Some recent viewings, good and bad - BEOWULF, THE TUDORS, SAW IV, etc.

[indianasmith]

I've been busier than a mosquito in a nudist colony lately, so I haven't been real active on the forum.  I have, however, made time to watch a few movies the last two or three weeks.  Let's see . . .  in no particular order -
BEOWULF - I caught this one last night and it was considerably better than I expected.  Some of the voices were a surprise too - Anthony Hopkins and John Malkovic in an animated fantasy film?  I could have done without the multiple visuals of the naked Beowulf with strategically placed objects blocking his full monty - not that I wanted to see it, mind you, but it reminded me of "Nude Week" in the old Bloom County comic strip from the 1980's!
THE CATACOMBS - This one was very interesting - nervous American girl flies to Paris, France, because of a one-line postcard from her sister, who takes her to a rave in the famous catacombs beneath the city.  The nervous girl (Victoria) is told a fabulous tale about a "Cult of the Black Virgin" and the cannibalistic monster they created, then (of course) she gets separated from the group and the monster is stalking her!  This movie dragged a bit in the middle, but it did have a nice twist ending.  Definitely worth a viewing!
TO KILL A KING - I love English history.  I was a little hesitant when I saw this one, which tells the story of the trial and execution of Charles I during the British Civil War of the 1640's.  I figured that Cromwell would be painted as an absolute ogre (I have a grudging admiration for Oliver Cromwell, while my good friend EMMR thinks he was basically the anti-Christ!) and Charles as a martyr.  However, Cromwell was given a reasonably fair treatment - perhaps a little more bloodthirsty than he actually was, but you do feel a certain sympathy for a man who wanted desperately to forge a Christian English republic out of the ashes of the monarchy.  Charles I was portrayed dead-on correct - an absolutist whose stubborness and stupidity ultimately cost him his head.
General Fairfax, the narrator of the film, is a character I am unfamiliar with.  I need to read up on him a bit before I can pass judgement on the portrayal.  However, purely as a film character, he works quite well as a man with a foot in both worlds.
SAW IV - I really liked the first SAW movie, but the franchise has been run into the ground.  This one was full of gaping plotholes and meaningless gore.  I really hope they give up on the series at some point!
THE TUDORS - I had caught bits and pieces of this one at friend's houses, but I finally rented the Season I DVD - just the first one - and watched all three episodes on the DVD back to back.  Henry VIII is one of my favorite historical figures of all, and I love the attempt to portray him as a young man wrestling with the prospect of having no heir.  Overall, the history is fairly accurate, and Sam Neill does an excellent job as Cardinal Woolsey.  Can't wait to watch Disc 2!

Hope everyone's doing OK!  Let me know what you thought of these films.

[Haygun]

I really enjoyed Beowulf too. It was way way better than I was expecting, although I have seen Christopher Lamberts offering before, so anything would be better really. Alot of people have complained about the differences between this version and the epic story but I thought the additions to the story i.e. Beowulf not being the perfect hero but being a flawed man, were really interesting...

My one complaint was the Grendal... What a p***y. He whinged like a b***h while he was alive, then got into a fight, SHRUNK after having his arm ripped off? WTF? and then the animators gave him no C--k  and B-lls - no wonder he was p**sed off!! I would be too!

Will defo buy this on DVD tho. Am also planning on watching 'Beowulf and Grendal' (2005) with Gerard Butler as Beowulf. Looks interesting.

Other than that I gave up on the Saw movies after Saw 3. That was enough.

Haven't seen the others.

[ER]

I haven't yet had the honor of seeing Beowulf, but I'll get around to it: maybe a little faster now. A friend is obsessed with the video game version of that movie. Loves it more than popcorn and hot and cold running water, I tell ya.

The Tudors I did see, and enjoyed very much. Looking forward to watching season two one of these days.

I haven't seen the other films you mentioned but since the Charles I one didn't show Cromwell with three 6's on his head, well, how good can it actually be? ;-)

I'm ducking!

[indianasmith]

I don't know what's worse . . . the Irish with Cromwell or the Cherokee with Andrew Jackson!!!!

Can you say "Whipping Boy"??????

[ER]

Duuuuuuude, the man canceled Christmas! He was like the Grinch, only less green and with sterner posture!

[indianasmith]

True, but he also laid down in English law forever the idea that no one, not even the King, is above the law.  The very idea of trying a King for "treason against the people" not only redefined the whole idea of treason, it redefined government itself!  Locke's compact theory was a practical derivitive of what Cromwell had already established in (admittedly bloody) practice.