"Don't judge a film by its trailer," my mother always said. Well, she didn't really say that, but in one of the nth alternative timelines of my life I'm sure she would say it. This statement fits this film perfectly, for the trailer made the film seem like a soulless videogame, while the actual film is a digital hyper-real alternative reality that brings new life to the ancient tale of BEOWULF.
In the film, the vice ridden king Hrothgar (Anthony Hopkins, SILENCE OF THE LAMBS) has his kingdom plagued by the demon Grendel (Crispin Glover, BACK TO THE FUTURE). The king calls for a hero to kill the beast and the cocky Beowulf (Ray Winstone, THE DEPARTED) arrives to do the job. The king's chief adviser Unferth (John Malkovich, BEING JOHN MALKOVICH) questions Beowulf's accomplishments, which seem exaggerated. Beowulf's right hand man Wiglaf (Brendan Gleeson, BRAVEHEART) knows his boss is a braggart, but he believes in him unconditionally. Along his journey, Beowulf will be tempted by many women, including the king's beautiful wife Wealthow (Robin Wright Penn, FORREST GUMP), as well as Grendel's shape-shifting mother (Angelina Jolie, TOMB RAIDER).
Before I tackle the story, I must talk about the technical side. This performance-capture film is a technological leap forward from director Robert Zemeckis' THE POLAR EXPRESS. It's not really an animated film per se. The acting is based on data captured by the actors performing in suits with sensors. Additional character animation is used to enhance the movement and performances. As I write this review the Academy is debating if there was enough additional animation done to qualify the film for a Best Animated Feature Oscar. In years to come as the technology becomes more advanced, this kind of film will be relegated only to Best Visual Effects consideration. Wherever, it stands, it is just a new tool for filmmakers to tell stories more closely to the images in their heads. Because the film started production three years ago, the performance-capture technology of today is already more impressive. However, while not perfect, the technical shortcomings never get in the way of the story. Background characters, medium distance shots and when facial features are tweaked, the characters sometimes take on an unreal quality. Those in the know call it the uncanny valley, where human representations are nearly photoreal, but feel creepy because something still feels slightly off.
As for story, Neil Gaiman and Roger Avery have distilled the anonymous epic poem into a surprisingly deep story of finding real heroism. Though its 3D digital imagery, this isn't RATATOUILLE. The subject matter is quite adult. I believe the same exact film in live-action would not have received a PG-13 rating. The hyper-real imagery does take some of the visceral edge off the more intense scenes, but not by much. There's blood and nudity and bawdy behavior. There's a cheeky charm to the film that's created via the combination of digital imagery and sexual material. This is not a holiday film for the whole family, unless the whole family is over 13.
One thing that impressed me additionally about the technology, which aided the story, was the acting. There is a subtly that does capture emotions well. We come to understand and care about Beowulf's internal struggle, which is all through performance. Winstone, Hopkins, Gleeson and Wright Penn give good performances, which shine through in their digital doppelgangers. Jolie is quite titillating as the sexy seductress, whose bare skin is only obscured by the gold paint that oozes down her body. It's so real looking that Jolie has said she was a bit embarrassed when she saw it for the first time at the premiere.
This is a fun adventure that has unique characters at its core. Zemeckis' telling of the tale is the closest and clearest that I've scene. That's mainly due to Gaiman and Avery's tight script. I love it when I go into a film with low expectations and I'm overwhelmed by something unexpected. I hope word of mouth helps get people past the trailer and into theaters. As far action/adventure films go this year, this is one of the best.
PS… this film is playing in 3-D in many theaters, including IMAX. Having been made with this intention, the 3-D makes some scenes additionally thrilling, adding enhanced tension. I also have a sneaky suspicion it also helps with making the digital characters more believable, as well. This is how I recommend you see it.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
