MovieChat Forums > Beowulf (2007) Discussion > Why dont people like this movie?

Why dont people like this movie?

posted 13 years ago by hitmant92
54 replies | jump to latest

I personally loved this film. i didn't think it was that great in terms of story and overall plot but it was cool to look at (especially if you saw it in IMAX) and Beowulf is such a great aggressive hero. For much of the same reasons as why people liked 300, is the reason I found Beowulf so entertaining. His constant shouting and epic tales of killing monsters was intense and fun. How great was his speech as he kills Grendel? Cant quote it exactly, but great finishing move with "I AM BEOWULF." and just chops his arm off. Perhaps its because I have never read the story but I think people should stop hating on this film so often!!! The story ends well and every thing has reasoning to it in the end, those who like the Viking style culture/ action in the Mead-hall will like this film

[–] lemonelephants 13 years ago

I loved the film also. Great visuals and sadly we didn't see it in IMAX 3D, but enjoyed it immensely nonetheless. Completely held our attention, and the action and dragon fight was awesome. Angelina was a lesson in seductiveness. She made a great devil.

[–] aphywel 13 years ago

While the film was enjoyable enough, the changes from the epic were disappointing. They decided to lessen Beowulf by having him lie about defeating Grendl's mother instead having him cut a "deal with the devil". Then they make the dragon of his final and mortal fight into Grendl's mother's son with Beowulf.

This seems to be a trend by Hollywood writers. Clash of the Titans totally butchered Greek mythology, which is rich enough in story that it was not needed.

For me, if the movie had stayed true to the classic story I would have found it more enjoyable. If you are going to call the movie Beowulf, then be Beowulf not some mixed up story loosely based on such.

[–] timoherd-1 12 years ago

"For some reason the writer decided to add christianity to the story, yet is mentioned no where in the epic."

I'm afraid this is nonsense. In the epic, Grendel and his mother are banished from heaven by the Lord as a result of Cain killing Abel. The rest of the text is also full of Christian references.

[–] grrrdevin 12 years ago

In a roundabout way, their complaint also applies to the poem itself, as the original oral tale surely lacked Christian references.

"I've been living on toxic waste for years, and I'm fine. Just ask my other heads!"

[–] vicky_lc2001 (1907) 8 years ago

Have you really read the epic poem? What about other fables & legends? Don't you notice that like Beowulf himself the tales are made legendary due to its fictional nature. I liked the changes made, IMO they added to the story & as a proper legend, no one tale is the same as the other.

Also I don't consider Gaiman to be a Hollywood writer.

If you watch a lot of Hollywood films from as early as the 20s, you'll realize that films & literature are different mediums and as such are not told in the exact manner. Gaiman himself recognized it, many people should too.

[–] pfr_77 13 years ago

it was everything wrong with popular movies of the decade

literally everything about it

[–] 13 years ago

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[–] JW-30 12 years ago

I personally don't like this because it is a rather immature version of the story. No, not because it is animated - I'm referring to script and dialogue.

There are better versions of Beowulf, and more mature ones too. This one is the children's edition.

That's why.

[–] vicky_lc2001 (1907) 8 years ago

Aside from The 13th Warrior, which better versions are you referring to?

& if you truly did see the film, a children's film it is not.

[–] choke_on_that 12 years ago

Two main reasons I can think of:

1.) Neil Gaiman's script-Some people didn't appreciate how he deviated from the original story. I didn't mind it, but I suppose purists might find it insulting to the original epic.

2.) Uncanny Valley-It's the elephant in the room no one wants to talk about, but movie audiences are still light years away from accepting motion cap animated films with lifelike characters. Zemekis' other film, The Polar Express, bombed for a similar reason. Although there are several theories on the matter, studies have shown this type of animation doesn't rate well with movie audiences. The story goes that Pixar did a short film in the late 1980s about a very human looking baby and it was critically mauled by a test audience. Notice how Pixar never makes realistic looking characters in any of their films? It all comes down to uncanny valley.

There are few things as fetching as a bruised ego on a beautiful angel.

[–] uruseiranma 12 years ago

I also think some felt the motion capture process made it 'cartoony.'

You know action people- anything not flesh-and-blood is hard for them to process.

And as the previous poster said, Gaiman's taking the poem and making it the basis of a farce was almost like laughing in people's faces about what they believe in.

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- Toy Story 3 (9/10)

[–] omega2064 12 years ago

I didnt like the movie at all from nearly the get-go.
Didnt like the CGI. Though at times it was well done, at others it felt too stilted in movements, which with the motion capture, it should not have been. Otherwise it was ok, if in some odd way allmost pointless.

REALLY didnt like the script. Ok, so is this Beowulf or Baron Munchausen?

But such is fate. Some will like, some wont.

[–] vicky_lc2001 (1907) 8 years ago

Your second option makes a good point for the majority of film goers. Perhaps they found the animation too life-like realistic while not being realistic enough, so there is a disconnect with them. Audiences may prefer something more clear-cut, real or fake, with nothing in between.

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] louise_lindboeg 12 years ago

I have just now seen this movie and have not yet decided what to make of it.

The story was good (I don't know the original epic so you'd fool me with anything) but the animations annoyed me. Firstly I did not know enough about the movie to realize it was animated until I started watching it, and secondly I was much annoyed by huge differences in the quality of the animations. Over all the humans were great and really authentic looking except for some degree of stealth movements every now and then. But then why did they make i.e. the horses so terribly? They did not look like real horses at all and destroyed the otherwise authentic looking animations.

I would have preferred a real movie with real actors instead of computermade copies. That would have lifted the whole movie a lot.

[–] laspanishspeaking 12 years ago

"I AM BEOWULF."

Some think that line is primal and awesome.

The rest of us think that line is primal and stupid.

You asked. That's just one of the things we hate about this movie.

Good effects. Bad movie. I loved the 3D at first. I hated the story, and found it boring. Beowulf is annoying and two-dimensional.

Barry Lyndon shot first.

[–] HorusEye 12 years ago

It's a great story and it's well put together, but the choice of making it a CG puppet movie was disastrous, and has only made it seem even more outdated than it should. Had it been proper live action, it would still be a great watch.