201 reviews
A young Sarah Polly is swept on a grand storybook adventure when her father's theater is visited by the source of its drama; the real Baron himself (perfectly played by John Neville). The town is under siege by the Turks and only Munchausen and his band of curious adventurers can save it, so long as Death or a doctor doesn't catch him.
Terry Gilliam, having hit his stride with the 1984-and-a-half classic Brazil, went on to fulfill his ultimate fantasy film with a great cast of actors (Jonathan Price included), beautifully detailed sets and costumes, and a very strange yarn of a tale indeed. Bit parts are filled out by Robin Williams, the late Oliver Reed (seen most recently as Proximo in Gladiator) serving up a fiery Vulcan - husband to a young (not to mention stunning) Uma Thurman as Venus.
A great deal of the magic that sparkled in Brazil seems to have been rekindled here, and while it may have been panned at the time of its release, time has treated it well. The effects have that pre-cg feeling that makes me warm and fuzzy inside, and while its a little slow to get started, it surprises around every turn.
Fans of Gilliam's work (and those who still possess that curious inner child) will find much to enjoy here - even if it is nothing more than wonderful nonsense.
Terry Gilliam, having hit his stride with the 1984-and-a-half classic Brazil, went on to fulfill his ultimate fantasy film with a great cast of actors (Jonathan Price included), beautifully detailed sets and costumes, and a very strange yarn of a tale indeed. Bit parts are filled out by Robin Williams, the late Oliver Reed (seen most recently as Proximo in Gladiator) serving up a fiery Vulcan - husband to a young (not to mention stunning) Uma Thurman as Venus.
A great deal of the magic that sparkled in Brazil seems to have been rekindled here, and while it may have been panned at the time of its release, time has treated it well. The effects have that pre-cg feeling that makes me warm and fuzzy inside, and while its a little slow to get started, it surprises around every turn.
Fans of Gilliam's work (and those who still possess that curious inner child) will find much to enjoy here - even if it is nothing more than wonderful nonsense.
Fantastic film based on classic film from German Film studio UFA titled Baron Munchausen (1943) by Josef Von Baky with Hans Alberts. It contains stunning visuals - it's a feast for the eyes- , imagination and strange roles . The tall Baron Munchausen (John Neville), each time united his horse Bucefalo , undertakers several adventures and feats . He's a tale-teller who is accompanied by his faithful companions , a group formed by odd and riveting characters as a little girl (Sarah Polley) , an idiot (Eric Idle) whose feet run faster than sound , a giant man and a dwarf . Munchausen assured that he has visited the Moon and meets the king (Robin Williams) , Venus (Valentina Cortese) , visited inside of the volcano of the Gods (Oliver Reed) and fallen for Venus . Later on , being swallowed into the belly of a gigantic wale . All of this stories are woven into the movie's axis tale , the siege of a European town , Vienna, by a Turkish army whose caliph (Peter Jeffreys) is after Munchausen's head .
This is an imaginative , glamorous , chaotic fantasy based on the wonderful trips carried out by Munchausen , though a little bit tedium too and paced in fits and starts . Marvelous special effects are visually stunning and magnificently realized with no computer generator . Slick narrative but often confused , proceeded in a circular pace by means of flashbacks that flow into the present from past time and never quite what they seem . Starring a considerable cast of top-names performers as John Neville , Jonathan Pryce ,Eric Idle , Sting and Uma Thurman and Sarah Polley , both of then practically unknown and nowadays prestigious actresses . Impressive sets and breathtaking production design , being filmed in Belchite (Spain) location where took place several hard combats during Spanish Civil War .This big-budgeted , under-appreciated film was a flop at the box office and panned by the critics ; however , today is best considered . Colorful and glimmer cinematography by Giuseppe Rotunno, Fellini's usual, and evocative musical score by Michael Kamen . The motion picture is imaginatively directed by Terry Gilliam , an expert on wonderful , surreal atmospheres ( Time bandits , Brazil , Fisher king , Doctor Parnasus). The film might be described as an extraordinary fantasy full of imagination and color . Rating : Good , better than average . Worthwhile watching .
