Release Date: July 29th, 2008
Running Time: 114 minutes

The Film

CGI is becoming more and more integrated into filmmaking as it becomes increasingly convincing. Director Robert Zemeckis has always elevated the form, combining true actor performances in fully digital worlds. Beowulf: Director’s Cut marks the next step in digital filmmaking, and is a bloody, monster-slaying good time. The Blu-ray version of Beowulf: Director’s Cut is a near-reference quality disc, and simply the best way to experience the film since the theatrical release.

The film stars Ray Winstone as Beowulf, the legendary hero from the classic epic poem of the same name. Shot in a style that captures all of the nuances of the actors’ performances and then translated into a CGI world, Beowulf features a gorgeous recreation of the snowy kingdom of Hrothgar (Anthony Hopkins). Hrothgar celebrates in his famous mead hall, drinking, singing and enjoying all the pleasures of life with his men and wife, Wealthow (Robin Wright-Penn). Everything is fantastic until a horrible, deformed monster known as Grendel (Crispin Glover) attacks the hall, slaughtering countless people. Hrothgar sends out a notice calling for a hero to come slay the monster and end their plight. Enter Beowulf.

Beowulf is a classic hero full of outlandish tales of battle and manliness. His confidence is unwavering, and the very name lessens Hrothgar’s worries. He is Beowulf—ripper, slasher, tearer, and all other badass names. To the surprise of few, Beowulf handles the Grendel problem only to unleash the rage of his demon mother (Angelina Jolie).

A lot has been said about Beowulf. The action scenes are top-notch, featuring plenty of impressive effects and gore. Some of the sweeping, epic camera shots will make you forget you are watching a CGI film, even if the style hasn’t been perfected quite yet. The film also features the best man versus dragon battle I have ever seen. The criticisms, however, seem to stem from how the film strays from the poem. In the poem Beowulf was the perfect hero through and through, an iconic man full of righteousness. Zemeckis’ Beowulf is a more flawed, human character, driven by ego and emotion. He makes mistakes, horrible ones that cause massive problems for him and others. Still, even a flawed Beowulf is far more heroic than most, and perhaps more believable and relatable for today’s jaded viewers.

I did not notice any significant changes in the “Unrated Director’s Cut” outside of an increased level of violence and gore.

The Disc

The video is presented in a 2.35:1, 1080p High Definition transfer. This is one of the most gorgeous transfers I have seen. The level of detail is insane, making the animation look even more realistic, and the 3-D effects look less gimmicky. I noticed far more detail in Grendel’s attack on the hall, a very dark scene where many of the finer details were lost in the standard definition transfer. The print is flawless, with no trace of compression artifacts, digital noise, or specks. Deep, bold black levels and vibrant colors round out the impressive transfer.

The audio is offered in English Dolby Digital 5.1 TrueHD Surround Sound, as well as French/Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound with English/Spanish/French subtitles. This is an aggressive, dominant mix with countless moments of panning effects, deep bass, and pristine clarity. Atmospheric effects are convincing and realistic, from the partying in the hall, to the eerie cave of Grendel’s mother. Lastly, the various elements of the mix are appropriately balanced.

The Extras

All of the special features from the standard DVD are carried over, plus a few extras.

“Beowulf in the Volume” is a picture-in-picture option where a smaller screen shows the motion capture process during the production for the scenes you are watching. This is a great way to watch the film if you want to see just how precise the motion-capture process is.

“A Conversation with Robert Zemeckis” is a 10-minute Q&A session with USC students.

“The Hero’s Journey” is a 24-minute “making of” piece that gives you a detailed look into the motion-capture production of the film, truly letting you see the actors’ performances. This is a must-watch for everyone to understand the skill involved in making a film of this caliber.

“The Journey Continues” is a 10-part, 21-minute featurette covering various technical aspects of the production, including props discussion, recreating the actor’s likeness’, stunts, and more.

“Beasts of Burden” is a 7-minute look at the creatures of the film from concept to final product. I would have preferred a lengthier look at this topic, but I’ll take what I can get.

“The Origins of Beowulf” is a 5-minute piece what made Zemeckis tackle the subject. Again, this could have been made into a very in-depth comparison piece between the film and the original material, but what can you do.

“Creating the Ultimate Beowulf” is a 2-minute piece that looks at the title character and bringing him to life.

“The Art of Beowulf” is a 6-minute featurette on the look of the film and the development of the visual style.

Six unfinished, Deleted Scenes are available as well, none of which are anything special.

The Trailer and Previews round out the special features.

Final Thoughts

Beowulf is an exciting, action-packed epic, and a testament to the growing power of computer graphics. Everything is enhanced on the Blu-ray disc, making it the definitive edition of the film.