Spoiler: The whole fighting Grendel naked thing is lifted directly from the source. In the original poem Beowulf reasoned that Grendel, as a beast, would not use any weapons or armour. So to make it a fair fight, he decided not to use any either.
So whether you think it's stupid or not, you really can't blame Zemeckis for that.
The biggest risk taken in terms of story and deviating from the source material was Spoiler: Grendel's mother. In the original poem, she was just a demon that Beowulf killed; he was really more the epic hero type. Having her as a sort of temptress was an... interesting interpretation, to say the least..
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I wake up in the morning more tired than before I slept
I get through cryin' and I'm sadder than before I wept
I get through thinkin' now, and the thoughts have left my head
I get through speakin' and I can't remember, not a word that I said
- Ben Harper, Show Me A Little Shame
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