About.com Rating

The Bottom Line

Beowulf & Grendel is an absorbing, bloody tale featuring a talented cast and gorgeous locations. The cast and crew went through hell to tell this story (be sure to check out the bonus features for insight into the hardships the Beowulf & Grendel group endured), but the resulting film proves their efforts were well worth it.



Pros

• Brings the ancient story alive on the big screen
• Terrific performances from Gerard Butler, Stellan Skarsgard and more

• Great collection of bonus features

Cons

• It's difficult to gauge the target audience

Description

• Commentary: Sturla Gunnarson, writer Andrew Rai Berzins, costumer Debra Hanson, & 1st dir. Wendy Ord
• 'Wrath of Gods' - Behind the scenes look at life on the set
• 'Interviews' - Cast and crew interviews featuring Gerard Butler and Stellan Skarsgard
• Costumes and sketches
• Storyboard comparison of Grendel attacking a guard
• Deleted scenes
• DVD Release Date: September 26, 2006

Guide Review - Beowulf & Grendel DVD Review

Gerard Butler - the man with what has to be the most passionate group of fans on the Internet - stars in the visually stunning and highly entertaining action drama, Beowulf & Grendel. Butler dons period costumes yet again to bring the ancient epic poem to life. Joining him for the adventure are Stellan Skarsgard (known to Pirates of the Caribbean fans as Bootstrap Bill), Tony Curran, and Ingvar E. Sigurdsson as Grendel.

Beowulf & Grendel follows a Norse warrior's battle with a huge, barbaric troll named Grendel.

The heroic Beowulf (Butler) and his group of fighting men come to the rescue of a Danish king (Skarsgard) and his court who are being terrorized by the seemingly unstoppable Grendel.

This film adaptation sticks closely to the source material, taking a few liberties here and there to make the story more accessible. However unlike the 9th century Anglo Saxon poem which inspired the movie, this interpretation of Grendel shows him as more than just a terrifying monster. His actions can almost be justified as he's seeking revenge for a grievous wrong done to him by the people he's bent on killing.

Director Sturla Gunnarsson took great care in making the film look as authentic as possible. Shot in Iceland, the inhospitable climate and beautiful remote locations effectively evoke the time period during which the famous story is set.