This is an imaginative , glamorous , chaotic fantasy based on the wonderful trips carried out by Munchausen , though a little bit tedium too and paced in fits and starts . Marvelous special effects are visually stunning and magnificently realized with no computer generator . Slick narrative but often confused , proceeded in a circular pace by means of flashbacks that flow into the present from past time and never quite what they seem . Starring a considerable cast of top-names performers as John Neville , Jonathan Pryce ,Eric Idle , Sting and Uma Thurman and Sarah Polley , both of then practically unknown and nowadays prestigious actresses . Impressive sets and breathtaking production design , being filmed in Belchite (Spain) location where took place several hard combats during Spanish Civil War .This big-budgeted , under-appreciated film was a flop at the box office and panned by the critics ; however , today is best considered . Colorful and glimmer cinematography by Giuseppe Rotunno, Fellini's usual, and evocative musical score by Michael Kamen . The motion picture is imaginatively directed by Terry Gilliam , an expert on wonderful , surreal atmospheres ( Time bandits , Brazil , Fisher king , Doctor Parnasus). The film might be described as an extraordinary fantasy full of imagination and color . Rating : Good , better than average . Worthwhile watching .
"The Adventures of Baron Munchausen" has Terry Gilliam written all over it. The fantasy, the cleverness, and everything else. To me, the movie is looking at the challenge of distinguishing reality from fantasy, what with the possibility that the baron's stories just might be true. But whether or not they are, the movie is still really something. I personally think that Terry Gilliam has never gotten the credit that he deserves as a director (surely we have to agree that "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" was infinitely better than any Jean-Claude Van Damme movie).
Anyway, this is one movie that you're sure to like. Since I first saw it, John Neville has had some neat roles ("The X Files", "Urban Legend", "Sunshine"). Also starring Eric Idle, Sarah Polley, Oliver Reed, Jonathan Pryce, Uma Thurman and an uncredited Robin Williams.
Anyway, this is one movie that you're sure to like. Since I first saw it, John Neville has had some neat roles ("The X Files", "Urban Legend", "Sunshine"). Also starring Eric Idle, Sarah Polley, Oliver Reed, Jonathan Pryce, Uma Thurman and an uncredited Robin Williams.
- lee_eisenberg
- Jul 12, 2006
- Permalink
Wasn't feeling the very best today, but had to get on with it anyway, as you do, you know, and, when I finally got a chance to sit down in my own living room this afternoon who should come bursting thru the door but my 6 year old son and about 7 of his friends... JUST as this movie, which I've always adored, came on one of The SKY movie channels. I closed the living room curtains for cinematic effect and we all sat down and watched it. They were all entranced by it, even tho' some of them had seen it already.
I've seen "The Adventures of Baron von Munchausen" myself many times and it never fails to fascinate me. It goes a very long way to explain many things that are omnipresent in life (war, sex romance, childhood innocence, adult disillusionment) by illustrating, and somehow making real, well-known classical myths and fairy tales. Oliver Reed deserved some sort of award for his portrayal of the god Vulcan. I read that Sean Connery was slated for the part of King of The Moon but it HAD to be Robin Williams. Mork calling Orson indeed....
This is my first review in this forum and, therefore, I will not go on at great length except to say that viewing this movie again made me determined to state that my favourite movies are movies like "The Adventures of Baron von Munchausen", "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "Yellow Submarine". May you all develop a talent for living happily ever after!
I've seen "The Adventures of Baron von Munchausen" myself many times and it never fails to fascinate me. It goes a very long way to explain many things that are omnipresent in life (war, sex romance, childhood innocence, adult disillusionment) by illustrating, and somehow making real, well-known classical myths and fairy tales. Oliver Reed deserved some sort of award for his portrayal of the god Vulcan. I read that Sean Connery was slated for the part of King of The Moon but it HAD to be Robin Williams. Mork calling Orson indeed....
This is my first review in this forum and, therefore, I will not go on at great length except to say that viewing this movie again made me determined to state that my favourite movies are movies like "The Adventures of Baron von Munchausen", "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "Yellow Submarine". May you all develop a talent for living happily ever after!
What a lot of imagination and work has gone into this phantasmagoric tale of an 18th-century liar saving his city from an attack by the Turks. In his haste to be a hero, Munchausen takes us on trips around the world, under the sea, and to the moon. Everything seems cluttered, fast, headlong, thoroughly overacted.
The Munchuasen stories were originally used as fairy tales. Kids will enjoy the tempo and surprise of the present narrative but I suspect much of the humor will be over their heads.
