The old epic Beowulf has finally been interpreted for film in a decent fashion. The film Beowulf & Grendel starring Gerard Butler and Ignvar Sigurdsson has merit, and is a mildly captivating experience for people who like fantasy and/or historical movies.
Having been filmed in Iceland, the landscape of the movie is tremendous. Cold ocean, black rock, rugged green land, and volcanic geology offer a stunning stage for the story of the beast Grendel as it terrorizes a community of Danes. All the costuming and sets for the story appear carefully authentic as the Danish culture during late pagan/early Christian times is recreated.
The movie seems to suggest that the troll Grendel is actually akin to Neanderthal or some other type of giant extinct human-like species. The humanity of Grendel is a carefully crafted element of the film. You understand the motivations of Grendel, and Beowulf finds the creature’s destruction bittersweet.
The actor Stellan Skarsgard portrays a thoroughly haunted and besotted King Hrothgar with an excellent performance. All the actors do an excellent job throughout the film, which helps to make up for some jagged editing and choppy flowing of the story.
Overall, Beowulf & Grendel is worth watching. I rate it with three swords and a dagger. You can see its official movie website here http://www.beowulfandgrendel.com/. Points were lost on the rating for thick accents (to the American ear) and one too many jokes about sex with animals.
Although overall this movie was of good quality, fantasy fans surely will still find the core of their entertainment in fantasy books such as The Rys Chronicles.