Beowulf The Movie

[eclipt1c]

It's not especially new news that Robert Zemeckis is doing an adaptation of the epic Beowulf.

Here's some basic information of what's known now:

IMDb

Wikipedia

I just wanted to hear what you guys think about it.  The idea of it being animate is an interesting one, it'd be nice to have an adult animated film.  However, my main issue with it is the rating.  No one is really sure how the film will be rated or what Zemeckis is shooting for.  There are rumors that he wants a PG-13 release with an unrated/NC-17 dvd.  The reason I have issue with this is that you can't have the essence of an epic poem without the ultraviolence, it was just one of the things that made them epic.  This was one (out of billions) of my beefs with Troy too, I mean seriously, if our society is supposed to be degenerate and ultraviolent, why can't we get it when and where it matters and where it's supposed to be?

So, Yay or nay on an animated film?  And yay or nay on anything less than an R rating?

[Ranika]

I had this trouble with trying to sell my script of the Cattle Raid of Cooley. Old epics from any society are remarkably violent; violence wasn't so ill as we percieve it today. There were recognized, heroic elements to horrible, explicit violence, viewing the violence as necessary to the whole 'warrior hero' archetype. Beowulf is, outside of Irish hero epics, my absolute favorite epic, so I'm a bit torn. I want to see how it'd be done, you know, with anything less than an American R rating, but I am wary that it'd not really come out very much like the real thing without the sheer brutality and vulgarity of it all. I'd say Yay, just to see how it's done, conditionally, if they would guarantee a release of a more adult version on DVD. Animated or live action is irrelevant to me; I'd just love to see a good version of Beowulf done, and I like Zemeckis, so, I supppose we'll see.

[Petey Wheatstraw]

The idea of chopping up an animated film to get a PG-13 rating and then releasing the uncut, "adult" version on DVD just makes me long for the days of Ralph Bakshi more than I already do.... I appreciate Zemeckis' efforts to do an adult animation, but...kind of a close-but-no-cigar thing.

I like Bob's live-action films, but, with The Polar Express, you know that something's not right when all the characters look exactly the same (especially since about 50% of them use performance captured animation of Tom Hanks) and express little facial emotion. I've had little incentive to go see another motion-capture movie. Maybe if it looks absolutely fantastic in the trailers, I'll see it, but, I don't think I can handle another Polar Express. You'd think that after that flick tanked in theaters, they'd use traditional animation for the next feature, but nooooooooo. Computer animation does have merit, but hand-drawn looks better.

[Ranika]

Ouch, Isaac has a good point, I didn't see Polar Express, but it feels like that, I'm a bit wary. Could some one describe that a bit more? That might influence my opinion. I do much prefer hand-drawn animation, by the by.

[Bob]

The idea of chopping up an animated film to get a PG-13 rating and then releasing the uncut, "adult" version on DVD just makes me long for the days of Ralph Bakshi more than I already do.... I appreciate Zemeckis' efforts to do an adult animation, but...kind of a close-but-no-cigar thing.

I like Bob's live-action films, but, with The Polar Express, you know that something's not right when all the characters look exactly the same (especially since about 50% of them use performance captured animation of Tom Hanks) and express little facial emotion. I've had little incentive to go see another motion-capture movie. Maybe if it looks absolutely fantastic in the trailers, I'll see it, but, I don't think I can handle another Polar Express. You'd think that after that flick tanked in theaters, they'd use traditional animation for the next feature, but nooooooooo. Computer animation does have merit, but hand-drawn looks better.

Hopefully the actor captured animation will be better this time around.   Polar Express was creepy with the dead eye characters. 

Monster House looked fine to me, so maybe there is hope?

[Junkyard]

Beowulf was a violent asshole. You either take the film all the way, or you Disney it up. There's no safe middle ground. I'd like to see what they come up with for Grendel and Grendel's Mom, by the way. That could be awsome.

[eclipt1c]

As far as animation goes, I think a hand-drawn movie should look similar to Gareth Hinds' trade paperback of the poem.  But, alas, it won't be hand-drawn.

Frankly, if he does decide to make it PG-13 or something, I'd go see it just to see how he attempts to pull of [no pun intended] the part where Beowulf rips Grendel's arm off, or when he comes out of the lake with Grendel's head.

[msmpls]

every bit of my British Literature-loving self hates every ounce of this with my entire being. I will not see it, no question about it.

[Junkyard]

Wait, do you hate it because it's going to crap up a classic, or do you hate the original story?

[msmpls]

because it's going to crap up a classic.

[J-Proof]

Hmm --

I saw this movie on IMDB when searching for the Gerard Butler version a while back. Upon hearing that it is going to be animated, I immediately thought that it would be 2D animation -- in which case, I'd say "BAD-ASS" my friends.... "BAD. PERIOD. ASS."

However -- now that I know the film is going to be 3D, I have to say nay.

The beauty of 2D animation, as Isaac would probably agree, is that it's never a fight for realism. 2D animation can be gritty but limitless at the same time. 3D animation is still stuck in two worlds: SHREK and THE INCREDIBLES.

In Shrek, if Donkey were to stretch or bug out his eyes, we'd be expecting him to be dead in the next scene (or at least blind).... That's because the more realistic 3D models and movement in Shrek or (dare I say) Polar Express demands limitation for the characters and actions to be believable. In The Incredibles, the animation allows for incredible squash and stretch but the character designs are super cartoony.

If Zemekis wants to really make a statement (which he probably doesn't but whatev') he'd abandon mo-cap for the majority of the movie's animation, and recreate the 3D genre with the perfect story to do so....

[J-Proof]

Again I reiterate -- an NC17, 2D-animated, 2.5-to-3-hour rendition of Beowulf would be AWESOME.

[msmpls]

ok. that does it. Angelina Jolie as Grendel's mother? puke.

[eclipt1c]

Again I reiterate -- an NC17, 2D-animated, 2.5-to-3-hour rendition of Beowulf would be AWESOME.

Seconded.

Maybe someone would do a dvd release of an animated 3 part film, each about 90 minutes long, with each part coinciding with each division in the story.

[Sharktopus]

I have absolute faith in Neil Gaiman's script, and virtually none in Robert Zemeckis living up to it. If Dave McKean were in charge, I'd have no qualms.