I can only come up with two reasons: 1) it allows greater interaction between the characters and an all-CG environment and 2) it allows for real 3D in a fantasy setting.

In “Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow” we’re introduced to CG everything . . . except the actors. And though cartoons (including CG) will always be enjoyed, what’s the point of replacing humans with 2D images? This is especially true when humans are the ones actually delivering the performance. Go ahead and add all the special effects you want to make your battle scenes juicy, just don’t replace their eyes!

“A Skanner Darkly” made sense because the digital elements fit the feel and tone of the film. It was an artistic choice to enhance the impact of the medium. But “Beowulf” is striving for reality when they already have real people standing in front of the camera giving an amazing performance.

I hope actors won’t ever be completely replaced by digital thespians. Thankfully, unless an artifical intelligence is spawned who’s sole goal isn’t the destruction of mankind, but merely to win a Oscar . . . we can always be sure there will be a man behind the curtain. And that’s a comforting thought.