Beowulf

Seeing Beowulf in the 2D version is like listening to Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon on a small transistor radio. You can do it, but why would you want to. Don't you dare go see this in the 2D version, the only way to see this is in 3D. I have read some complaints about the 3D process. If you tilt your head to one side you will see ghost images, just keep your head straight and the ghost images will go away. I thought the process worked great. It is like watching movies through sun glasses, but I did not find that it distracted from the movie at all. You get used to it very quickly. This is a great technology, and Beowulf is one of the few movies that really exploit 3D for what it can add to a movie. The Ant Bully was also very good in 3D.

This is Robert Zemeckis, the director, second outing in 3D after The Polar Express , and like that movie some of the same problems crop up. Zemeckis is best known for directing the Back to the Future trilogy and Forest Gump . Beowulf and The Polar Express both use motion capture, which still has some issues, especially when someone talks. I winced every time I saw someone talking. It never feels like the real thing, and it keeps you from buying into the movie. It is still an interesting technology, and I am sure that is has a lot of positive points. But as far as presenting a person talking, this movie couldn't hold a candle to any Walt Disney short from the 1940s or 50s from so many years ago.

The 3D in the film is amazing. I am ready to go see it again. The film is very well paced, and even though the plot line never really grabbed me, it didn't really matter because about ever ten minutes a new fight would break out, and you would see blood drip onto you in 3D, a monster would pop-up, or Angelina Jolie would be naked (or even Jolie would be a naked monster though only in a digital sense, cheap thrills are still thrills !!). Also a nice touch is that the trailer does not give away all of the movie; there were a lot of surprises. The movie was designed in 3D from the ground up, and so there are a lot of shots with swords pointing and stuff, that would not really make sense when you watch them in the 2D version. The action sequences are not only well thought out, but work really well in 3D. In one great shot towards the beginning of the movie, we have a character in the foreground and the monster, Grendel, is busy wrecking havoc far in the background, all in 3D. It will raise the hair on the back of your neck. By the way, Grendel needs subtitles. I didn't understand one word he said the whole picture; of course he only says about three words during the whole picture.

You can write James Harper at movielover77061@yahoo.com.