Beowulf for a new generation

All I can say is WOW!

OK, ye socks know me too well. That really isn't ALL I can say. But, that was my initial reaction to "Beowulf."

No, not the Olde English saga from the Dark Ages that we all had to study in high school.

I'm talking about the 2007 film directed by Robert Zemeckis with all the amazing CGI effects.

And, I like how the animators made a lot of the characters resemble the star-studded cast members who provided their voices. Most notable were Anthony Hopkins (who plays the old king Hrothgar), John Malkovich (who plays the king's sneaky little yes-man Unferth), my kinsman Brendan Gleeson (who plays Beowulf's buddy Wiglaf), and Ray Winstone (who plays the title character). But, the piece-de-resistance was Angelina Jolie (who plays Grendel's demonic mother, pictured above).

Besides the visual WOW, a lot of credit has to be given to the writers Neil Gaiman and Roger Avary. They took the centuries old manuscript and filled in all the gaps that so vexed us when we had to study it in school. As they said in their DVD commentary, the story doubtlessly predates its first written version. For centuries, it was told and re-told as oral tradition, with all the embellishments that entails. What we have is just what one medieval Christian monk felt was sanitized enough to write down for posterity. Or, at least, that's what we USED to have until this outstanding pair of writers re-spun the tale for a modern audience.

The bottom line: Beowulf has survived as such an epic tale because its themes are so timeless. And, the 2007 version is my personal favorite. Check it out for yourself!