The centuries-old tale of heroic warrior Beowulf is transformed from tedious homework reading assignment into an entertaining animated fantasy courtesy of acclaimed director Robert Zemeckis. Assembling a real-world cast, Zemeckis utilizes live action motion-capture combined with computer animation to create an ancient, dream-like world. His second foray into such groundbreaking territory following his previous collaboration with Tom Hanks on The Polar Express, the movie is a stunning piece of work.

A Danish kingdom—cursed and terrorized by a grotesque monster—finds its prayers answered when legendary Beowulf and his legion arrive to destroy the creature. Secrets and ignoble deception temporarily ease the suffering, as Beowulf succumbs to evil temptation in trade for power and riches. He becomes the conquering king of the land, growing old and discontent in his glory. When his dishonest past returns to haunt him, he must prove himself in spite of his legend, and vanquish the darkness that led him astray so long ago.

An action-packed morality tale, Beowulf is an exciting spectacle to behold. Digital-enhancement colors the flesh-and-blood performances, illustrating the potential of this new and unexplored cinematic method. But the presentation is not so stylized as to smother the traditional aspects of expert filmmaking. Zemeckis’ vision is itself enhanced by Neil Gaiman and Roger Avary’s streamlined screenplay adaptation of the unwieldy epic poem. The creative work behind the cameras is equaled in every way by the men and women in front of them.

Middle-aged Ray Winstone’s youthful and energetic take as the title hero commands attention throughout in a hybrid performance that rivals that of Andy Serkis in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings and King Kong. Anthony Hopkins, Robin Wright Penn, John Malkovich, and even Angelina Jolie lend deft support through the duration. But it is certainly the eccentric character actor Crispin Glover who leaves the most lasting impression as the gruesome Grendel—an abstract and pitiful abomination that serves as a symbol of sin incarnate.

Walter Simpkins is Senior Writer of www.featurefilmreview.com. Please e-mail comments to him at walter(@)featurefilmreview.com.