Beowulf & Grendel

"Icelandic-shot version of the legendary revenge saga is visually arresting and plausibly retrofitted for modern consumption, but lacks the savage bite that might have given the sixth century-set tale real impact..."

"With all the mystery and meaning sucked from the story, the filmmakers do what filmmakers often do when faced with their own lack of imagination: they toss a little sex in with the violence..."

"The accents, the dialogue and the ribald tone is all over the place in this Icelandic production of cosmopolitan cast. Think Monty Python meets The Lord of the Rings somewhere cold, coastal and scenic - in this case the wilds of Iceland which, visually, more than make up for a fantasy film eschewing computer effects or decent makeup for its lead hairy beastie..."

"Gunnarsson's film ultimately lacks the grandeur and wit necessary to make the legend fully come alive. Still, the film does offer certain kicks to those who like their action films infused with fantastical elements and benefits greatly from its highly effective lead performances..."

"A muscular, ardently naturalistic retelling of the ninth-century Anglo-Saxon saga..."