Today, I watched Beowulf with my Dad and kid bro. Original idea was to watch a Tamil movie, but, none were screened due to internal easons. So we ended up watching this two hours long pic.
Set at the Roman Empire at time when Christ was just born, words spread across the kingdoms and lands that King Hgroat’s land was cursed with a monster that could be killed by no one.
Till, Beowulf himself came to bear the task Beowulf, a warrior from the Geat tribe kills the Grendell, the man-killing monster that produced fear in King Hgroat's land. The Grendell, later revealed to be king Hgroat's bastard son with the sea witch (in form of Angelina Jollie, graphic done excellently), whose beauty and false promises lured him to agree to a cursed agreement. Wealth and glory in exchange of a son. However, this agreement meant there will be no male heir for the cursed king with his lawful Queen. No one except the Queen was aware that Grendell was none other than the King's flesh and blood, out to kill and destroy the people of the land out of his beast-like nature. (I had this suspicion earlier when Grendell did not harm King Hgroat even when he challenged the creature.)
. The hall of Herot became the ring of victory where Beowulf battled with the slimmy foetus-like creature and finally gained his glory. However, the plot begins when the sea witch came to avenge her son’s death.
The story captured the crudeness of ancient kings, whose quest in life were to seek power and glory and, where weaknesses of men in great power lay in the hand of beautiful maidens, who were quick to use their ‘assets’ to advantage. The story portrayed women as sensual, erotic creatures that could divert the men from their path. Will Beowulf survive, is a question that we all know the answer. He’s the hero la…. However, in the end, Beowulf faces his demon.
To be honest, I enjoyed the film even though it is a fully animated version of visual delicacy. Hmmm, don’t watch it with kids, though. They might want to know lots of stuff that could not be explained. (Like, why was the Queen herself was attracted to Beowulf when she had a husband (my kid bro wanted to know) and like, what the Geat soldier tried to do with a maiden with revealing attire at the back of Herot (very suggestive scenes). A cartoon for adults, I would say.