Sturla Gunnarsson... took a look at the eighth-century epic poem Beowulf and decided he could cut it down to size. And he has, for better and worse.
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07/07/06
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Beowulf & Grendel (2005)
48
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:33
Fresh:16
Rotten:17
Average Rating:5.4/10
Consensus: Despite the impressive Icelandic scenery, Beowulf And Grendel fails to find its footing in the transition from epic tale to the big screen.
Theatrical Release:Jul 7, 2006 Limited
Synopsis: Out of allegiance to the King Hrothgar, the much respected Lord of the Danes, Beowulf leads a troop of warriors across the sea to rid a village of the marauding monster. The monster, Grendel, is... [More]
Starring: Stellan Skarsgaard, Gerard Butler, Sarah Polley
Director: Sturla Gunnarsson
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Reviews for Beowulf & Grendel
A more accurate title of this conceptually anemic if prettily mounted take on the Scandinavian epic might be Beowulf and the Vixen.
07/06/06
This film has constant action, drinking jokes, and a blood-thirsty troll.
07/06/06
Thus does Beowulf collide with postmodern punk sensibility.
07/05/06
Top CriticGunnarsson is only partially up to the challenge posed by his illustrious source material.
07/05/06
Imagine the worst Deadwood episode ever, and you'll get an idea of the general tone of Beowulf & Grendel.
06/30/06
Top CriticThis movie won't be to everyone's taste, but it will certainly bedevil some dreams.
06/16/06
Shot entirely in the outback of Iceland, it's a gallery of hauntingly beautiful locations, and director Sturla Gunnarsson skillfully uses its bleak otherworldliness to distance us from anything familiar and evoke a lost heroic age.
06/15/06
The incredible landscapes are breathtaking and hint at how inhospitable nature can be.
03/10/06
For the most part a successfully strange and strangely moving adventure.
03/10/06
Top CriticDriven by what could only be called mad Icelandic energy, Gunnarsson's Beowulf & Grendel is by turns stark, ludicrous and fascinating, with the odd dumb joke and anachronistic wisecracks leavening the earnestness.
03/10/06
A lumbering and ludicrous mess.
03/10/06
Top CriticIcelandic-shot version of the legendary revenge saga is visually arresting and plausibly retrofitted for modern consumption, but lacks the savage bite that might have given the sixth century-set tale real impact.
10/13/05
Top Critic...astonishingly dull and hopelessly irrelevant...
10/02/05
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