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Beowulf Book Review
Summary ratings: 3 stars
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Published: December 15, 2007
The movie begins in the 507 A.D. Denmark. The famed mead hall, Heorot, is overflowing with music and wine, as a sure sign of the happy rule of king Hrothgar (starring Anthony Hopkins) and his young and beautiful queen Wealheow (starring Robin Wright Penn). Beyond the warmth and merriment of the Heorot and beyond the ice-covered fens lived the dreaded monster Grendel (starring Crispin Glover) and its mother in their watery den. In contrast to the goodness and happy spirit of the Heorot is the sinister air prevailing in the den of Grendel and his mother (starring Angelina Jolie). Unable to bear the joy prevailing in Hrothgar's kingdom, which is represented by the jubilant Heorot, Grendel attacks the warrior denizens of the mead hall night after night making a shamble of the fragile utopia.
King Hrothgar announces half the gold in his kingdom to the man who can get rid of the menace of Grendel. Several warriors tries their hand for killing the monster but none succeeds. Thus the great mead hall, Heorot was shut down in mourning and the Danes were plunged in sorrow and despair.
Then one fine morning the Geatish warrior Beowulf (starring Ray Winstone) along with his band of warriors arrives from across the seas accepting the challenge of putting an end to the national terror of the Danes i.e., Grendel. To Beowulf, it is more of a matter of "glory than gold" the need to kill the monster that was terrorizing the Danes. Amidst the celebrations following the arrival of the great hero Beowulf, Grendel ones again whacks open the giant door of Heorot, but in the ensuing fight Beowulf kills Grendel. King Hrothgar soon reveals to his queen that he himself was the father of Grendel.
The Danes were quick to celebrate the death of the monster, but the celebrations were abruptly cut short at the mead hall by the unexpected arrival of yet another monster, that is the mother of Grendel who has come to avenge the death of her son. The bereaved mother kills all except one of the warriors who had arrived along with Beowulf from across the seas.
An enraged Beowulf takes the fight to the lair of Grendel's mother instead of waiting for the monster to come to the mead hall. But unexpectedly, at the den, Beowulf comes under the charm of the female monster, who seduces the great hero into fathering her a son. For the first time, Beowulf reveals his human frailty of first succumbing to the enchanting beauty of Grendel's mother and secondly by lying to Hrothgar and the Danes that he had indeed killed Grendel's mother. A happy Hrothgar not only gives his kingdom to Beowulf but also his lovely wife Wealtheow.
Years took their toll since Beowulf had assumed his role as the king along with his newfound wife Wealtheow as his queen. But the secret sin of his past begins to haunt the great warrior in his old age, in the form of a giant flying dragon that began to wreck destruction in his kingdom and palace. The aging warrior soon finds that the dragon monster is his own illegitimate son whom he had begotten to Grendel's mother, long ago. Beowulf decides to make amends for the iniquity that he committed in his youth and sets out to kill the dragon monster. So once again, he goes out armed towards the fen where he had once been seduced by the Grendel's mother. There he not only finds the female monster but her son whom Beowulf pursues and kills. In the mortal fight Beowulf too falls to his death along with the flying monster.
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