I have been getting alerts of strikingly positive reviews of Beowulf left and right -- especially when seen in any one of the three 3D formats -- and I was hoping to lower the hype a bit by finding some official, negative reviews.
THR and Variety are always a good bet, but only one wasn't stoked on it.
Official Reviews: Beowulf
In an attempt to lower expectations of Beowulf down a notch, I had hoped these reviews would do the trick. In short, I was only half successful.
Variety
Further advancing the much-vaunted performance-capture technology he unleashed with "The Polar Express," director Robert Zemeckis delivers a muscular, sometimes stirring but ultimately soulless reinterpretation of "Beowulf." For all its visual sweep and propulsively violent action, this bloodthirsty rendition of the Old English epic can't overcome the disadvantage of being enacted by digital waxworks rather than flesh-and-blood Danes and demons. Clearly targeting the "300" crowd with its commercially shrewd combo of revisionist mythology and gory mayhem, pic should draw rousing biz worldwide, particularly from younger audiences.
THR
Director Robert Zemeckis not only deploys 21st century movie technology at its finest to turn the heroic poem into a vibrant, nerve-tingling piece of pop culture, but his film actually makes sense of "Beowulf."
... But here lies Zemeckis' keen pop sensibility. He means to avoid Woody Allen's "Beowulf" by tapping into both the "Lord of the Rings" crowd and "Knocked Up" enthusiasts. The gruesome violence and male and female near nudity -- about as bold as a PG-13 rating will allow -- mixed together with ribald humor make "Beowulf" a waggish bit of postmodern fun. It may raise the eyebrows of English Lit professors but will quicken the pulse of everyone else.
Variety doesn't help my attempt that much either. Right after they blast the film they mention how it should make lots of money at the box office. What does that say?
Read the full reviews of Beowulf by clicking the bold links above.
Beowulf opens to theaters
on November 17th.
For stills, posters, trailers and more info on the film, go to the Beowulf
Movie Page.
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