I may be wrong. Do kids know that "Mayday" (from French "m'aidez") is a distress call? How about "cogito ergo sum" or the twisted varient used by Robin Williams as the King of the Moon: "Cogito ergo es", "I think, therefore you is"?
The kids -- especially boys approaching puberty -- will get one of the most memorable scenes: A clam shell opening to reveal a naked Uma Thurman as Botticelli's Venus.
The Munchuasen stories were originally used as fairy tales. Kids will enjoy the tempo and surprise of the present narrative but I suspect much of the humor will be over their heads.
I may be wrong. Do kids know that "Mayday" (from French "m'aidez") is a distress call? How about "cogito ergo sum" or the twisted varient used by Robin Williams as the King of the Moon: "Cogito ergo es", "I think, therefore you is"?
The kids -- especially boys approaching puberty -- will get one of the most memorable scenes: A clam shell opening to reveal a naked Uma Thurman as Botticelli's Venus.
- rmax304823
- Mar 30, 2018
- Permalink
This is NOT a movie for everyone. This is not a movie for people who want a fantasy plot... according to the rules of fantasy movies. This is a movie which has one great ambition and has ABSOLUTELY, TOTALLY, UTTERLY, FULLY, UNQUESTIONABLY fulfilled: to present the story of Baron Munchausen as the real one would have seen it. This is a great piece of visualization of the culture of 18th-century Enlightenment (did you notice that the bad guys all wore uniforms from the Napoleonic age - as a sign of when this great period of human cultural achievement finished?). It is a movie in which the sets and costumes are THE ESSENCE - the mechanical giant fish, Venus getting out of the pearl, the small amours with the pink garlands, the pinkish clouds, the two-dimensional buildings on the Moon, the separation of the head from the body, the exoticising of the "Grand Turk" - these are all correct reproductions of both the imagery from, and the topics relevant for, the Baroque period. IT IS success.
An account of Baron Munchausen (John Neville)'s supposed travels and fantastical experiences with his band of misfits.
Terry Gilliam is one of the strangest, yet most brilliant, directors working out there today. In this film, he completes what many call a trilogy, pointing to "Brazil" and "Time Bandits". In many ways, it suggests the later Gilliam film of "Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus".
Although the film was critically well-received, it was not successful commercial, due at least in part to the studio trying to kill the production. The cast also had generally bad experiences. Said Eric Idle, "Up until Munchausen, I'd always been very smart about Terry Gilliam films. You don't ever be in them. Go and see them by all means - but to be in them, madness!!!" Sarah Polley was not happy, either, and it is any wonder she continued acting.
Terry Gilliam is one of the strangest, yet most brilliant, directors working out there today. In this film, he completes what many call a trilogy, pointing to "Brazil" and "Time Bandits". In many ways, it suggests the later Gilliam film of "Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus".
Although the film was critically well-received, it was not successful commercial, due at least in part to the studio trying to kill the production. The cast also had generally bad experiences. Said Eric Idle, "Up until Munchausen, I'd always been very smart about Terry Gilliam films. You don't ever be in them. Go and see them by all means - but to be in them, madness!!!" Sarah Polley was not happy, either, and it is any wonder she continued acting.
A magical film about the power and importance of story telling and imagination. The creation of the ever fecund mind of Terry Gilliam, this may very well be my favorite movie (ah, but it is so very hard to choose). Filled with a spirit of adventure, and a deftness far too rare these days, it is the delightful tale of the adventurous life of Baron Munchausen. He is a hero of the grand old sort, a kind of 17th century James Bond.
Baron Munchausen has a knowledge of fine wines, is popular with the ladies, and is the finest soldier in the kingdom. He has a band of sidekicks (the fastest man, the strongest, one with amazing sight, another with amazing lungs and hearing) who assist him in fighting the Turks; traveling to meet the King of the Moon; falling into the center of the earth to meet Vulcan and Aphrodite; and playing cards with the Grim reaper, after being swallowed by an enormous monster-fish the size of an island.
Along the way Gilliam's wit skewers rationalism, science, realism, practicality and pragmatics. As much an explication of faith as a depiction of what makes life truly worth living, and what is worth dying for, I rent this again and again. It is only my own foolishness that has prevented me from purchasing a copy. Literally wonderful.
