DVD Review:

Beowulf

Director's Cut

Movie

Beowulf uses a sophisticated type of Motion Capture for this film which allows the filmmakers to capture the actors’ motions and emotions very accurately.  It all started for director Robert Zemeckis back with Polar Express, which is where he perfected using Motion Capture in his films.  The knock against Polar Express for some people was that the characters looked and acted more like mannequins with dead eyes. People felt that it just wasn’t realistic enough. I personally think that some of those complaints are still valid here, but it should not affect you enjoying this movie. We have to appreciate how far the technology has become!  What we see on screen with this film is nothing short of breathtaking.  When I originally saw Beowulf I saw it in IMAX 3D.  So I wondered how I would feel about the movie now that it is on DVD.  I am happy to say I really enjoyed it.  Beowulf is a story that has been around for hundreds of years.   Zemeckis has taken one of the oldest stories in English literature and combined it with the most recent technology.  It creates a thing of beauty and probably a work of art.  The story is quite simple: Beowulf finds himself battling one bad guy after another, but you really do feel for the character later on in the film.  There is a human element to the story that is a welcome edition.  You will love this movie for its visuals and you will probably enjoy the movie for its story as well. 

8 out of 10

Video

Considering that this movie is a completely CG affair I was expecting big things out of this transfer.  I am happy to say that I was not disappointed.  Everything looks fantastic and would make good material to show off your system.  The colours are well saturated and everything looks visually stunning.  I was a little worried since this is a single disc release that they would have spent more time on the transfer with the inevitable 2-disc release but they did an incredible job with the transfer here.

9.5 out of 10

Audio

The audio is again nothing short of spectacular.  It really has that epic feel to it.  Your 5.1 system will definitely get a workout with this Dolby Digital 5.1 track.  You will hear everything from laughing to the cracking of bones.  Its reference quality material folks!

10 out of 10

Extras

The extras are the only part of this release that fell a little short for me.  That is because there are so few of them.  But the one extra they included almost makes up for it.  It’s called A Hero's Journey: The Making of Beowulf.  This is a fascinating look into how the actors create a film like this.  I found myself really enjoying this feature.  Everything else included on the disc is quite short.  I am sure a 2-disc release will make its way to us in the future.  But for now this will have to do.

7.5 out of 10

Overall

Overall this is a great film that has amazing visuals, great sound, and a few quality extras.  Is it worth it?  I think so!  It would make a great DVD to show off your system.

9 out of 10

Highly Recommended.