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Beowulf & Grendel

Play trailer Poster for Beowulf & Grendel R 2005 1h 43m Adventure Fantasy Play Trailer Watchlist
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50% Tomatometer 36 Reviews 40% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
In Denmark, during the 6th century, Danish king Hrothgar and his warriors kill a troll whose son, Grendel, vows revenge.
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Beowulf & Grendel

Beowulf & Grendel

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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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Critics Reviews

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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 Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Emily B We watched it in class after we read the story. It was pretty good. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 08/03/24 Full Review 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 Full Review 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 Full Review 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 Full Review Audience Member Beo-woof this is bad. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 01/30/23 Full Review Read all reviews
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Movie Info

Synopsis In Denmark, during the 6th century, Danish king Hrothgar and his warriors kill a troll whose son, Grendel, vows revenge.
Director
Sturla Gunnarsson
Producer
Michael Cowan, Sturla Gunnarsson, Gary Hamilton
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
Runtime
1h 43m
Sound Mix
Dolby Digital
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