History WesternAnimation / Beowulf2007

* FreezeFrameBonus: The mother's natural form can be briefly seen in the ceiling, hiding among the treasure, when Beowulf walks into he lair.

* NightmareFetishist: Beowulf's hidden side. He is attracted to beautiful creatures, which is shown by [[Spoiler:the mermaid and exploited by Grendel's mother.]]

* NoNameGiven: Just as in the poem, neither Grendel's mother or the dragon are named, they're only referred to as 'Grendel's mother' and 'dragon'. The novelization of the film even implies Grendel's mother has forgotten her own name; it explains the ancient men that worshipped her called her Hertha, Nerthus or Njördr, names of heathen goddesses, but it adds that none of them was her true name and she was no goddess. Otherwise, she is just referred to as the "merewife", "demon wife" or "aglaeca" (a real term from the poem whose meaning is a headache for modern linguists).

* SuperNotDrowningSkills: Thanks to his seaside upbringing, Beowulf is undoubtedly a great diver, possibly to an inhuman degree if he actually [[Spoiler:made love to the mermaid while underwater all the time.]]

* WhamLine: While speaking privately with Beowulf after the latter returns from the cave, Hrothgar him if he really killed Grendel's mother. When Beowulf starts again about how he fought the hag, Hrothgar has this to say:

** Beowulf instructs this "Keep a memory of me, not as a king or a hero; but as a man: fallible and flawed." However after he dies, Wiglaf and Wealthow both intend to have him remembered as a great hero.

* CuteMonsterGirl: Grendel's mother, as well as the mermaid.

** Beowulf's story about his encounter with sea monsters has him claim that one of said monsters pulled him underwater, but he instantly killed it in retaliation, thus explaining why he lost the swimming race he was participating in. However, this story reveals his status as an UnreliableNarrator, because [[spoiler:that "monster" was in fact a beautiful mermaid, with whom Beowulf apparently had sex. This foreshadows how Grendel's mom later seduces him, as well as his attempt to cover up what really happened.]]

* NightmareFetishist: Beowulf's hidden side. He is attracted to beautiful creatures, which is shown by the mermaid and exploited by Grendel's mother.

* SuperNotDrowningSkills: Thanks to his seaside upbringing, Beowulf is undoubtedly a great diver, possibly to an inhuman degree if he actually made love to the mermaid while underwater all the time.

** The video game lets Beowolf keep all of his clothes in his battles against Grendel and his mother.

* ArtisticLicenseLinguistics: Beowolf's insignia is a wolf, obviously corresponding to his name, at least the second half. But his full name actually translates as "bee wolf", a kenning meaning "''bear''" (because bears hunt for honey), such a tradition being relatively common these days.

* SeanConneryIsAboutToShootYou: The movie poster.

* BodyHorror: Grendel has patches of golden skin, but otherwise shed much of it and parts of the inside of his body are visible. His skull and body are also hideously malformed, giving him the appearance of a giant zombie. [[OverlyLongGag And he has no cock.]]

* {{Gainaxing}}/JigglePhysics: The maid, Yrsa, seems to have had quite a lot of care taken to make sure her large tracts of land sway and move realistically. Almost makes you wonder if they used motion capture on those as well.

* HornyDevils: Grendel's mother, considering she is called a Water Demon.

* TruerToTheText: The video game adaptation of the film has Beowulf rip Grendel's arm with his bare hands like the original poem and that is the only part of the game that follows the poem.

* OurDemonsAreDifferent: The Demons (Grendel, His Mom and the Dragon) in this movie, are reptilian shapeshifters whose base forms look huamnoid and their battle look draconic.

* EveryoneHasStandards: Beowulf exploits this on Finn of Frisia. After Finn loses the battle he led against King Beowulf, Finn demands a fight with Beowulf. Beowulf disarms himself and strips his armor, daring Finn to plant an axe in his chest. Finn threatens to kill Beowulf but ultimately can’t bring himself to murder an unarmed man [[DeathSeeker begging to be slaughtered]].
** Not to mention Beowulf's utter disgust at his men taking their sweet time beating up Finn of Frisia, chastise them and order to kill him quickly, so he may die with honor.

