his avatar, Jake journeys into the wonders of Pandora and comes across a Na'vi named Neytiri (Zoe Saldana). She saves his life from some vicious banshees, and from there she reluctantly takes Jake under her wing and convinces her community to teach Jake the ways of Na'vi. The team back aboard the ships is thrilled because Jake can get them closer to a negotiation with the natives. Jake, however, with a fellow member who has a tender history with the Na'vi, Grace (Sigourney Weaver), begins to see things differently. The leader onboard the ship is the rough and aggressive Col. Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang) who briefed Jake to be a good soldier, and now he feels betrayed.

The movie is 160 minutes long without ever a dull moment. Just consider the complexity of the battle taking place, the final warfare that ignites a revolution, the human drama, the Na'vi drama, the complexity with humans and Na'vi combined, the internal secrets that Pandora harbors such as those white, glowing, floating creatures that are the soul of the planet, and, hell, it just all makes for grand, epic, sweeping entertainment at the highest caliber that needs to be seen more than once to fully admire and absorb. The first time you're simply taken aback by the shock of it all. There are an endless number of captivating scenes. One that especially comes to mind is when Jake has to capture and tame a flying dragon-looking creature. The Na'vi literally become one with the great beasts they have at their disposal for transportation.

Expectations tend to be a double-edged sword. Fail them, and you're doomed. Meet them, however, and you soar. Thankfully for James Cameron, he is soaring above and beyond all expectations and doubts that preceded this release. And the box office results will be there to match it. "Avatar" is anti-war and pro-Green. It is not only a film but a cultural phenomenon, an event that cannot be missed. If you do, you're out of the loop. I don't care if it's Hollywood and profitable and a shoo-in for being the big-budget crowd-pleaser for which the Academy may have been searching. It doesn't matter. "Avatar" will blow your mind. Go see it.

Flat Rendition Of A Christmas Classic

Disney's A Christmas Carol


Robert Zemeckis has done this once before. As he did with "The Polar Express," using his photo-realistic, motion-capture animation technique, he has adapted a holiday story for not just the big screen, but the really big screen: IMAX. And this time, 3-D. Much like he proved with the surprisingly adept "Beowulf," Zemeckis certainly knows how to put 3-D to good use. The thing with his "A Christmas Carol," corporately labeled as a Disney production, is that the animation is better, and yes, the 3-D is wondrous. The look of real actors being animated comes off much less creepy here than it did in "The Polar Express," but even so, that was a better film. The issue is that this time Zemeckis is adapting the timeless 1838 story by Charles Dickens. All the trimmings of Victorian yuletide cheer are there, but the emotional feeling of being a classic just isn't.

This is a premise we all know, so it's not worth repeating, but here's a basic outline: Ebenezer Scrooge (Jim Carrey) is a bitter old man whose business partner, Jacob Marley (Gary Oldman), died on Christmas Eve. He therefore hates Christmas, and with his stooped back, drooping skin, and pale eyes, he loathes everything about the holiday. He is visited by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future, all distinct and all teaching Scrooge things about himself he may have never even realized before. Majority of the dialogue throughout the film is directly lifted from the original story, and to that extent this adaptation pays rightful tribute to Dickens. Zemeckis stays true to Dickens' most potent and finest themes, and with such comes a rather dark tone, one that focuses on moral disparity and even death. In this instance the movie can be eerie and even downright scary, which means that this is one definitely not for the youngest kids.

There's no denying that Zemeckis' "A Christmas Carol" is visually splendid with sequences swirling with magic and a rendering of 19th century London that is seamless and gorgeous. And yet it feels like Zemeckis gets a little carried away. This isn't meant to be the Christmas Carol roller coaster ride, and perhaps there simply wasn't enough material to work with. Between all of the exuberantly-designed chase and action sequences, the real narrative, the appearance of each ghost, almost become the backdrop to the thrill-ride. It gets tiring after a while, especially when there is so much to offer with Zemeckis' vision of these ghosts. The Ghost of Christmas Past is exceptional with just a face in a lit candle, whispering and flickering.

Jim Carrey pulls his weight, voicing not only Scrooge but also the three ghosts. Gary Oldman does the voices of Bob Cratchit, Tiny Tim, and Marley. Deep beneath the layers of animation is Carrey playing Scrooge quite well as he does a good job of playing it straight without any flairs or goofiness. The expressions of the CGI characters are now more fully-realized with thanks to technological advancements. Scrooge is no caricature with Carrey giving him the perfect dose of remorse and melancholy.

While Zemeckis works hard to stick with Dickens' sentiments, one must really wonder at the end of viewing "A Christmas Carol" if another adaptation was really necessary. It's a sight to behold and certainly will get viewers promptly in the mood for the holiday season (which perhaps is the primary goal), but the desired emotional level of connection is never reached. The plight of Tiny Tim is there in all of its sadness, but I just didn't find myself in sympathy as much as I felt I should've. Observing Scrooge's personal transformation becomes like viewing it from afar, and the endeavor feels ultimately removed and sadly soulless.