Watch for fabulous cameos from a whole host of unexpected people, including Robin Williams and Sting.
Baron Munchausen has a knowledge of fine wines, is popular with the ladies, and is the finest soldier in the kingdom. He has a band of sidekicks (the fastest man, the strongest, one with amazing sight, another with amazing lungs and hearing) who assist him in fighting the Turks; traveling to meet the King of the Moon; falling into the center of the earth to meet Vulcan and Aphrodite; and playing cards with the Grim reaper, after being swallowed by an enormous monster-fish the size of an island.
Along the way Gilliam's wit skewers rationalism, science, realism, practicality and pragmatics. As much an explication of faith as a depiction of what makes life truly worth living, and what is worth dying for, I rent this again and again. It is only my own foolishness that has prevented me from purchasing a copy. Literally wonderful.
Watch for fabulous cameos from a whole host of unexpected people, including Robin Williams and Sting.
- Phoenix-36
- Jan 25, 1999
- Permalink
If you've seen any other Terry Gilliam movie, you'll instantly realize "The Adventures of Baron Manchausen" represents his artistic vision at its most prominent - over-the-top sets, wacky larger-than-life characters, an absurd fantasy plot line rooted in children's tales (like the upcoming Gilliam film "The Brothers Grimm"), and so on and so forth.
I had heard some bad things about this film. For starters, it was so poorly received on initial release that Gilliam took a hiatus from film-making and was depressed enough that he didn't want to make another movie until "12 Monkeys" came along (this is chronicled in the excellent documentary, "The Hamster Factor," included on the "Monkeys" DVD). It went way over budget (I believe somewhere around $50 million altogether, a huge amount at the time) and flopped in theaters. It wasn't received well by critics or audiences.
Seen now, it fits nicely into Gilliam's vision as a director. It has ties to "Time Bandits," Monty Python (Eric Idle's in this as well), "Brazil" and even "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas." The plot is often overwhelmed by the visuals, but that happens with many fairytale stories - the story isn't as important as the world the characters are living in. Gilliam brings the world to life and it's a real shame a film as unique and daring as this took him out of film-making for seven years. (Granted, "The Fisher King" was made before "12 Monkeys," but it's the least Gilliam-ish of all his films - and ironically it remains his biggest hit at the box office.)
I had heard some bad things about this film. For starters, it was so poorly received on initial release that Gilliam took a hiatus from film-making and was depressed enough that he didn't want to make another movie until "12 Monkeys" came along (this is chronicled in the excellent documentary, "The Hamster Factor," included on the "Monkeys" DVD). It went way over budget (I believe somewhere around $50 million altogether, a huge amount at the time) and flopped in theaters. It wasn't received well by critics or audiences.
Seen now, it fits nicely into Gilliam's vision as a director. It has ties to "Time Bandits," Monty Python (Eric Idle's in this as well), "Brazil" and even "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas." The plot is often overwhelmed by the visuals, but that happens with many fairytale stories - the story isn't as important as the world the characters are living in. Gilliam brings the world to life and it's a real shame a film as unique and daring as this took him out of film-making for seven years. (Granted, "The Fisher King" was made before "12 Monkeys," but it's the least Gilliam-ish of all his films - and ironically it remains his biggest hit at the box office.)
- MovieAddict2016
- Aug 19, 2005
- Permalink
- domino1003
- Apr 24, 2004
- Permalink
Back in 1989 "The Adventures Of Baron Munchausen" was a $46 million production that totally bombed at the box office, making back only $8 million of its initial costs.
Well - Watching this elaborately staged comedy/adventure/fantasy film today (30 years later) - I really can't understand why it was such a dismal failure back then.
Directed by Terry Gilliam (in the Monty Python's style) - I found that this story about an 18th century German nobleman and adventurer (who was the greatest liar in the world) to be quite a visual treat with its many surreal, weird, and bizarre images and characters.
Yes. At times its story was clearly teetering on the ridiculous - But - Considering that this is a pre-CGI presentation - I, personally, recommend it to anyone who likes to watch some over-the-top cinematic eccentricity once in a while.
Well - Watching this elaborately staged comedy/adventure/fantasy film today (30 years later) - I really can't understand why it was such a dismal failure back then.
Directed by Terry Gilliam (in the Monty Python's style) - I found that this story about an 18th century German nobleman and adventurer (who was the greatest liar in the world) to be quite a visual treat with its many surreal, weird, and bizarre images and characters.
