Beowulf (1999)

User Rating:

3.6/10   

Director:

Graham Baker

Writers (WGA):

Anonymous (epic poem "Beowulf")
Mark Leahy (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

1 April 1999 (Singapore)

Genre:

Horror | Action | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Unleash your dark side.

Plot:

A sci-fi update of the famous 6th Century poem. In a beseiged land, Beowulf must battle against the hideous creature Grendel and his vengeance seeking mother.

Plot Keywords:

Beowulf | Weapon | Massacre | Independent Film

Awards:

3 nominations

Cast

Christopher Lambert	...	Beowulf
Rhona Mitra	...	Kyra
Oliver Cotton	...	Hrothgar
Götz Otto	...	Roland
Vincent Hammond	...	Grendel
Charles Robinson	...	Weaponsmaster
Brent Jefferson Lowe	...	Will
Roger Sloman	...	Karl
Layla Roberts	...	Grendel's Mother
Robert Willox	...	Chief Officer
Patricia Velasquez	...	Pendra
Marcello Cobzarju	...	Lookout
Vlad Jipa	...	Sentry
Diana Dumbrava	...	Hrothgar's Wife
Andrei Rusu	...	Soldier #1

MPAA:

Rated R for violence and sexuality.

Runtime:

95 min | Argentina:99 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

South Korea:15 | Netherlands:16 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Germany:16 | Portugal:M/16 (video premiere) | Spain:13 | UK:15 | USA:R | Argentina:13 | Philippines:PG-13 | Iceland:12

Filming Locations:

Romania

Company:

Capitol Films

Trivia:

A short scene of Grendel having sexual contact with Rhona Mitra's character in her room was shot but left out because it didn't really work and the director later felt that it also wouldn't match with the story.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Beowulf cuts off the arm of Grendel, we see a left arm hit the ground (look at where the thumb is) but it is Grendel's right arm that is missing.

Quotes:

Beowulf: I must fight the evil to keep from becoming evil.

Movie Connections:

Version of Grendel Grendel Grendel (1981)

A Truly Bizarre Film

In school I was a fan of the original story of Beowulf so when I heard of a film version with Christopher Lambert I was over the moon. This however is very Albert Pyun. It takes place in what I think is another planet sort of a cross between sci-fi and fantasy. An "Outpost" is besieged by a nasty thing that kills people left right and center, as a result a cordon is put round the Outpost to prevent the evil from escaping. Beowulf comes to the fray, beats up barbarians with dazzling kung-fu and acrobatic stunts (all done to a pounding techno soundtrack) and soon ends up in the Outpost where he acts oddly and meets the gorgeous Kyra (Can't remember the name of the actress, but she was the original model for Lara Croft). Along the way we have a very lovely lady (Layla Roberts) who is not someone to mess with BIG TIME. Most of the FX in this film are great, maybe not the Grendel monster, but Grendel's mother is without a doubt one of the greatest monsters ever committed to film, very Dorian Cleavenger. If you're looking for something like the original story - look elsewhere, but if you like Highlander and movies like Beastmaster, Sword & The Sorcerer, Conan, and er, The Scorpion King, you must watch this film, just be sure to leave your belief outside the door. A cheesy B movie delight