I went to see Beowulf in IMAX a couple weeks ago. It was ... well, it was big, that's for sure. This Hollywood blockbuster is very true to the original story all the way up to the part where it completely veers. It's like, pretend you're driving down a highway behind a tractor trailer and you're thinking to yourself, "That tractor trailer is doing exactly everything it should. The driver of that big rig is very good at what he does." And then all of a sudden, the tractor trailer plunges headfirst into a volcano. "That's odd," you think, "I don't remember there being a volcano here."

Yeah well, that's Hollywood for ya.

Beowulf is the classic tale of a hero, the likes of which the world has never seen. This guy is sheer muscle and brawn. When the gods look down on him, they think, "Why can't I be more like Beowulf?" That's not in the story, I'm just saying. Beowulf is pretty much the toughest dude you'll ever meet.

One day, this monster named Grendel goes and kills and eats a whole bunch of Danish King Hrothgar's men in the great hall of Heorot. These scenes are violent and bloody and, let's face it, pretty cool. Grendel is a terror that, it seems, no man or army of men can defeat. Heh. Not so fast...

Enter Beowulf, a hero from Geatland. He brings a small army with him over the seas to come and fight the beast. Beowulf is pretty much pride incarnate. If anyone was every a glory hound, Beowulf is it. He wants all the glory of all the world. And, it's no lie to say, he's also very full of himself. That's ok though, he has the resume to prove it. All his life, Beowulf has been killing monsters. Grendel, he assumes, will just be one more notch on his belt.

When he fights Grendel, Beowulf chooses to do so without weapons or armor. In fact, um, he, ehhh, kind of fights the monster wearing nothing but his birthday suit. Yikes.

Anywho, Grendel is just the beginning. After Bewoulf and Grendel have their massive fight, Beowulf has to go and meet, um, Angelina Jolie.

Yeah. Angelina Jolie plays Grendel's mother. And this is where the movie takes a turn for the bizarre. If you're looking for literary accuracy, walk out of the theater now because the film is about to drive itself right into a volcano.

It's cool though. It's entertaining. It's animation. It's Beowulf... kinda.

All told, I enjoyed the movie a lot. It was packed with plenty of action and gore and heaven knows I love me a good literary adaptation. Even if it is a little off the mark at times.

I highly recommend you see this movie in IMAX. Don't wait for the DVD to come out. The IMAX experience is killer. And you'll be missing out on some beautiful scenes if you do wait. IMAX has a way of taking you over. There's one scene in particular, where a hawk snatches up a rodent and flies off away from Heorot. The flight goes on for a few minutes and you start to feel as if you are the rodent trapped in it's claws. Neat-o.

If you have yet to read the original Beowulf, we have a three part Reader's Theater adaption of it here. Knock yourself out. It's really quite good. One of our freelance writers, Wim Coleman, did a fantastic job adapting it.

Oh, and just for a taste of what to expect at the movie, here is a preview. Enjoy.