Beowulf & Grendel (2005)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Sturla Gunnarsson

Writers:

Anonymous (epic poem "Beowulf")
Andrew Rai Berzins (writer)

Release Date:

9 March 2006 (Thailand)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Drama | Fantasy

Tagline:

The Hero. The Monster. The Myth.

Plot:

The blood-soaked tale of a Norse warrior's battle against the great and murderous troll, Grendel. Heads will roll...

Plot Keywords:

Beowulf | Troll | King | Dane | Sea

Awards:

1 win & 6 nominations

Cast

Hringur Ingvarsson	...	Young Grendel
Spencer Wilding	...	Grendel's Father
Stellan Skarsgård	...	Hrothgar
Ingvar Eggert Sigurðsson	...	Grendel (as Ingvar E. Sigurdsson)
Gunnar Eyjólfsson	...	Aeschere
Gerard Butler	...	Beowulf
Philip Whitchurch	...	Fisherman
Ronan Vibert	...	Thorkel
Rory McCann	...	Breca
Tony Curran	...	Hondscioh
Martin Delaney	...	Thorfinn
Mark Lewis	...	King Hygelac
Elva Ósk Ólafsdóttir	...	Sea Hag
Ólafur Darri Ólafsson	...	Unferth
Steinunn Ólína Þorsteinsdóttir	...	Wealtheow (as Steinunn Ólína Thorsteinsdóttir)

Also Known As:

Bjólfskviða (Iceland)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence, language and some sexuality.

Runtime:

Canada:103 min (Toronto International Film Festival) | USA:103 min

Country:

Canada | UK | Iceland

Language:

English | Latin | Icelandic

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R | Singapore:M18 | UK:15 | Netherlands:16 | Netherlands:12 (TV rating)

Filming Locations:

Iceland

Company:

Movision

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: At 1:30:25, when Beowulf enters the cave on the beach you can see an orange extension cord in the bottom right corner of the screen.

Quotes:

King Hygelac: Find Hondscioh a wife, my sheep have had enough!

Movie Connections:

Featured in Wrath of Gods (2006)

Bizarre, beautiful tale

I was fortunate enough to see the world premiere of this film in Toronto last month. I expected it to be unusual, and it certainly was! The story of Beowulf is an ancient one, and told beautifully and powerfully in this amazing cast lead by the incomparable Gerard Butler. The Icelandic landscape lent the perfect backdrop to this gripping story of a man (Beowulf) who is drawn into a terrible situation of revenge and retribution, which turns out to be far more complicated than he had initially imagined. Butler is simply excellent in the role, his mix of sheer masculinity and intelligence the perfect combination for the complex character he portrays. The only part I was not thrilled about was Sarah Polley- who's Canadian accent really stood out amid the mix of Scottish, English and Scandinavian accents. I thought her character, while crucial to the plot, was a little too modern in some respects, and her inability (or perhaps reluctance) to attempt a modicum of an accent really stood out for me. Minor detail I know, and in the big scheme of things not a big deal. Is it worth seeing? Absolutely!!! It's quite violent, so be warned- not for the faint of heart.