by Thomas Ferguson

The epic poem they made us read in high school has been made into a major motion picture. It's a total spectacle with a stellar cast and unbelievable effects. You all remember reading it in the ninth grade, don‘t you? Well, I read the cliffs notes…Shh, don’t tell. Knowing what I know now about this story, boy did I do myself a huge disservice.

Beowulf tells the heroic story of a brave warrior whose legend proceeds him everywhere he goes. He is known for slaying demons and performing terrifying feats. He and his army of courageous soldiers travel to a cursed medieval village in Denmark that has suffered a most horrendous disaster.

King Hrothgar‘s (Anthony Hopkins) village has been terrorized by a ghastly beast named Grendel. This demonic creature crashed a huge celebration and brutally slaughtered half of the village. Seeing that no one can defeat this monster, they are enthusiastic and relieved to know they have Beowulf (Ray Winstone) on their side.

Having only been in the village briefly, Beowulf’s presence causes immediate friction. On the one hand, the king’s second in command Unferth (John Malkovich) is intimidated by the young hero and tries to smear his name. On the other hand, the king’s wife Queen Wealthow (Robin Wright Penn) falls for Beowulf and it’s quite obvious that he feels the same for her.

Finally, the moment of truth comes and Beowulf slays the 20-foot tall Grendel; but the troubles for our hero and the village have just begun. Grendel’s vengeful and sinister mother (Angelina Jolie) has vowed to make them all pay.

Director Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future) has truly outdone himself with this project. When I called this movie a total spectacle, I meant it! Visually stunning and well directed, Beowulf has taken the animated genre to a whole new level. Done in the same technique as Tom Hanks’ Polar Express, live actors and sequences have been transformed into digital animation and given a new look that is unique and very beautiful.

Although this is an animated film, don’t think you can pile the kids into the minivan for an afternoon at the movies. This movie is extremely violent and full of scares that made even this calm guy jump. Great visuals, ear piercing sound effects, and a great script all add up to a great movie going experience.

To make the experience even more exciting, see it in 3D. I was fortunate to see it in IMAX and the movie literally poured out of the screen at me. If you have one of these screens in your town…pay the extra couple dollars and get a ticket. You’ll be glad you did.