The Film
I still consider Used Cars one of the funniest movies ever made. No one can argue the sheer cinematic brilliance of the original Back to the Future, and my wife has enhanced my fondness for Romancing the Stone. Forrest Gump found its special place in hearts of film-goers and Oscar history, and Cast Away made some people think, earned a lot of money, and rocked a lot of audio demos with its jumbo jet crash.
Why the capsule history of filmmaker Robert Zemeckis' illustrious career? Because until a few years ago he seemed on a trajectory to blow past all of his Hollywood peers, possibly even Spielberg, and become an icon of the art form. He might still do it, but with performance-captured, digitally-rendered films like The Polar Express and now Beowulf, he has chosen to deviate from the beaten path and blaze strange new territory.
One could also argue the wisdom of basing a modern entertainment on a millennium-old epic poem dreaded by high school students across America, about a he-man who strips down nekkid to kill a misunderstood demon. But let's not split pixels.
Technically ambitious projects like Who Framed Roger Rabbit? were but a warmup, as Zemeckis' recent style of choice is what many predict will be the next great evolution of moviemaking. Not live-action, not computer-animated, Beowulf relies upon the bodies as well as the voices of talented, big-name actors to bring characters to life, with near-photo-realistic results. The experience for us viewers can be somewhat odd: Our eyes register "Almost..." but then some artificial detail reminds us of the illusion. I found myself thinking, "That kind of looks like Robin Wright's cross-eyed sister!" more than once, as the newness of the technology was sometimes more distracting than immersive.
For this director's cut, the gore and free-flowing blood at the heart (and spleen and entrails) of the story appear to be ramped up, and sexual innuendo abounds.
For an alternate take, see resident film guru Joe Lozito's Beowulf review.
The Picture
As you would expect from a director of this stature, the digital moviemaking is the absolute state-of-the-art, at least it was when the movie was made, it all changes so quickly. With rendering of this quality, Beowulf is best enjoyed in the highest possible definition, which at home means HD DVD. The palette is one of those bleak middle ages affairs, lots of shadowy browns and overcast skies. Long shots are gorgeous and could be mistaken for the real world, close-ups reveal impressive details in the cyber-human faces. Textures on the virtual clothing and sets is tremendous as well, while hair tends to be too perfect, with a swaying life of its own. At this level of clarity, the technique is begging to be dissected, so grab a scalpel and dive in.
Even in scenes of high contrast, ringing and haloing are virtually nonexistent. I noted no compression artifacting whatsoever, even on difficult-to-reproduce images of wispy smoke. Visually, this is a near-perfect disc. The movie is presented in its original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1
The Sound
From the very first seconds, the Dolby Digital Plus soundtrack flaunts its power on Alan Silvestri's percussion-packed, chorus-laced musical score, with bass we can truly feel. From there the movie soon becomes an orgy of alternating merriment and violence, often in enclosed spaces like drinking halls and rocky caverns, so we are treated to extremely dynamic surrounds. Thunder envelops us at times, and flashes of energy resonate off the walls, in a thoughtfully designed mix that helps to ground all of the fantastical events. I would recommend playing this movie loud, and if you don't understand monster Grendel's dialogue, don't blame your center channel, apparently he's not a big fan of English.
The Extras
Disc One of this double-platter package carries two bonuses, both meant to be enjoyed in synch with the movie. "In The Volume" is a picture-in-picture track that runs continually, offering artwork and behind-the-scenes footage that provide insight specific to each scene. The name refers to the unique 25-by-25-foot stage in Sourthen California where the actors' performances were captured by computers. With an Internet connection we can also a download the "Profiler," a text-based onscreen guide to cast and crew, with any profile available at any time.
The real meat resides on Disc Two, starting with "A Hero's Journey: The Making of Beowulf." This high-definition, interactive version of the documentary includes optional pop-up trivia throughout, as well as branching to ten relevant featurettes, also in high-def, also viewable independently. Further mini-docs go deeper into the art and inspiration behind it all. We can then watch roughly animated incarnations of eleven deleted scenes, including one alternate version.
Final Thoughts
In light of recent events, this might just be my last HD DVD review, but I'm happy to go out on a high note. With outstanding next-gen interactivity and content that lends itself to high-def more than most, this is a downer of a movie you can really have some fun with.
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