History YMMV / Beowulf

** To the Anglo-Saxons, Beowulf would be a perfect hero, representing all that the Anglo-Saxons stand for. To modern readers, Beowulf can come off as a selfish, arrogant person who perpetually seeks fame.

* FamilyUnfriendlyAesop: Stories of heroism are basically lies told in order to cover up questionable or outright shitty behavior, and by the time you realize you shouldn't have told the story in the first place, you'll be too old and filled with regret for it to matter. This isn't entirely untrue - see Plato's Republic for more on the dangers of "true" heroic stories - but it may be a BrokenAesop as well, considering the film ends with Beowulf tearing the heart out of a dragon with his bare hands.

* ValuesDissonance: To the Anglo-Saxons, Beowulf would be a perfect hero, representing all that the Anglo-Saxons stand for. To modern readers, Beowulf can come off as a selfish, arrogant person who perpetually seeks fame.
** Although the text repeatedly conveys that Beowulf's defeat of Grendel was a noble act, the description of the scene is so bone-crunchingly brutal that it makes Beowulf look downright sadistic. You almost feel sorry for Grendel.
** This is part of the reason that more people are making Grendel a DracoInLeatherPants in modern times. The mere fact that Grendel is a descendant of [[Literature/TheBible Cain]] would've struck most Anglo-Saxons as reason enough for Grendel to be deserving of his miserable life in the swamp- to a modern reader, punishing someone for their ancestor's deeds just comes across as petty.

* Narm: Naked Beowulf, and the SceneryCensor the animators employ to hide his penis. It's hard to find a critic who didn't compare this to ''AustinPowers''.

* ValuesDissonance: To the Anglo-Saxons, Beowulf would be a perfect hero, representing all that the Anglo-Saxons stand for. To modern readers, Beowulf would probably come off as a selfish, arrogant person who perpetually seeks fame.

** This is part of the reason that more people are making Grendel a DracoInLeatherPants in modern times. The mere fact that Grendel is a descendant of [[TheBible Cain]] would've struck most Anglo-Saxons as reason enough for Grendel to be deserving of his miserable life in the swamp- to a modern reader, punishing someone for their ancestor's deeds just comes across as petty.

* NightmareFuel: As Grendel's Mother lays Grendel's body to rest, she is humming and quietly sobbing. Eventually the humming degenerates into an utterly blood-curdling shriek that echoes throughout the mountains. Grendel's Mother is the original MamaBear in Anglo-Saxon folklore, and a viewer knows then and there that she is ''pissed beyond all reason and is coming for revenge''.

* WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds: Grendel comes over as this. He just has hypersensitive hearing and the feasts at the great hall therefore cause him pain. When he starts his rampages, he comes over as a crying child throwing a (very bloody) tantrum.

* IdiotPlot / WhatAnIdiot: (seemingly done intentionally) Beowulf himself, Hrothgar, and possibly any of the past Kings who were seduced by Grendel's Mother. The basic conflict of the movie could've been avoided if any of the men had simply told the kingdom what Grendel's mother truly was ''immediately after rejecting her advances and offers''. The men apparently had already done enough noble/heroic deeds to be worthy of being monarchs. If not, then they could've done more noble/heroic deeds without consorting with that witch.
** Furthermore, even with the possibility that she would kill the men if they rejected her right there and then, there's no reason they needed to reject her ''to her face''. Since the would-be kings were already willing to lie to anyone, it should've been to Grendel's Mother, by pretending to consort with her (even if it means sex with a demonic witch). Then they'd safely return to Herot and warn the people of the witch and (if needed mentioned) her possible new son. Everyone would most certainly leave that land, praying the demons/witches don't follow, and the would-be kings might've been congratulated/rewarded for warning the people.

** Furthermore, even with the possibility that she would kill the men if they rejected her right there and then, there's no reason they needed to reject her ''to her face''. Since the would-be kings were already willing to lie to anyone, it should've been to Grendel's Mother, by pretending to consort with her (even if it means sex with a demonic witch). Then they'd safely return to Herot and warn the people of the witch and (if needed mentioned) her possible new son. Everyone would most certainly leave that land, praying Grendel's mother doesn't follow, and the would-be kings might've been congratulated/rewarded for warning the people.

** Furthermore, even with the possibility that she would kill the men if they rejected her right there and then, there's no reason they needed to reject her ''to her face''. Since the would-be kings were already willing to lie to anyone, it should've been Grendel's Mother, by pretending to consort with her (even if it means having sex with a demonic witch). Then they'd safely return to Herot and warn the people of the witch and (if needed mentioned) her possible new son. Everyone would most certainly leave that land, praying Grendel's mother doesn't follow, and the would-be kings might've been congratulated/rewarded for warning the people.

** Furthermore, even with the possibility that she would kill the men if they rejected her right there and then, there's no reason they needed to reject her ''to her face''. Since the kings were already willing to lie to anyone, it should've been Grendel's Mother, by pretending to consort with her (even if it means having sex with a demonic witch). Then they'd safely return to Herot and warn the people of the witch and (if needed mentioned) her possible new son. Everyone would most certainly leave that land, praying Grendel's mother doesn't follow, and the "kings" could've been congratulated/rewarded for warning the people.

** Furthermore, even with the possibility that she would kill the men if they rejected her right there and then, there's no reason they needed to reject her ''to her face''. If the men were already willing to lie to anyone, it should've been Grendel's Mother, by pretending to consort with her (even if it means having sex with a demonic witch). Then they'd safely return to Herot and warn the people of the witch and (if needed mentioned) her possible new son. Everyone would most certainly leave that land, praying Grendel's mother doesn't follow, and the "kings" could've been congratulated/rewarded for warning the people.

* IdiotPlot / WhatAnIdiot: (seemingly done intentionally) Beowulf himself, Hrothgar, and possibly any of the past Kings who were seduced by Grendel's Mother. The basic conflict of the movie could've been avoided if any of the men had simply told the kingdom what Grendel's mother truly was ''immediately after rejecting her advances and offers''. The men apparently had already done enough noble/heroic deeds to be worthy of being monarchs. If not, then they could've done more noble/heroic deeds without consorting with that witch.

* IdiotPlot / WhatAnIdiot: (seemingly done intentionally) Beowulf himself, Hrothgar, and possibly any of the past Kings who were seduced by Grendel's Mother. The basic conflict of the movie could have been avoided if any of the men had simply told the kingdom what Grendel's mother truly was ''immediately after rejecting her advances and offers''. The men apparently had already done enough noble/heroic deeds to be worthy of being monarchs. If not, then they could've done more noble/heroic deeds without consorting with that witch.

* AlasPoorVillain: Grendel.

** Although the text repeatedly conveys that Beowulf's defeat of Grendel was a noble act, the description of the scene is so bone-crunchingly brutal that it makes Beowulf look downright sadistic. You almost feel sorry for Grendel, despite him already having been established as a CompleteMonster.

* TheyChangedItNowItSucks