I finally saw the Beowulf film. On reflection I decided the story, although it had bothered me somehow at the time, was actually really interesting, very much in the spirit of the original, but doing interesting things too. And that the filming had some iconic moments, and many moments that were notably 3d but not particularly interesting in any other way, and otherwise was rather perfunctory.
For instance, as in the opening scene, depicting a roistering mead hall. But they seemed to glide around the hall showing each appropriate thing "drunken people, check, vomiting, check, persuing swedish wench, check, heaving bosoms but nothing inappropriate, check". But no real sense of majesty or exuberance or chaos — or even decadence — was particularly evoked.
This dichotomy was explained nicely when I looked the film up on wikipedia, and discovered it had been co-written by Neil Gaiman, but directed by someone other than Neil Gaiman.
( spoilers )
For instance, as in the opening scene, depicting a roistering mead hall. But they seemed to glide around the hall showing each appropriate thing "drunken people, check, vomiting, check, persuing swedish wench, check, heaving bosoms but nothing inappropriate, check". But no real sense of majesty or exuberance or chaos — or even decadence — was particularly evoked.
This dichotomy was explained nicely when I looked the film up on wikipedia, and discovered it had been co-written by Neil Gaiman, but directed by someone other than Neil Gaiman.
( spoilers )