Beowulf & Grendel

R

2005

1 hr. 43 min.

Adventure

Fantasy

List

50%

36 Reviews

Tomatometer

40%

25,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

A Danish king (Stellan Skarsgard) recruits a foreign warrior (Gerard Butler) to battle the vengeful son (Ingvar E. Sigurdsson) of a slaughtered troll.

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Critics Consensus

Despite the impressive Icelandic scenery, Beowulf And Grendel fails to find its footing in the transition from epic tale to the big screen.

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Jamy S

The other Beowulf is terrible, this is offensive As I recall, the plot of the original begins with Grendel, a scaly beast with literal fire in his veins is savagely massacring Danes sleeping in their lords hall (did the poem mention that the Danes had killed Grendel's father? I don't recall, this was certainly beyond justice as a blood feud) So anyway, Beowulf comes from Gotland to aid his friends, proves himself not only bold but quite a wise and good man, slays the beast, then he's obliged to kill Grendel's mother to finally end the terror Afterwards he battles a dragon on a mountain top and dies valiantly This film however begins with a motley crew of Danes attacking a poor, lame troll who manages to put his son, Grendel, to safety before being brutally murdered… And so forth So instead of a story of a hero protecting the innocent it's a victim fetish film I highly recommend "The Northman" if you want a properly executed story exploring the tragic nihilism of the compulsory blood feud, that film forms a proper bridge from barbarism to stoic enlightenment

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

06/07/23

Full Review

John S

In my ongoing effort to right the critical wrongs of Rotten Tomatoes let me now celebrate the remarkable Beowulf and Grendel, a profoundly poetic and deeply authentic immersive retelling of the ancient Germanic saga. This version is stunningly beautiful, visually and linguistically. Shot in Iceland's epically primordial landscapes, the film also captures the mind-blowing oral power of the original poem, including all the ribald humour, the intense creativity, the tribal glories and the eternal themes. Gerard Butler is perfectly cast as the heroic yet self-aware and inquisitive Beowulf. Stellan Skasgard is great as the failing drunken King Hrothgar, and the monster Grendel is played by Ingvar Eggert Sigurðsson with unforgettable cro-magnon power. The only false note is Sarah Polley, who looks but regrettably does not sound the part of the witch. Overall this is a great action film, a rich historical drama, and a memorable tribute to one of the great surviving poems of Old English. You need to work a bit, because they don't spoon feed you, but for those with the will and the ears and the imagination to dive in, the rewards are enormous. 5 stars.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/27/23

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Ashutosh

This film is possibly the worst screen adaption of Beowulf. It's even worse than 1999's the 13th Warrior. Here the villain is the sympathetic hero and the hero, so called, is a weakling and a nobody.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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steve d

Some of the actors are solid but that must have been where all the money went.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

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Audience Member

Beo-woof this is bad.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

01/30/23

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Audience Member

Brilliant adoptation of the Viking Age saga. Historically accurate costumes and settings, wind-swept landscapes, sarcastic humour and overall great acting!

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/22/23

Full Review

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Sturla Gunnarsson

Director

Gerard Butler

Beowulf

Stellan Skarsgård

Hrothgar

Ingvar Eggert Sigurðsson

Grendel

Sarah Polley

Selma

Eddie Marsan

Brendan the Priest

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Ty Burr

Boston Globe

Trying to give us the true story behind the epic, the movie only reminds us of why humans write epics in the first place.

Rated: 2/4

Aug 12, 2006

Full Review

Bill Stamets

Chicago Sun-Times

A semi-mythic period piece, Beowulf & Grendel offers sublime scenery that's breathtaking and bone-chilling.

Rated: 3/4

Jul 14, 2006

Full Review

Michael Phillips

Chicago Tribune

This gristle-intensive R-rated version of Beowulf travels a predictable revisionist route.

Rated: 2/4

Jul 13, 2006

Full Review

Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

...a knowing, underrated, revisionist take on a legend that comes up fresh, funny and far better than it’s reputation suggests...

Rated: 4/5

Jan 29, 2024

Full Review

Richard Crouse

Richard Crouse

There are some memorable scenes. After Grendel sees his father killed he takes a souvenir to remember his dad - his head! - and the rocky scenery is beautiful, perfectly complimenting the brutal story.

Rated: 3/5

Jan 31, 2021

Full Review

MaryAnn Johanson

Flick Filosopher

The thrilling beauty of this reading of Beowulf is that it makes [the characters] feel modern... These people live in the real world, not in a fable and not in a history book.

Oct 14, 2006

Full Review

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Synopsis

A Danish king (Stellan Skarsgard) recruits a foreign warrior (Gerard Butler) to battle the vengeful son (Ingvar E. Sigurdsson) of a slaughtered troll.

Director: Sturla Gunnarsson
Screenwriter: Andrew Rai Berzins
Production Co: Film Workshop Ltd., Arclight Films, Spice Factory, Endgame Entertainment, Icelandic Film Corporation
Rating: R (Some Sexuality|Language|Violence)
Genre: Adventure, Fantasy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 8, 2019
Box Office (Gross USA): $66.9K
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital

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