I...Am... Beowulf!

Why? Why? Why? Why can't anyone make a movie about Beowulf that is simply the story of Beowulf? Why must it always be some "take" or "real story of"? Of course it's not only Beowulf, but any old legend or myth, that must be stamped with a "personal vision" or "modern twist" before it can be made into a film. The SciFi Channel is rife with such tripe. Perhaps King Arthur is the worst victim of this syndrome; perhaps the best attempt has been Boorman's Excalibur, but there is yet to be a decent straight out telling.

The latest telling of Beowulf was scripted by Neil Gaiman, from whom I might have hoped for a better effort, but though I find his writing for novels and comics admirable, he seems to be singularly unfortunate in the movies he pens (Stardust, anyone?). Okay, the movie was okay, but it wasn't Beowulf.

Anyhoo, when I went to Hastings Saturday, I saw this figure had gone down to $8, and that was just in my price range. It is a remarkable sculpt of a Dark Age Northern warrior, authentic in details of armor and weaponry. The main drawback is of course in it's posture, which gives it limited posability, but great display presence. It comes with a base and the Dragon Cup, which I must admit was the accessory that sold it for me.