# New Beowulf movie **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 14, 2007, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-beowulf-movie/426439 "2007-11-14T22:24:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![well\_he\_s\_back](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3ab097/32.png) [@well\_he\_s\_back](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/well_he_s_back)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2007, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-beowulf-movie/426439/1 "2007-11-14T22:24:07Z")
I know this film has not been released yet, but I’m looking for information - I’ve read a lot about it, but still just don’t understand why the director chose to go animated (or semi-animated or whatever you call his process wherein he “paints over” real actors, a la Polar Express, only supposedly improved.). Anyway, my question is: has the Director ever explained the preference for such a weird, awkward looking (to me) style? ---
**Author:** ![Waverly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/57b2e6/32.png) [@Waverly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waverly)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2007, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-beowulf-movie/426439/2 "2007-11-14T22:30:03Z")
You are thinking of rotoscoping, used famously by Ralph Bakshi in a horrid animated production of exactly 1/2 of the LotR trilogy. ---
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2007, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-beowulf-movie/426439/3 "2007-11-14T22:55:32Z")
If the trailer’s supposed to pique my interest, it’s not working. ---
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2007, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-beowulf-movie/426439/4 "2007-11-14T23:02:57Z")
**Neil Gaiman** co-wrote the script, if that helps pique anyone’s interest… ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2007, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-beowulf-movie/426439/5 "2007-11-14T23:31:43Z")
[QUOTE=Waverly] You are thinking of rotoscoping, used famously by Ralph Bakshi in a horrid animated production of exactly 1/2 of the LotR trilogy. [/QUOTE] This is the 3D equivilent: Motion Capture. Equally bad when not cleaned up by actual animators. Compare the _Beowolf_ trailer and _Polar Express_ with Gollum from Peter Jackson’s _LotR_, particularly the facial expressions. ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2007, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-beowulf-movie/426439/6 "2007-11-15T00:00:34Z")
Saw it last night. The motion capture actually looks pretty good in my opinion (and I didn’t like it in Polar Express). Some of the dead eye problem but reduced and somehow more appropriate as well. Can’t answer on the “why” question but this is Robert Zemeckis’s current thing so that is probably enough why. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2007, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-beowulf-movie/426439/7 "2007-11-15T01:53:34Z")
[QUOTE=Meurglys] **Neil Gaiman** co-wrote the script, if that helps pique anyone’s interest… [/QUOTE] It being an epic war film was enough for me but Neil Gaiman co-writing clinched it for me. ---
**Author:** ![Malodorous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47774/32.png) [@Malodorous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malodorous)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2007, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-beowulf-movie/426439/8 "2007-11-15T01:56:50Z")
[QUOTE=Aesiron] It being an epic war film was enough for me but Neil Gaiman co-writing clinched it for me. [/QUOTE] It’s not an epic war film, is it? Unless they’ve changed the story a lot from the poem. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2007, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-beowulf-movie/426439/9 "2007-11-15T02:04:54Z")
Poor phrasing on my part. An epic with lots of fighting. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2007, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-beowulf-movie/426439/10 "2007-11-15T02:10:12Z")
[QUOTE=Malodorous] It’s not an epic war film, is it? Unless they’ve changed the story a lot from the poem. [/QUOTE] Well, Zemeckis is a hack (this also explains the OP’s question about motion capture) and even if Gaiman is doing the screenplay I expect it to have no resemblance to the poem. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2007, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-beowulf-movie/426439/11 "2007-11-15T03:09:02Z")
Crispin Hellion Glover learned Old English to do Grendel’s minimal dialogue. I was iffy on the movie before, but that’s a pretty cool selling point for me. ---
**Author:** ![Malodorous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47774/32.png) [@Malodorous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malodorous)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2007, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-beowulf-movie/426439/12 "2007-11-15T03:32:25Z")
[QUOTE=asterion] Well, Zemeckis is a hack (this also explains the OP’s question about motion capture) and even if Gaiman is doing the screenplay I expect it to have no resemblance to the poem. [/QUOTE] Actually, as I said in the earlier thread, I think a good Beowulf movie would have to add something to the original plot. The poem is too simplistic: guy fights monster, then another monster, then when hes old, a third monster. IMHO, a successful film would add some more story while keeping to the mood and theme of the original poem. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2007, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-beowulf-movie/426439/13 "2007-11-15T04:05:54Z")
This film opens today (Thursday) in Bangkok. It looks interesting, but I’m waiting to hear more about it. I keep remembering Woody Allen’s admonition to Diane Keaton in _Annie Hall_: “Just don’t take any class where you have to read Beowulf.” ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2007, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-beowulf-movie/426439/14 "2007-11-15T04:06:41Z")
I’ll see it out of curiosity, but my expectations are very low. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2007, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-beowulf-movie/426439/15 "2007-11-15T04:10:25Z")
[QUOTE=Malodorous] Actually, as I said in the earlier thread, I think a good Beowulf movie would have to add something to the original plot. The poem is too simplistic: guy fights monster, then another monster, then when hes old, a third monster. IMHO, a successful film would add some more story while keeping to the mood and theme of the original poem. [/QUOTE] Um, has anyone here seen [one of my favorite movies](http://imdb.com/title/tt0402057/) of 2005? ---
**Author:** ![flight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbce88/32.png) [@flight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flight)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2007, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-beowulf-movie/426439/16 "2007-11-15T04:13:43Z")
[QUOTE=Big Bad Voodoo Lou] Crispin Hellion Glover learned Old English to do Grendel’s minimal dialogue. I was iffy on the movie before, but that’s a pretty cool selling point for me. [/QUOTE] Learned Old English or learned how to make the sounds of his minimal dialog? ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2007, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-beowulf-movie/426439/17 "2007-11-15T08:29:06Z")
I might see it tomorrow, maybe the 3D version, but I was a lot less interested once I found out it was all CGI. What’s the point of hiring actors to do all the motion capture, and making the figures look like the actors too? Might as well just have the actual actors. I was hoping they would go the 300 route. They even have the same line! “I… am… BEOWULF!” (This… is… SPARTA!"). [QUOTE=obfusciatrist] Saw it last night. [/QUOTE] I read an interview that said to keep it consistent with the original story, Beowulf fights in the nude. Is this true? ---
**Author:** ![Malodorous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47774/32.png) [@Malodorous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malodorous)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2007, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-beowulf-movie/426439/18 "2007-11-15T08:37:26Z")
[QUOTE=jackdavinci] I read an interview that said to keep it consistent with the original story, Beowulf fights in the nude. Is this true? [/QUOTE] Did they put a motion capture sensor on his…nevermind, probably don’t want to know. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2007, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-beowulf-movie/426439/19 "2007-11-15T09:58:32Z")
[QUOTE=asterion] Well, Zemeckis is a hack [/QUOTE] Woah. A hack? He may have lost his edge lately, but I’d never consider him a hack! What’s the reasoning behind accusing him of that? ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2007, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-beowulf-movie/426439/20 "2007-11-15T10:14:43Z")
[QUOTE=flight] Learned Old English or learned how to make the sounds of his minimal dialog? [/QUOTE] I assume he learned to speak Old English fluently so he could converse with old Englishmen. Pip-pip cheerio! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-beowulf-movie/426439.md?page=2)