Where to watch Beowulf
2 1/2 Stars
This post-apocalyptic future story is based on the 8th century Saxon epic poem about the knight who battled a monster in a medieval castle. In this story, Beowulf is a wanderer who learns about a man-eating creature called Grendel which comes in the night to devour warriors trapped at the Outpost. The Outpost is ruled by Hrothgar. He has a daughter, whose husband may have been murdered by the Outpost’s master of arms.
The 1999 version of Beowulf, starring Christopher Lambert, is a steampunk rendition of the tale updated with futuristic flourishes while retaining the medieval setting of the centuries-old poem. I can’t make a defense of the film on an intellectual level, but I must admit that there were scenes that drew me into the characters on-screen. These were brief interludes of enjoyment before the script’s numerous plot holes and illogical decisions prompted me to adjust my expectations.
Rhona Mitra, a perfect physical specimen who can also act, is fantastic even when forced to share the screen with the perpetually stone-faced Lambert. I have liked the French actor in many roles, but he seems too low-energy throughout and vaguely uninterested in even being on set. Perhaps the production was a mess. There are signs that the budget was tight when making the picture. One scene features some of the most noticeably unprofessional use of green screen effects of the era, and the haunting, problematic phantom is subpar.
Writers Mark Leahy and David Chappe use the source material as a jumping-off point for this reimagined tale that only slightly resembles the original text. Some of the creative additions to the story do come as a surprise and work surprisingly well when coupled with the highly charged action. Beowulf makes for a mixed experience; Mitra is stunning and works hard, and Lambert is Lambert, but for anyone looking for something resembling an accurate take on the epic poem, it’s best to check out Zemeckis’ 2007 computer-animated version.
Directed by: Graham Baker
Written by: Anonymous, Mark Leahy, David Chappe
Starring: Christopher Lambert, Rhona Mitra, Oliver Cotton