I… AM… BEOWULF!

I’ve been a little bit sad and empty since the summer ended and I had no movies to review. Reviewing movies became the highlight of my hobbies when there was a never ending supply of entertainment.

The drought may not have ended, but we get a welcome drenching with Beowulf — in 3D.

I had to read Beowulf in high school and I was one of the only kids in the class who actually liked it. I was always weird that way.

This movie is interesting because I had been led to believe by hype that it was going to be really really bad. All of the buzz surrounding it seemed to be negative.

Imagine my surprise when I woke up Friday morning to see that Roger Ebert absolutely loved it. Roger Ebert is one of those critics who seem to be in tune with me, so I usually take his reviews to heart.

So I found some time in my busy WoW schedule to go out to Manassas and watch Beowulf. We intended to watch it in the classic style, but because of our timing we ended up getting the 3D experience.

I’d never watched a whole movie in 3D before. It was fun. Not really all that mindblowing, but fun.

Oh yes. I’ve written a lot and not even started reviewing. Ok, here goes.

The movie is actually pretty good if you understand that it’s part satire and part homage. Although it is a story with some gravity, it is meant to be taken with laughs.

I especially like films like this because they make me want to learn more about the source material. There is a lot of hidden meaning in the story (as all great texts have) and it’s there just waiting to be uncovered.

In my opinion, Beowulf is an analogy for the changing religious views of the time. A warning to the reader about the evil path that led toward the old Gods.

Beowulf is a great story because all of the characters are flawed. There are no heroes – only people. Although an impressive specimen of a man, Beowulf is tempted by greed and lust, unable to overcome it any easier than those around him.

The special effects are impressive and the dragon fight at the end is breathtaking.

A lot of people keep saying this movie should be rated R. I tend to disagree. The movie is a tad gory, but it’s mostly implied gore.

And as for Jolie naked. Please. She’s no more naked than Rebecca Romijn as Mystique. Her parts are covered just as well, and there’s no reason to call this representation ‘nude.’ She isn’t nude, and she’s perfectly in keeping with other PG-13 rated films I’ve seen.

There’s more to say, but I’ve written too much. Suffice it to say that Beowulf is a fun ride with a slightly different plot than your rehashed Hollywood hero film. Go see it… in 3D.

Verdict: B