Spectacular animated action scenes turn the ancient epic poem Beowulf into a modern fantasy movie; while motion-capture technology transforms plump actor Ray Winstone (Sexy Beast) into a burly Nordic warrior. When a Danish kingdom is threatened by the monster Grendel (voiced and physicalized by Crispin Glover; River's Edge); Beowulf--lured by the promise of heroic glory--comes to rescue them. He succeeds; but falls prey to the seductive power of Grendel's mother; played by Angelina Jolie... and as Jolie's pneumatically animated form rises from an underground lagoon with demon-claw high heels; it becomes clear that we're leaving the original epic far; far behind. Regrettably; the motion-capture process has made only modest improvements since The Polar Express; while the characters' eyes no longer look so flat and zombie-like; their faces remain inexpressive and movements are still wooden. As a result; the most effective sequences feature wildly animated battles and the most vivid character is Grendel; whose grotesqueness ends up making him far more sympathetic than any of the mannequin-like human beings. The meant-to-be-titillating images of a naked Jolie resemble an inflatable doll more than a living; breathing woman (or succubus; as the case may be). But the fights--particularly Grendel's initial assault on the celebration hut--pop with lushly animated gore and violence. Also featuring the CGI-muffled talents of Anthony Hopkins (Silence of the Lambs); Robin Wright Penn (The Princess Bride); and John Malkovich (Dangerous Liaisons). --Bret Fetzer