I was never a huge fan of Literature when I was in school. I don’t know why, one would think me being a huge history lover would be big on Literature cause they tend to go hand-in-hand but for some reason I could never get into reading something I was forced to read. Beowulf was one of those stories everyone read in school, and has been adapted numerous times with very little success, well now director Robert Zemeckis along with writers Roger Avery and Neil Gaiman have brought this epic story to life using the same filmmaking technique used to bring The Polar Express to life. But just how is the DVD? Well you’re just going to have to read our advanced review to find out.
In the age of heroes comes the mightiest warrior of them all, Beowulf. After destroying the overpowering the demon Grendel, he incurs the undying wrath of the beast’s ruthlessly seductive mother, who will use any means to ensure revenge. The ensuing epic battle resonates throughout the ages, immortalizing the name of Beowulf. To say Beowulf is a technical marvel is selling it short, you have never seen CGI on this level before. The character models are truly lifelike you will swear that the actors are really there rather than watching computer generated simulations. This Director’s Cut DVD claims to feature new scenes and additions that have never been seen before, but I couldn’t see difference in this “unrated†cut than what was shown in the theaters.
Paramount has collected a nice series of special features for this DVD release, though I can’t but think they’re saving some stuff for some kind of deluxe special edition DVD.
• A Hero’s Journey: The Making of Beowulf - Behind the scenes documentary running at about 30 minutes or so, that goes into the motion capture process used to bring the film to life.
•Beast of Burden: The Creatures of Beowulf - Short featurette on the design of the Creatures in the film.
•Creating the Ultimate Beowulf - Another short featurette on the design of Beowulf.
•The Art of Beowulf - Short featurette on the art and set design of the film.
•The Origins of Beowulf - Featurette on the original epic story and how the writers added their own flare to the classic story.
•Deleted Scenes - Presented in an unfinished animatic form, these deleted scenes leave a lot to be desired.
- Rating: 4.5 out of 5
When Beowulf enjoyed its highly successful theatrical run it was presented in both standard theaters and in IMAX theaters in full Digital 3-D, however for the DVD and HD-DVD releases the film has been presented in its non 3-D form leaving the home audience a little left out, there are plenty of scenes that are tailor-made for the 3-D format. Though for this release we are give a great looking 2.40:1 Anamorphic Widescreen transfer that preserves the incredible scope of this epic story. While the colors are a little muted, there is no sign of ghosting or grain, though I’m sure the color discrepancies will be corrected with the HD release the Standard Def. version leaves a little to be desired.
The Audio on the other end is fantastic, presented with an English 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound track, every speaker is used to full effect. Beowulf’s surround sound will bring a tear of joy to any home theater owner’s eye.
- Rating: 4 out of 5
A fantastic Epic film, well worth its spot in anyone’s collection, though I would high suggest getting the HD-DVD version to fully get the best visual experience you could possibly get.
- Overall Rating: 4 out of 5
Film and Features: 4.5
Technical Specs: 4
Overall Review: 4
Studio: Paramount Studios
Genre: Epic/Fantasy
Aspect: 2.40:1 Anamorphic Widescreen
Audio: 5.1 Dolby Digital
Powered By: Wordpress
Hosted By: MediaTemple