Yes. At times its story was clearly teetering on the ridiculous - But - Considering that this is a pre-CGI presentation - I, personally, recommend it to anyone who likes to watch some over-the-top cinematic eccentricity once in a while.
- StrictlyConfidential
- Jun 22, 2018
- Permalink
In the late Eighteenth Century, a European town is under siege of the Turkish army. Meanwhile, the theater company owned by Henry Salt (Bill Paterson) entertains the dwellers with the production of "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen". Out of the blue, an old man interrupts the presentation claiming that he is Hieronymus Karl Frederick Baron von Munchausen (John Neville) and he tells that he is the one to be blamed by the Turkish attack.
The Baron Munchausen tells how he had won a bet against the Sultan (Petter Jeffrey) with the abilities of his servants Berthold (Eric Idle); Adolphus (Charles McKeown}; Albrecht (Winston Dennis); and Gustavus (Jack Purvis) and earned his treasure. Further, he offers to help the locals against the Turks and builds a balloon to seek out his missing servants.
During his journey, he finds the girl Sally (Sarah Polley) hidden in the balloon and they travel to the moon, where they meet the deranged King of the Moon Roger (Robin Williams) with his detachable head, and his wife, the Queen of the Moon Ariadne (Valentina Cortese) that has a crush on the Baron. They are arrested by the jealous Roger and find Berthold in the cage, but Ariadne releases them. When they escape from the moon, they meet Adolphus working to Vulcan (Oliver Reed) inside a volcano. The Baron Munchausen seduces the gorgeous Vulcan's wife Venus (Uma Thurman) and the jealous god throws them in a whirlpool. They are swallowed by a monster and they meet Albrecht and Gustavus in a ship inside the monster. They escape and return to the town to help the people against the invaders. But they are very old and their abilities are gone.
"The Adventures of Baron Munchausen" is one of the most delightful, non- sense and visually stunning fantasies of cinema history. "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen" is also among my favorite books of my childhood and I first saw this film in the late 80's and then on VHS. I have just bought the imported DVD that surprisingly has Portuguese subtitles and today I have seen this film again.
Terry Gilliam directs with his peculiar surrealistic and ironic style and uses magnificent special effects for a 1988 film. It is amazing to realize that twenty-three years have passed since this film was released. The sweet Sarah Polley shows her talent with a great performance in one lead role. Uma Thurman is in the top of her eternal beauty. Robin Williams is an unknown actor and uncredited in the role of Roger, The King of the Moon. My vote is nine.
Title (Brazil): "As Aventuras do Barão de Münchausen" ("The Adventures of Baron Munchausen")
The Baron Munchausen tells how he had won a bet against the Sultan (Petter Jeffrey) with the abilities of his servants Berthold (Eric Idle); Adolphus (Charles McKeown}; Albrecht (Winston Dennis); and Gustavus (Jack Purvis) and earned his treasure. Further, he offers to help the locals against the Turks and builds a balloon to seek out his missing servants.
During his journey, he finds the girl Sally (Sarah Polley) hidden in the balloon and they travel to the moon, where they meet the deranged King of the Moon Roger (Robin Williams) with his detachable head, and his wife, the Queen of the Moon Ariadne (Valentina Cortese) that has a crush on the Baron. They are arrested by the jealous Roger and find Berthold in the cage, but Ariadne releases them. When they escape from the moon, they meet Adolphus working to Vulcan (Oliver Reed) inside a volcano. The Baron Munchausen seduces the gorgeous Vulcan's wife Venus (Uma Thurman) and the jealous god throws them in a whirlpool. They are swallowed by a monster and they meet Albrecht and Gustavus in a ship inside the monster. They escape and return to the town to help the people against the invaders. But they are very old and their abilities are gone.
"The Adventures of Baron Munchausen" is one of the most delightful, non- sense and visually stunning fantasies of cinema history. "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen" is also among my favorite books of my childhood and I first saw this film in the late 80's and then on VHS. I have just bought the imported DVD that surprisingly has Portuguese subtitles and today I have seen this film again.
