1999 - Rated R - 1 hr 42 min
Director: John McTiernan
Starring: Antonio Banderas, Vladimir Kulich, John DeSantis, Clive Russell, Omar Sharif, Erick Avari, Tony Curran
I'm not a huge Beowulf fan, I have to admit. So the idea of yet another retelling of this age-old epic was bumming me out. Even if it does star Antonio Banderas. Even if it was written by Jurassic Park genius Michael Crichton. Add the director of the Die Hard franchise and you'd think I'd be sold.
What does win me over on this movie is the concept of the re-imagined tale, the story behind the myth viewpoint. A kind of Wicked makeover for The Wizard of Oz. Told from the perspective of an unlikely compatriot to Beowulf (who gets a new, weird name in this version), the Grendel myth has real roots... it's a cult-like group that is raising hell. Kill 'em and you're the hero. Simple enough.
There's nothing revolutionary here, but it's still appealing in a new way. This is one version of the epic that turns things just the right way and reexamines them in a way that's more interesting. Okay, Crichton? You got me.
