Reviewed by Johnny McNair 

Paramount Home Entertainment – 114 mins – 2007 – Unrated – 1080p Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35: 1 – Dolby TrueHD 5.1

NOTE: Some portions of this review were taken from our original HD-DVD review.

Beowulf, based on the classic Old English epic poem, has been adapted as a live action film various times, but now director Robert Zemeckis has created the most ambitious version of the story to date. Zemeckis, (Back To The Future, Forrest Gump) has previously dabbled with photo realistic animated filmmaking with 2004’s The Polar Express. Now the bar for this style of animation has been raised so high that it may be a while before we see anything that surpasses it. Beowulf is finally available on Blu-ray from Paramount Home Entertainment, so if you missed it before, it’s worth the experience.

THE MOVIE

Beowulf tells the story of King Hrothgar (portrayed by Anthony Hopkins), who is desperately attempting to free his kingdom from the threat of the menacing Grendel beast, that has infiltrated his territory and is set out on destroying him and his people. The king puts a bounty on Grendel’s head and seeks out a hero to kill him. The man who accepts the mission is Beowulf (portrayed by Ray Winstone), who appears to be the Rambo of his day, a fearless warrior who was born to beat the odds. When Grendel’s mother (portrayed by Angela Jolie) learns of her son’s defeat, she sets out on a mission of vengeance to destroy Beowulf, leading to an action packed finale.

What makes this movie stand out is that it’s just not an animated version of the story with actors lending their voices to the character’s like in Shrek and Toy Story; In Beowulf the actor’s faces and bodies are motion-captured so that they themselves can appear as animated characters in this animated world. Actor’s Anthony Hopkins, Angelina Jolie, Ray Whitestone, John Malkovich, and Robin Wright Penn, went through the same process used for video game motion graphics to add a life-like photo realistic look to the film. Because of the this, the film looks just like one big videogame cut scene making you feel as if any minute you’re going to see the words “Press Start” at any moment.

Zemeckis obviously was going after the video game audience, because this version of Beowulf highlights the action rather than character development. Even the choices are camera directions used looks as if it’s ripped from a Final Fantasy game’s cut scenes. Just look at the scene when Beowulf fights Grendel; the way he’s jumping and flipping around the beast is right out of the Devil May Cry vide games. But in many ways this works in the film’s favor because things are always moving and there is so much to see. This process is obviously something Zemeckis is passionate about and will keep exploring until it earns wider appeal.

Anyone who loves sword and sandal flicks like Gladiator, Braveheart, Troy, and 300 will enjoy Beowulf because it’s about men who are not only fighting against incredible situations, they are also battling their own inner demons, and kicking a lot of ass along the way. In terms of plot Beowulf is simple, designed like your basic good vs. evil story, but it’s the visual style of the film that takes center stage.

VIDEO

Just like its HD-DVD partner, this Blu-ray looks outstanding, presented in 1080p in a 2.35:1 widescreen aspect ratio, Beowulf will rock your HDTV. Being that the whole film is one big digital computer graphic, the source is pure, offering the highest resolution of detail. And because of the actual actors faces were motion captured, it’s quite amazing to see them as animated characters. The scenes with Angela Jolie particularly stand out, not only because she in her birthday suit, but the level of detail on her face is hypnotizing, demonstrating how this process can be used in future movies. Even though visually the image quality is pristine, there are times when the character’s movements are fluid and natural, but there are also times when they look jerky and stiff, particularly when there are many characters on screen at once.

AUDIO

Just like its visuals, the sound in Beowulf also shines, offering a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track that will have your ears convinced that you’re living in medieval times. Being that it’s an A–list cast of actors, the voice work is perfectly blended with the animation. And when the action breaks loose, just listen to how seamlessly all the sounds are blended. For instance, when Grendel first attacks the kingdom besides all the destruction of the environment being torn apart and screams of the villagers, listen out for Grendel’s peculiar breathing that grows higher depending on his actions. Alan Silvestri’s music should also be noted, as it draws you deeper into this world in both a subtle and explosive manner.

EXTRAS

All of the extras that were on the original HD-DVD have been ported over to the Blu-ray, but all on one disc. (The HD-DVD had two disc, which indicates how much more information you can store on a Blu-ray)

This disc features the unrated director’s cut of Beowulf, which clocks in at 114 minutes. This version includes extended scenes that couldn’t make it into the PG-13 theatrical release, containing explicit violence and more of Angie Jolie’s assets.

Beowulf in the Volume, allows you to view the film with a Picture-In-Picture display showing you how the motion capture scenes where done for various sequences as you watch them. There are also storyboards for the Beowulf vs. Grendel fight scenes, and behind the scenes discussions.

There is also a collection of web-enabled featurettes, (none longer than five minutes) which can be accessed. None of them offer any new info that you can’t see in the extras, but it’s cool that it’s there.

For some reason Robert Zemeckis has not done an audio commentary for this film, which is odd, because for a film like Beowulf that is treading into a new technology in filmmaking, we really want to hear a full commentary about the production.

A Hero’s Journey: The Making of Beowulf, a 45 minute doc presented in HD that goes into the production of the film. This is a very informative piece showing everything from the the actors learning how motion capture works, voice over work, and all the original pre-production designs for the film. A nice plus is that this doc offers the option of enabling an interactive version, containing trivia captions, sort of in a Pop-Up Video style, detailing certain facts about the production. There are also various mini technical vids, showing off the sets, stunts, and motion scanning process.

The Journey Continues, (HD) allows you to access all of the mini vids from the main making of documentary, allowing you to play them in the order you want.

A Conversation with Robert Zemeckis, (HD) is a 10 minute Q & A session with students from USC about the production of Beowulf. This is an extra that I personally wish this was a longer, because Zemeckis is in full form showing his support for motion capture technology.

Beast of Burden (HD) goes into the design of all the creatures in the world of Beowulf, particularly focusing on the Grendel and the dragon. It’s less than 10 minutes, but cuts to the chase to give plenty of details.

The Origins of Beowulf (HD) has Zemeckis joining the screenwriters Neil Gaiman and Roger Avery, talking about how they adapted the story for a modern audience without losing the heart of the original. Unfortunately, being less than five minutes, this is something that deserved more screen time.

Deleted Scenes (HD) offers roughly 30 minutes of unfinished animated scenes. For those of you not familiar with animation, it’s interesting to see wire-framed sequences and first passes of rough scenes.

The original theatrical trailer is also presented in full HD seals the deal.

BOTTOM LINE

Whether it’s on HD-DVD or Blu-ray, Beowulf is a great way to show off the high-definition format. With extraordinary image and sound quality and an outstanding selection of features this Blu-ray is a must own.

SCORES (Out of 5):

The Movie: 4.0

Video: 5.0

Sound: 5.0

Extras: 5.0

Bottom Line: 5.0