MovieChat Forums > Beowulf (1999) Discussion > Good Beowolf movie...

Good Beowolf movie...

posted 17 years ago by gdeangel
3 replies | jump to latest

This 1999 Lambert "update" was sheer stupidity. I just saw the 2005 version with Gerard Butler which was very well done I thought. They put enough meat into the story to make you get interested, and the visuals on location were breathtakingly realistic. I'm not sure where the idea came up that Grendel should be given a history to make him more complex than just a killing monster, but they got it right in "Beowolf and Grendel", and Butler's reflective but pragmatic hero was well played. I see there are two other Beowolf projects in the works for 2007.... wonder what direction they will take....

[–] dirty_harry_84-1 17 years ago

I haven't seen the Christoper Lambert Beowulf but I have seen the 2005 film you're referring to and I agree with you completely.
The story has depth and meaning, that added with the visuals of the movie make it a very enjoyable film.

"I broke the chains, so let me be, I've got to be free" - Breaking The Chains, Dokken

[–] shinji_kusa 17 years ago

It was not stupidity, it was a different take on the story. I'm a lover of both this movie and the original story. Try to make it clear next time that it's your own opinion that it's stupid, instead of acting like whatevere you say is fact and should be treated as such. For everyone else, if you don't like this movie, try The 13th Warrior with Antonio B, YES it's a beowulf story but again from a different take, it's a very good movie based on a very good book.

[–] itputsthelotionontheskin 17 years ago

I personally hated the 2005 Gerard Butler version. They were trying to make a movie about the fact behind the fiction, but just completely botched it up. I found myself feeling somewhat sad for Grendel...YOU AREN'T SUPPOSED TO FEEL SAD FOR GRENDEL!!! He's the epitome of pure evil, born of hellfire and spawn of Cain. He's like the Sephiroth of the Anglo-Saxon era. And although they never really give a detailed explaination in the peom what Grendel looks like, he obviously isn't an overgrown mishappen humanoid figure, he was able to just toss away Hrothgar's men like dolls and eat them alive!

The whole story was just blah and a poor attempt to change something that is perfectly good how it already is. I could go on for another two hours ranting about why this movie is bad but I'll leave it this: If Beowulf were alive today and saw this movie, he would rip the arms off everyone associated with this film...except for Gerard who is King Leonidas.

Nonetheless...this movie has some great cinematic shots.