Beowulf

Exclusive DVD Extra: "Pain of Grendel"

The Old English heroic epic gets the 21st century digital treatment in Robert Zemeckis' take on the first great adventure in the English language. Conquering hero Beowulf (Ray Winstone) swaggers into a kingdom descended into decadence and vows to kill the monster that plagues it. But as reimagined by writers Neil Gaiman (whose work is steeped in myths and legends, both old and original) and Roger Avary, this "Beowulf" has the dimensions of a Greek tragedy and a vain hero whose self-aggrandizing manner covers up weakness and indiscretion. Zemeckis returns to the "motion capture" technology of "The Polar Express" (the same process that turned Andy Serkis into Gollum in "The Lord of the Rings"), where the actors, sets and props are digitally "painted" over. The imagery is often impressive, and the monster Grendel (Crispin Glover) is a magnificent, tortured creature in perpetual pain who lashes out like a wild animal, but the humans have the waxy look of animated dolls. The notable exception is Angelina Jolie as Grendel's mother, a sexy demon by way of mythic Playboy centerfold clothed only in strategically dripped liquid gold. Anthony Hopkins is unmistakable despite the CGI face-lift as the corrupted king Hrothgar, and Brendan Gleeson, Robin Wright Penn and John Malkovich co-star under the CGI paint box.

The film was also released in a dynamic 3-D version, but for now you'll have to settle for the regular two-dimensional movie experience on DVD. The 24-minute featurette "A Hero's Journey: The Making of Beowulf" provides an excellent overview of the physical aspects of the production, from the first day of rehearsal (where the actors are introduced to the green-screen set and the props and suits they'll use for the digital recording) to the final day of photography. "This has nothing to do with the Beowulf you were forced to read in junior high school," promises Zemeckis. "It's all about eating, drinking, killing and fornicating." Screenwriters Gaiman and Avary offer their perspective, and their contributions to their rewrite of the myth, in the 5-minute "The Origins of Beowulf." Also features the brief pieces "Beasts of Burden -- Designing the Creatures of Beowulf," "Creating the Ultimate Beowulf," and "The Art of Beowulf," and six deleted scenes (all shown in rough animation form). Available in separate PG-13 and unrated versions, and in HD DVD format.