The one great thing about watching a movie on DVD instead of seeing it at the theatre is that you can watch it more than once.

I am glad I did when it comes to Beowulf, because my first knee jerk reaction was that I wouldn’t like this movie.

From watching the previews I had the impression that it was live action with CGI effects. However, when the first scene opened up I realized I was watching an animated film. Unfortunately I couldn’t get Shrek out of my head. Trying to reconcile this extremely adult and violent first scene of Grendel with an animated film like Shrek was a bit much for my brain and so I automatically lumped it into “Ewwwww, gross.”

Then came the scene where Beowulf and his men are fighting against the raging sea to reach the kingdom of Hrothgar. This scene was amazing. Nowhere did it feel like a cartoon. It was powerful, beautiful, and magical. The characters looked like real actors; you could almost feel the water. In fact, throughout the film, any scene with water or fire was magnificent. After this I was able to become lost in the tale. Which is all any good writer or producer could hope for.

Beowulf is an animated film, but not in the same way as Disney/Pixar films. This film uses the same technique that The Polar Express and more recently, Dr. Manhattan in Watchmen. Instead of using bluescreen or greenscreen and putting the character into the action, this technique is referred to as “black box” acting. The actor wears a suit with dots all over it that sense the movements of the body and face that the computer can then translate into a 3D image on the screen. This gives the producer even greater freedom of choosing his actors and actresses.

Obviously there is no actor that looks like the monster Grendel, but producer Robert Zemeckis felt that Crispin Glover (“Charlie’s Angels”, “Willard”) could capture the agony and torment of the demon. They were able to take the facial expressions that Glover gave and turn them into the creature Grendel.

The same went for Grendel’s mother, played by Angelina Jolie. Grendel’s mother (she has no name by the way) is the ultimate seductress, and I cannot imagine a better actress to play this role. Jolie oozes sexuality as the demoness. I must admit that I had extreme self esteem issues as I watched her. After the movie I had this strange desire to go – 1. Workout until I lost 20 pounds, 2. Shop madly for the sexiest clothes I could find, and 3. Eat a gallon of Haagen-daz ice cream. Let me know if any of the rest of you felt this way. The demon's tail was sexy!

As for Beowulf, he is played by Ray Winstone, who himself was even taken aback by being chosen for this role. Winstone said of the role, “The great thing about the technique, is that it allowed someone like me, who is 5’10” and a little on the plump side, to play a 6’6” golden haired Viking.” Winstone was chosen by Zemeckis for his ability to portray emotion through his voice and subtle movements. The fact that Winstone loves to tackle the “impossible” was a bonus.

The technique also made it possible to age the characters realistically without having to put the actors through hours and hours of special effects makeup. Beowulf, the Queen Wealthow (Robin Wright Penn), his right hand warrior Wiglaf (Brendan Gleeson) and the Priest Unferth (played by John Malkovich who also plays Unferth’s son) are all seen across a span of a generation. In the case of Malkovich he is able to play characters both younger and older than he really is. It is the kind of work that would normally add weeks or even months of filming time to a schedule.

Finally it just all adds up to a really spectacular film. The final scenes where Beowulf fights the dragon are truly majestic and you once again understand why Beowulf is known as a great Hero. The movie may talk about demons and monsters and gods; but it is really about the shortcomings of man.

Like I said, the first scene may seem a bit cartoonish. It is very similar to the scenes in The Polar Express, but I urge you to wait it out and get to that first sea voyage. Once you lay eyes on our Hero, you will be hooked.

Beowulf is Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence including disturbing images, some sexual material and nudity. Although this movie looks like a cartoon in some places, it should not be confused with one. The nudity is mostly suggested or seen from the back, no frontal nudity. The violence is graphic. The sexual scenes are crude – in keeping with how men would have treated bar maids and “wenches” in this time period. It is not a film for children. Watch it yourself before letting your teens see it.