300 is undoubtedly the most refreshing film in Gerard Butler’s catalog. Reputed for firing weapons and throwing punches, the actor comes out all ripped, angry, and ready to cut off enemy heads in the Zack Snyder film. Leading a thin army of 300 Spartans into battle against the Persian "God-King" Xerxes’ 300,000 soldiers was no easy feat for King Leonidas and Butler makes us feel the character’s frustration and anxiety throughout. This, and the movie’s high-octane battle sequences, made the Warner Bros. production a global hit.
- Release Date
- September 14, 2005
- Director
- Sturla Gunnarsson
- Cast
- Gerard Butler , Spencer Wilding , Stellan Skarsgård , Ingvar E. Sigurðsson , Hringur Ingvarsson , Gunnar Eyjólfsson , Tony Curran , Philip Whitchurch , Ronan Vibert , Rory McCann , Martin Delaney , Ólafur Darri Ólafsson , Steinunn Ólína Þorsteinsdóttir , Sarah Polley , Eddie Marsan , Gísli Örn Garðarsson
- Runtime
- 103 Minutes
The historical action film made a whopping $456 million at the box office, and today, it continues to be a favorite pick on any streaming service it lands on. At the moment, fans have even more reasons to smile, since a prequel series is reported to be in development at Warner Bros Discovery, with Zack Snyder still in charge.
Still, it’ll take at least a year before that particular production happens and as the wait continues, fans can stream the underrated Beowulf & Grendel starring Gerard Butler, since it’s quite similar to the Snyder film.
Beowulf & Grendel Expands a Popular Anglo-Saxon Epic Poem
Directed by Icelandic-Canadian director Sturla Gunnarsson, Beowulf & Grendel borrows its plot from the Old English epic poem of anonymous authorship, Beowulf. The iconic piece of literature has been adapted numerous times, and when it comes to cinema, the 2007 version starring Anthony Hopkins, Angelina Jolie, and John Malkovich, is the most familiar. However, Gunnarsson and Butler’s work recounts the oft-filmed tale with a form of graphic intensity that other adaptations can't match andis preferable for anyone who not only knows how the story goes but also happens to be looking for something different.
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Like the source material, the film follows Beowulf — a hero of the Germanic tribe known as the Geats — as he comes to the aid of the Danish king, Hrothgar,whose mead hall (known as Heorot) has been under attack by the monster Grendel for more than a dozen years. Beowulf thus slays Grendel, forcing the monster’s mother to seek revenge. Gunnarsson’s film goes a step further by introducing four new characters (Grendel's father, Grendel's son, a witch named Selma, and Father Brendan). Consequently, several new plot points exist.
Like 300, Beowulf & Grendel Has a David vs. Goliath Narrative
300 searingly depicts the “war to end all wars” from the weaker side. Taking George Miller’s novel as a starting point, Snyder and his talented crew create a devastatingly poignant tale of a small group’s attempts to rise against the grim realities of oppression by simply relying on hope, ambition, and bravery.
The odds are clearly against King Leonidas and his men. Though the Spartans are well-trained, they are overwhelmingly outnumbered by Xerxes’ warriors. They put up a hard fight and even though they are all killed in the end, they technically don’t lose the war. Their sacrifice inspires all of Greece to unite against their common enemy.
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Such dynamics also play out in Beowulf & Grendel, a timeless film that blends mythology and monster movie mayhem, resulting in something spooky enough to excite adults without causing kids sleepless nights. Here, the Danes outnumber Grendel and his family, but he proves to be too strong, hence the need for a superior hero like Beowulf to step up and offer assistance.
Fans of 300, are, therefore, likely to enjoy Beowulf & Grendel, not only because it has Gerard Butler in the lead role, but also because it has a similar story, albeit with different stakes.
Beowulf & Grendel’s Visuals and Action Sequences Feel More Natural
In 300, Zack Snyder gave a masterclass in the use of green screen. According to the Los Angeles Times, only one scene, in which horses run across the countryside, was shot outdoors. Was this a bad approach? Not at all. Despite the CGI artifice, the characters and events achieve impressive realism, and the initial oddity of the plot gradually morphs into something more engaging. The visuals are amazing, and everything looks and feels as if it was lifted out of George Miller’s graphic novel from which the story was adapted.
Beowulf & Grendel 's look is also neat. Although we get long, uncut takes, the movie never feels static thanks to the screenplay's dexterity as well as naturalistic lighting and a rueful score. Rather than computerized color-shading, fantasy, and wonder are achieved through makeup, props, and sheer on-set inventiveness.
For the most part, the camera also hovers at Butler’s shoulder height, and we experience the brutality and indifference of these ancient lands from his point of view. The result is a work of genius, a striking and dreamlike masterpiece sure to captivate the inner mythology buff in us all.
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Filming was reportedly done in Iceland, providing many panoramic views of that country's beautiful landscape. Fans are also likely to appreciate the film more after learning about the development hell that plagued it and the harsh conditions the director and the actors endured.
As revealed in the 2006 award-winning documentary, Wrath of the Gods. The actors were forced to film in autumn when the weather conditions were worse, and at some point, there were so many unfortunate events that everyone started believing the film had been cursed by the gods. Before the start of production, Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson, the high priest of the Icelandic Ásatrú Association, was hired to perform a pagan blessing on the movie, and minutes later, a cast member tripped and hit his head on a rock. Later, another cast member tripped and fractured two rib bones.
Was the movie made against the wishes of the gods? That’s a reach. For 102 minutes of pure, primeval cinema, board Beowulf and Grendel.
Beowulf and Grendel
is available to stream in the US on Prime Video.
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