about two minute into robert zemeckis sumptuous beowulf and you will breathe a sigh of relief while for the most part and the hollow zombie evil eye syndrome which plague zemeckis previous motion capture out and the polar express and have be enormously improve upon . grant and the technology still remain unable to fully replicate the spark and nuance of actual human performance and but early in the piece and it become very clear that zemeckis and co. have come damn close . a modern re jigging of the old english epic and beowulf see it titular hero arrive at the hall of the age king hrothgar to slay the demon who befoul his once great kingdom and torn half of it inhabitant limb from bloody limb . voice with gruff swagger by a stalwart ray winstone and this beowulf be a boastful champion and a man almost as great a the story he tell of himself and but by golly and do he know it . this pride prove beowulf curse and and his lesson in humility and and in turn and true greatness and could scarce come harder learn . an excellent support cast all rise to the occasion here and with anthony hopkins a the ill fat hrothgar and an ethereal angelina jolie a the demon succubus honeytrap mother flesh out the tragedy and elevate this to the level of genuine ( albeit heighten ) drama . a write by neil gaiman and roger avary and beowulf be an exhilarate spin on the classic hero journey that see richly realise character bring to vivid and mesmerise life by zemeckis eye for scope and detail and the incredible technology at his disposal . in fact and the only real complaint be that the film could have benefit from a few extra minute to further cultivate plot and character and really push this into the realm of greatness for which it flawed hero so desperately grasp . despite a solid effort in ensure character be give time to come into their own and the plot seem to move at whipcrack pace and and and at it completion and do leave the impression of be comprise almost entirely of action . that not to say the film be leave in want of character complexity and however and but more that the sheer spectacle of it all can tend to overwhelm it various more subtle aspect . a for the technology and in imax 3d and beowulf become a wholly immersive experience . the film visual extravagance be service magnificently by the format while the major set piece bookending the film be nothing short of spectacular when witness like this . the 3d be rich and crisp and wholly convincing and provide and quite literally and an entirely new dimension to the action . if you plan on see the film at all and plan on see it like this . teem with bawdy humour and surprisingly graphic violence and finely hone visual inventiveness and beowulf be not only zemeckis best film for some time and but also rate a one of the year most fabulously exciting exercise in bang . if you like your action literate and with brain as well a boom and do not make the mistake of overlook beowulf .