This very amusing and philosophically rich animated film from Australia is based on John Gardner's book Grendel in which he attempted to bring the Beowulf saga to life for contemporary audiences. Writer and director Alexander Stitt believes that over the course of history, monsters have served as vital incarnations of human fears and fantasies.
Grendel is a 12-foot high, green and spotty beast who lives in an underground Scandinavian cave, circa 515 A.D. He's a philosophical giant given to random journeys in the kingdom of King Hrothgar. Although Grendel eats a few people from time to time, he's really obsessed with ideas such as destiny, guilt, and love. When neither of the King's two right-hand men can rid the woods of "the Great Boogy," Hrothgar summons Beowulf from England to slay the beast.
Alexander Stitt has dome a marvelous job bringing this epic to the screen. Peter Ustinov (Grendel), Keith Mitchell (Beowulf), and Arthur Dignam (King Hrothgar) provide the voices for the main characters. The animation is clever and sophisticated. Grendel Grendel Grendel is lively entertainment for those looking for something special in their monthly film going jaunts.