Plot: What’s it about?
Hrothgar (Stellan Skarsgard) has built an impressive kingdom, protected by a legion of fierce, skilled soldiers. As ruler of his own domain, Hrothgar is used to being able to keep his kingdom under control, but that has changed in recent days. His kingdom has been under siege, not by outside clans or invading forces, however. Just one invader has turned Hrothgar’s own castle into chaos, a troll known as Grendel. Grendel has been sneaking inside the castle and killing the kingdom’s most skilled soldiers, then escaping without a scratch. Now Hrothgar has to take action and since his previous attempts proved futile, he has hired a warrior named Beowulf to come and hunt down Grendel. At his disposal are a small band of soldiers and a powerful witch, but even with these advantages, can Beowulf confront and defeat Grendel?
The period epic has been a real trend of late, with such films as Alexander, Troy, and 300 leading the pack of historical action cinema. Even Beowulf has been tapped, but before Robert Zemeckis’ take on the tale, a small production created their own spin, Beowulf & Grendel. This production didn’t have a large scale budget, but it aimed to bring a more literary version of Beowulf to the screen. So if you’re after battles and action set pieces, Beowulf & Grendel isn’t going to deliver, thought it does have a few scenes that bring some added action. The movie is more faithful to the source than I expected, so if you read the book in school (I think we all have), then you’ll appreciate that. Some liberties were taken of course, but in comparison to most literature turned into movies, this is a faithful adaptation. As far as entertainment value, Beowulf & Grendel is inconsistent and doesn’t have much spark, but it is still worth a rental.
Video: How does it look?
Beowulf & Grendel is presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen. The transfer here is a little inconsistent, but looks better than I had anticipated. The best scenes shine, with impeccable depth and clarity, even in long shots. So in those scenes, the landscapes look crisp and alive, while closeups reveal an impressive amount of detail. But not all scenes look that good and some are quite soft, so there is a degree of imbalance within the transfer. I do think this is a marked improvement over the standard release and while inconsistent, the transfer is still quite solid.
Audio: How does it sound?
The soundtrack of choice here is a PCM 5.1 option that sounds good, but is limited at times by the source’s limitations. This wasn’t a blockbuster production, so it is no shock that the sound design has some quirks. The track isn’t on the same level with high end epics, but it still sounds fine. The film is mostly dialogue driven and vocals sound good, while atmospheric elements come across well also, so no concerns there. The instances where the action does pick, some power comes in to boost the audio, but again, not to dynamic and bombastic results. Even so, the soundtrack is good and no serious issues surface. This disc also includes a Dolby Digital 5.1 option.
Supplements: What are the extras?
In a move sure to disappoint fans, not all the supplements have been brought over from the standard release. What is here kicks off with audio comments from director Sturla Gunnarson and screenwriter Andrew Rai Berzins, joined by assistant director Wendy Ord and costume designer Debra Hanson. The group talks about the troubled production in depth and how it was completed, but they also give some general behind the scenes chatter. The tone is rather technical, so it isn’t always a thrilling session, but there is some good information to be heard. This disc also includes some storyboard sketches, as well as the film’s trailer.
