First Beowulf Trailer
Sneak Peak at Upcoming Robert Zemeckis Movie
Okay, writing about animated films means that the vast majority of flicks we talk about fall into the "family-friendly" category. That means they're 'G' rated, have a lot of 'cute' characters, and are often thinly-disguised advertisements for toys. Granted, there are a lot of great family flicks out there, but it can get wearing covering stuff that only carries a 'G' rating. Not to mention the fact that Hollyweird doesn't have a lot of respect for the under-12 set (I know, I know: Hollyweird doesn't give a lot of respect to anyone!).
So when animated film writers heard that award-winning director Robert Zemeckis (The Polar Express, Monster House) was going for a PG-13 for his next motion-capture flick Beowulf, our ears perked up big time.
Add the killer writing team of Neil Gaiman (Stardust, Coraline) and Roger Avary (Pulp Fiction, Silent Hill) doing their spin on the epic Scandinavian poem about heroes, dragons and demons. Throw in a killer cast list that includes Ray Winstone, Crispin Glover, John Malkovich, Robin Wright Penn, Alison Lohman, Sir Anthony Hopkins and Angelina Jolie, and that sizzling sound you heard was salivary glands going into overdrive.
Well, the first Beowulf trailer hit the InterWeb recently and it's exciting. It starts with a very creepy vibe, plus a reptilian Angelina Jolie, as Grendel's mother who alternately menaces and seduces the titular hero (voiced by Ray Winstone, body by Alan Ritchson). As flicks like Gia and Girl, Interrupted proved, Jolie is best when she's playing characters firmly situated in the dark side. Her portrayal of Grendel's mom slams one out of the park here. Watching that glowing sword slide out through her back while Jolie walks seductively around Beowulf is enough to give you chills.
On the technical side, the motion-capture in this trailer is several strides above Monster House and Polar Express: notice how the hair moves and falls much more naturally than in either of those two flicks. Combine that with a voice-over that re-imagines Cate Blanchett's opening V.O. from Fellowship of the Ring (except much, much darker), and this is one of the best trailers for a movie since a certain J.R.R. Tolkien trilogy hit theatres. And that's a high freakin' compliment. Imagine how this movie is going to look in 3-D IMAX?
Check out the trailer in its official capacity here, or in a much easier to watch format over here.
Beowulf hits theatres on November 16th. Watch for a big time review in this space.
