Saturday, July 28, 2007

FILM | Beowulf

Angelina Jolie, as mother of Grendel

Just caught the trailer for the new Beowulf movie. It's directed by Robert Zemeckis (who did the Back to the Future trilogy that I loved), with script by Neil Gaiman and Roger Avary.

When I first heard about the movie a while back, I was under the impression that it's a live action movie. It's not. It's done with digital 3-D projection, so the characters look a little Shrek-like. Or maybe more Polar Express. Either way, it doesn't look good.

Do I want Angelina Jolie as animation? Hell, I want the real thing!

Just what is the justification for doing the animation? Just because you can? Will you be able to achieve visual virtuosity. A lot of people can do the technical aspects of animation, but not a lot of film-makers know how to use the genre. I hope the movie will prove better than the trailer. Because if the trailer is any indication of what's to come, I'm bored already.

8 comments:

Sycorax Pine said...

Hey, Orpheus -
I am not sure whether you have seen my response to your comment on my blog re: Beowulf, but I thought I would chime in (reiteratively) here and say that I was also dismayed by how vaguely cheesy this trailer looked. The original poem isn't at all cinematic (in my opinion) but it is both filled with intriguing backstories and searingly gory. I am not sure what relationship this film will have to the original at all - the trailer bears no resemblance at all (which would be fine, if it was innovative in its own right).

Something tells me that what Beowulf really needs to be filmified is Werner Herzog. Just a thought. :)

chrisa511 said...

I just posted about this on another post of yours...but when I saw this trailer I was wondering if they filmed the right movie??? This looks nothing like the Beowulf I read...maybe I read the wrong book :/

Ana S. said...

I was very disappointed with the trailer as well. But I have some hope still - after all, trailers tend to be worse than the actual movies. My main complain is that the trailer makes it look like a not-too-clever action movie, and that's the last thing I expected.

darkorpheus said...

Pour Of TorOh yes, read your response. Actually, that's what made me really go take a look at the trailer. And Oh.My.God. What are they doing? The action looks awkward, unnatural. They should have gone live-action with some CGI for the visuals or something.

Chris I was all psyched up to read Beowulf in anticipation of the movie. I mean, script by Neil Gaiman - what can go wrong, right? Apparently - a lot. You think you still want to watch it?

Nymeth You are more optimistic than me. You're right - it looks none-too-clever. It looks like a the visual for a discounted video game!

Imani said...

It isn't live action? I'm not even going to watch the trailer then. Pass, pass, pass.

darkorpheus said...

imani Yes, please pass on the film. Save the ticket money and treat yourself to some nice smoothies instead.

Anonymous said...

it mystifies me why they didn't go for live action...!?

i'm not entirely against the idea of animation as a way of telling beowulf, but i don't think straight cgi is the way. i don't think cgi is quite good enough yet and so one needs to try not to make them resemble real people and work from there. some really artistic, stylised or inventive animation could've worked.

i'll still probably see it though, 'cause its the kind of thing i like and i like any telling of the beowulf story.

darkorpheus said...

Jean Pierre I'm also questioning the choice of the medium. I can't see the reason for CGI-ing the actors when live-action will probably look better - more live-like. The artwork and effects are not advanced enough to make it work - at least not from what I saw from the trailer.

Bad idea. Bad, bad idea.