Is It Really That Bad ? Grendel

Summertime, the perfect time to have barbecues, drink beer and pick flowers naked along the highway. You see, here in Sweden we love to pick flowers naked next to the highway. Why there ? Because you can find so many wonderful flowers, and you can also wave to all the cars. A perfect way to welcome everyone to the highway with a happy body language. Of course, summer is a great time to look at some films you have not seen, especially if we are talking about bad movies. I remember in the summer of 2001, when i watched Urban Legend: Final Cut for the first time. Since i enjoyed the original movie from 1998, of course i had to rent the sequel, and oh boy it was a mess. It may not be the worst sequel ever made, but Urban Legend: Final Cut either feels fun, or feels frightening. This is the only film that director John Ottman has ever directed, and i can understand why. I like his work as a Composer on films such as Hide And Seek, and of course on X-Men. But it would have been interesting to know why he decided to direct this sequel ? I am guessing he got paid enough to accept the offer. Let´s stay within the year of 2001, i believe this was also the year when i first watched the comedy Hanging Up, with Lisa Kudrow, Meg Ryan and Diane Keaton. I still remember my reaction to this film, what did i just watch ? I know this is a film made for women especially, but not even my younger sister would watch this film, and it is not hard to understand why. Hanging Up is a comedy that tries to be funny, but fails with too many clichés and too predictable characters. Since i pick a title for each time of my segment Is It Really That Bad ? i came across a film called Grendel, released in 2007. A film that tells the legendary story of Beowulf, with actor Chris Bruno in the lead role. Is it possible that this film is a masterpiece, or is this as bad as a lot of critics have said it is ?

King Higlack ( Harry Anichkin ) of the Gauths entrusts Prince Finn ( Charles Hittinger ), and legendary slayer Beowulf ( Chris Bruno ) to kill the beast Grendel with a unique fire weapon. They lead twelve men on a mission to help King Hrothgar of the Danes ( Ben Carson ), who is terrorized by the undefeated beast Grendel. But the mission will be more difficult than expected, when Beowulf and his men find out King Hrothgar have kept gruesome secrets. 

If you are looking for terrible acting, bad CGI and awful dialogue, you have come to the right  place. Grendel is a TV movie that is as bad as you might have expected, but actually becomes a fun film to watch on pizza and beer night. Because this film is so bad, you can´t take anything seriously. So to see Beowulf fight monsters and fight soldiers, is really silly but still entertaining from an unplugged brain view. Does this mean i enjoyed this film ? No, not to recommend to anyone. The only reason you would watch a film like this is if you want to laugh, at a very cheap version of the story of Beowulf. Wait a minute, maybe main actor Chris Bruno ( who is actually good in the TV series The Twilight Zone ) is amazing as Beowulf ? Honestly, no. He may fit into his outfit, but from an acting perspective he does not deliver a performance you will remember. If you are a Star Trek fan, then you might recognize the name Marina Sirtis. She is also in this film as Queen Wealhtheow, but she does not do much to help this film. I will say though her dialogue is so bad, it is funny to see her look serious. Legendary actor Ben Carson ( who you might remember from Excorcist: The Beginning ) is actually the best character in this film, as King Hrothgar. Not that he delivers a powerful performance, but he may be the only character who actually tries to act. One of the things you notice pretty quickly is how bad the monster Grendel look. Remember the 2013 horror movie Mama ? Imagine her, mixed up with a steroid pumped werewolf and you have the monster you always wanted to see. Director Nick Lyon have directed a lot of B movies in the past, includingthe 2011 film Zombie Apocalypse that i actually enjoyed. Grendel is not a film he will be remembered for. But if you want to see a bad film with friends, i suggest you get a DVD copy of Grendel, just for a good laugh. Maybe director Robert Zemeckis animated film version of Beowulf is not that bad after all.

Rating: DD