Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot.

This movie has about a stanza in common with the great British epic poem. Its not the best movie I have ever seen nor is it the worst. I believe it will be better with the second watching.

The lighting in this movie is very dark. The costuming and weaponry are a cross between old modern and medieval--leaning more towards medieval. They used mostly unadorned swords and knives. They also use some weapons that resemble saw blades on a stick. There is some nice camera work during some of the fights which seem to be choreographed well. Grendall, the monster, was ugly and unusual. The background music was instrumental Rock N Roll tracks which were sometimes a bit too much. Grendall's mother's transformation was interesting but unnecessary, they could have used that money elsewhere. I thought the final battle and the battle with Grendall could have had more umph, considering it is the fighting sequences that hold this movie together.

As for actors, not the best performances, but solid enough. Christopher Lambert plays Beowulf. I am a fan of his, I love the way he talks. Alas, this seems to be the only type of character he can successfully play. Rhonda Mitra gives a somewhat spunky performance as Kyra, daughter of Hrothgar. Oliver Cotton is not inspiring at all as Hrothgar, leader of the outpost. Gotz Otto gives a solid performance as Roland. He loves Kyra, but she thinks of him as only as a friend. Then there is Layla Roberts, showing some skin as Grendall's mom. She gives a decent performance, but nothing to write home about.

Then there is the story, if had been filled in a bit and told in a different way this movie could have been good. I believe this movie is one that will be better with the second watch now that I have all the information. It seems misfortune has settled on Hrothgar's family ever since moving to the outpost. His wife dies, his daughter's husband is killed in an "accident." Then comes the monster, at night he comes and kills the dwellers of the "hall." He cannot seem to be killed. Why not just leave the outpost you ask? Because there is some type of border guard that keeps the people from leaving the outpost. The guard believes everyone in the "hall" has been infected with an evil taint. Then comes Beowulf to kill the monster. Now throw in some family secrets, and a rushed romance between Beowulf and Kyra and you have yourself a movie. The dialogue is a bit cliched in places and I would have liked to know more about Beowulf's character and Grendall's mother. The romance could have been handled a bit better also.

The movie only bears the basic bones of the Epic Poem, such as the hanging Grendall's hand in the hall, the eating of people by Grendall and his mother's revenge. The pretexts are different, however. If you enjoy this type of film, then you will probably enjoy the film--if not then stay away. Its simply not a mainstream film. Its more probably a movie to catch on TV or to get out of the .99 bin. I do not regret spending my $2 on the rental of this film.

DVD: There is a trailer and a making of featurette. There are no real bonus features to speak of. Although the captions do come in handy, because the dialogue is hard to understand at times. The picture was real good, but dark, I had to turn up the brightness on my computer to watch it. I had problems with the audio on this particular disc.



Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Better than Watching TV
Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age