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 | Warrior | Massacre | Weapon | One Word Title

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:

Will the Weapons Master: Only a fool would want to come to this damn place.
Beowulf: Unless he was already damned.

Movie Connections:

Version of Beowulf (2007)

Outlook on Beowulf

As an avid reader of the poem Beowulf, I was shocked to hear that so few people liked the movie. Granted it had a few glitches and the portrayal of Beowulf in an almost modern nature, I admit, did not make me want to watch it at first. But I finally did sit down and watch Beowulf. The way that Mr. Lambert and his fellow actors portrayed their parts were superb. Grendel and Beowulf. I think, would be terribly hard to portray. But it was well done. The setting that I was so worried about added to the story in a way that I never could have understood before seeing it. I was very pleased with directing, acting and stunts. I was mostly pleased with the way that Grendel was portrayed. But as said before, other than a few glitches and the artistic freedom that all directors take, it was an all in all good movie.