After much anticipation for the opening of “Beowulf,” I finally had the opportunity to enjoy it. Or rather, would have enjoyed it, had it lived up to even half my expectations. Instead, I was thoroughly disappointed.

Because I am a huge fan of the original epic poem, I was very excited for this movie to hit theaters. My disappointment began when I learned the movie was very different from the book. Of course there are always differences between a movie and the book it’s based on, however the differences here are not minor, and they hurt the overall experience. (Beowulf and Grendel’s mother do not have a dragon love child!)

As if changing the story wasn’t bad enough, the movie has a lot of nudity. I went to see a re-creation of a great piece of literature, not Beowulf and Grendel’s mother in this way. I could understand some, but not this much.

Though I was largely unimpressed, I have to admit it had its moments. The animation was stunning, and the fights were very exciting. This is one of the few movies where its 3-D animation impressed me.

Had this movie not been called “Beowulf,” I would have been more lenient in my review. Overall an okay movie, but I would not have spent the money to see it in the theater had I known. Wait for the DVD.