Because I could talk endlessly about this movie and how much I love it in all its cheesy, occasionally brilliant, beautiful glory.
Request well spent
(Side note: I hope this discussion doesn't get derailed by talk about uncanny valley and why CGI is the worst thing ever. Yes, I would have preferred live action, but it's not deal breaker and I understand their reasons for it)
Chairslut of the Funky Shack Institute of Genital Philosophy
My thoughts on the movie (shamelessly stolen from my youtube comment, because I don't want to write it twice)
What I find most interesting about the movie is how it establishes a necessary connection between heroes and monsters: a monster exists, a hero rises to slay it, the hero's own personal failings create a new monster, and a new hero must rise to slay it, thus perpetuating the cycle. Hrothgar killed a dragon (as mentioned in the story of his gold dragon cup), created Grendel, Beowulf enters to kill Grendel, but creates a dragon (and then kills it himself, because he's heroic enough not to leave his messes for someone else to clean up). Metaphorically, this could be used to describe the cycle of generations fixing the mistakes of their parents only to make new mistakes.
I also sympathize with Beowulf in the movie as a tragic figure, with the regrets he feels about his past mistakes and his desire to put them right.
I agree that the original poem isn't much for story, and certainly wouldn't have worked well on film. It basically goes: there's a monster, Beowulf arrives and kills it, the monster's mother flips out and Beowulf kills her too. Some years pass and then he kills a dragon. Personally, I think it was a genius move on Avery's part to take the poem's ambiguity regarding Beowulf's fight with Grendel's mother and use it to make Beowulf an unreliable narrator (in the poem, Beowulf describes the fight with the mother himself after the fact, and his only trophy from the fight is Grendel's head; nothing from the mother. Having already told an outlandish story about fighting sea monsters during a swimming race, it's very possible that Beowulf lies about and embellishes his monster stories).
Also, because I love this movie for its cheesiness as much as I love its themes and characters, I have to shout this: "SINS OF THE FATHERS! SINS OF THE FAAAATHERS!!" Oh, and Beowulf screaming his name in battle like he's a pokemon is great too. And Unferth, who can't stop being a prick in every line he speaks.
Chairslut of the Funky Shack Institute of Genital Philosophy
Dash Sean the RagemonsterNow I want to watch this movie because I respect your opinions and stuff. JadeI was in a sword and sorcery mood when I discovered it and thought it would just be cheesy fun, and while it was fairly cheesy, it was also surprisingly smart and emotional. Great music too.
(salvaged from old comment function)
Chairslut of the Funky Shack Institute of Genital Philosophy
Locob0: its been almost a year since word funk went on a indefinate hiatus, i still miss it it was the highlight of my week and it kept me happy
Feb 2, 2020 6:12:02 GMT -6
The Xenochrist: Same
Nov 4, 2020 10:06:17 GMT -6
The Xenochrist: Also, hot damn these forums are dead huh?
Nov 4, 2020 10:06:28 GMT -6
Sailor Miranchu: lives on in my heart
Nov 13, 2020 11:16:31 GMT -6
The Xenochrist: I can dig that
Nov 16, 2020 12:08:08 GMT -6
The Xenochrist: MIRAN!
Jun 4, 2022 15:57:24 GMT -6
The Xenochrist: ilu
Jun 4, 2022 15:57:30 GMT -6
dan via discord: hello i am working on the wiki. i know like, nobody's here, but the discord is active & there's a new feature (not on the server yet, being rolled out still) for forums in discord. so thats cool i think. come hang
Sept 22, 2022 0:23:05 GMT -6
Xeno: Good luck with the wiki though! I wish I could be more helpful but I'm way out of the loop these days
Dec 29, 2022 22:44:20 GMT -6