* OnlySaneMan: Wiglaf is this compared to Beowulf and his former group of warriors. He is the only one who took the preparation for Grendel seriously, as he also played a pivotal role in Grendel's defeat. It is no wonder Beowulf [[spoiler:chose Wiglaf to be his successor as king]].

** Not to mention Beowulf's utter disgust at his men taking their sweet time beating up Finn of Frisia, chastising them for doing so and order to kill him quickly, so he may die with honor.

* TrueCompanions: Beowulf and his right-hand man Wiglaf are always together even in combat, and it is their teamwork that ultimately defeats Grendel. When Beowulf is about to face the dragon, he makes sure to tell Wiglaf and that should he perish, he will succeed him as king, that's how much Beowulf trust Wiglaf. [[spoiler:In the end, it comes to fruition.]]

* TrueCompanions: Beowulf and Wiglaf are essentially this. Always together even in combat, it was their teamwork that ultimately defeated Grendel. Wiglaf would even become Beowulf's right-hand man during his reign as king. When Beowulf was about to face the dragon, he made sure to tell Wiglaf and that should he perish, he will succeed him as king, that's how much Beowulf trust Wiglaf. [[spoiler:In the end, it comes to fruition.]]

* CombatParkour: Beowulf defeats Grendel by using his mobility, agility and knowledge of the environment to defeat Grendel in the mead hall.

* AchillesHeel:
** Beowulf's men attempt to [[AttackItsWeakPoint hack Grendel's head off or stab him in the balls]], but Grendel has a hard head and no testicles. Then when Beowulf realises that loud noises hurt Grendel's exposed ear drum, he starts [[ScreamingWarrior bellowing as loudly as he can]] and then stabs the ear drum, causing Grendel to flee in agony.
** Averted with Grendel's mother--Beowulf is warned to keep her on land, away from the water from which she draws her power, but he gets DistractedByTheSexy.

** Beowulf first kills sea serpents by stabbing them in their large eye.
** He later notices Grendel's reaction to sounds and his large exposed eardrum, and smashes it bloody with his fist to take most of the fight out of him.

* AchillesHeel: When Beowulf realises that loud noises hurt Grendel's exposed ear drum, he starts [[ScreamingWarrior bellowing as loudly as he can]]. Averted with Grendel's mother--Beowulf is warned to keep her away from the water from which she draws her power, but he gets DistractedByTheSexy.

* AmbiguousEnding: At the end of the film, [[spoiler:Grendel's mother looks at Wiglaf seductively, likely enticing him to give her a son like Hrothgar and start the cycle again. Depending of how do you interpret Wiglaf's expression, he might be considering to accept her offer, pondering about the tragedy, or expressing a subtle rage towards her. The novelization has him doing the three things before ultimately refusing, although it shows Grendel's mother smiling at the thought she might get her goal sooner or later]].

* HereWeGoAgain: After Beowulf's viking funeral, King Wiglaf sees Grendel's mother beckoning to him from the sea. He wades into the water holding the dragon horn but then stops, so [[AmbiguousEnding we don't know if he surrendered to temptation or was smart enough to learn from Beowulf's experience]].

* AchillesHeel: When Beowulf realises that loud noises hurt Grendel's exposed ear drum, he starts [[ScreamingWarrior bellowing as loudly as he can]]. Averted with Grendel's mother--Beowulf is warned to keep her away from the water from which she draws her strength, but he gets DistractedByTheSexy.

* AchillesHeel: When Beowulf realises that loud noises hurt Grendel's exposed ear drum, he starts [[ScreamingWarrior bellowing as loudly as he can]]. Averted with Grendel's mother--Beowulf is warned to keep her away from the water from which she draws her strength, but he gets DistractedByTheSexy.

* ScreamingWarrior: Weaponized; when Beowulf realises that loud noises hurt Grendal's exposed ear drum, he starts bellowing as loudly as he can.

* SpareAMessenger: Beowulf tells his men to give the SoleSurvivor of a Frisian raiding party a gold piece and send him home to add to his legend.