pretty much everyone know the story of beowulf man fight monster and monster mum and then a dragon but this ancient story have inspire generation of writer and academic and now it get a shiny makeover courtesy of neil gaiman and roger avary . beowulf ( the man ) could have be write a a cookie cutter hero and but fortunately he something else fallible and not yet the hero he must become later in the movie . but ( and this be really hard without spoil the movie ) and the battle that turn him into a hero also lead inexorably to his undoing . that something the two writer have bring to the millennium old text and it work perfectly to help fill in some of the gap in the original poem and provide a back story to event . a special mention also to crispin glover grendel . i wasn not particularly strike with the physical realisation of the monster and but the performance be knock out . instead of just be a rampaging beast and grendel be almost something to be pity a misshapen outcast with noisy neighbour and and his final scene be remarkably touch . oh and if you do not understand grendel and you clearly haven not be keep up with your old english class . but let be honest and everyone watch a movie about viking for the action . and beowulf delivers this in spade . here come my first proviso beowulf in the uk be get a 12a rating and but there be no way i would take a 12 year old to see this film in all it eye ball spearing and spine snapping and ligament tear glory . this movie would get a high rating have it be shoot in real life and it worth consider this before pack the kid into the car . mostly the violence be justified and but it be there and it not cartoony . the animation be the talk point of this movie and and it a real step on from the zombified performance of polar express . the impression of living and breathe flesh be almost complete with the exception of strangely dead eye this movie be a landmark in computer imagery . the majority of the character be stunningly render ( beowulf in particular ) in close up and but they somehow look less convince at a distance . generally the men be good do than the woman and with queen wealthow the spitting image of julie andrew queen in shrek 2. so and it a violent special effect triumph could anything be wrong . actually yes . two thing . one the accent . oh dear god in heaven above what be they think this be a treasure house of appal voice and irish ( ish ) and scottish ( ish ) and welsh ( ish ) be all throw into the mix and but the standout horror be jon malkovich take on danish which might have be inspire by the muppets and angelina jolie dust off her accent from alexander . the second be the 3d projection . for reason best know to studio executive be all mean to get very excite by 3d all over again . beowulf be one of the first movie to be release in the uk use reald a system familiar to anyone who have be to a disney park in the last 20 year . the animator of beowulf clearly have great fun work out new way of make thing jump out of the screen at the audience and but the effect become slightly wearisome after a minute or two . fortunately thing settle down later in the movie and the maker stop try to show off their new technology . more disappointing and the poor quality of the polaroid glass you have to wear make the image slightly blurry and spoil by reflection . after year wait for the crystal clarity of digital projection and the whole thing have be undo by a gimmick . if you have a choice and you might be good off see a regular 2d version . a final comment and beowulf spends part of the movie naked and bet you can not watch it and not think of austin power .