Terry Gilliam directs with his peculiar surrealistic and ironic style and uses magnificent special effects for a 1988 film. It is amazing to realize that twenty-three years have passed since this film was released. The sweet Sarah Polley shows her talent with a great performance in one lead role. Uma Thurman is in the top of her eternal beauty. Robin Williams is an unknown actor and uncredited in the role of Roger, The King of the Moon. My vote is nine.
Title (Brazil): "As Aventuras do Barão de Münchausen" ("The Adventures of Baron Munchausen")
- claudio_carvalho
- Sep 6, 2011
- Permalink
`The Adventures of Baron Munchausen' is based upon the story of an eighteenth-century German nobleman who won himself a reputation as the world's greatest liar, constantly inventing tall tales of his exploits, each more incredible than the last. The film is set against the background of a mythical war between the Sultan of Turkey and a republican Mediterranean city-state, a sort of English-speaking Dubrovnik, and relates Munchausen's fantastic adventures while trying to lift the siege of the city.
The film was, of course, directed by Terry Gilliam of `Monty Python' fame, and the influence of that series is obvious. Like two of the Python films, `Monty Python and the Holy Grail' and `Life of Brian', it consists of a number of sketches strung together to form a loosely-connected narrative, set against a historical background. An even closer comparison, however, might be with Gilliam's Python animations, as the film relies less on verbal wit than either `Holy Grail' or `Brian' and more on surrealism and visual inventiveness. The plot is very loose and episodic, with each sketch depicting one of the many adventures of Munchausen and his four trusty servants, each of whom has a miraculous power, such as the ability to run from Constantinople to Vienna in an hour or the ability to shoot an apple from a tree several hundred miles away. In the course of their adventures the five friends, accompanied by Sally, a young girl who has befriended the Baron, fly to the moon and meet its king and queen, descend into a volcano and are swallowed by a huge fish.
Although the exact geographical location of the city is unclear, its location in time is made clear from the beginning:- `The 18th century. The Age of Reason. Wednesday'. This points us to what is to be the film's major theme- the contrast between reason on the one hand and the imagination on the other. Although the Turks are the enemy, the real villain of the film is not is the Sultan but rather the Right Ordinary Horatio Jackson, a high official in the government of the city who represents the unimaginative, overly rational attitude to life and who has no time for Munchausen, who represents the power of dreams and the imagination.
Tim Burton's recent film `Big Fish', which can be seen as a modern slant on the Munchausen story, also deals with this theme- the importance of the imagination, personified by a teller of tall tales, in a rationalistic, literal-minded world. Gilliam's film and Burton's are both highly visually imaginative, but in my view Burton's is the better of the two. The reason is that `Munchausen' is uneven in quality; parts of it are brilliant, but others tend to drag. The `King of the Moon' scenes are perhaps the best example of this. Robin Williams is often described as a great comic actor, but I normally find him at his best when his comic talents are used in the context of a predominantly serious film, such as `Good Morning Vietnam', `Dead Poet's Society' or `Patch Adams'. (The excellent `Mrs Doubtfire' may be considered an exception, but even here the film, amidst the laughter, had some serious points to make). When he acts in a pure comedy, such as `Club Paradise' or `The Birdcage' he can be more self-indulgent and less disciplined, and his rather tedious performance in `Munchausen' was a good example of this.
This unevenness is one of the risks of making a film with an episodic structure; such films can often be hit-and-miss affairs. Nevertheless, although "Munchausen" has its misses, it also has its hits. Jonathan Pryce makes a highly effective villain as the soulless bureaucrat Jackson. John Neville as Munchausen is an equally effective hero. Neville had had few major film roles before this one, made when he was in his sixties. (Munchausen and his servants are all presented as elderly and worried that their powers might be in decline). Particularly touching is his close friendship with young Sally, recalling a grandfather-granddaughter relationship. Imagination in this film is the faculty of the old and the very young- rationalism is the credo of the middle-aged Jackson- exemplifying the dictum that every generation rebels against its parents and makes common cause with its grandparents.
The original Baron Munchausen appears to have been a real character, whose supposed adventures were fictionalised (and no doubt exaggerated even further) by a writer named Rudolf Erich Raspe. (The eighteenth century was clearly not an age purely given over to reason, and surrealism evidently existed long before Andre Breton and Salvador Dali). Enough of the surreal lunacy of those tales (balloons made of women's underwear, a man travelling on a cannonball) has survived into the film to make it watchable, despite its weaknesses. 6/10.
The film was, of course, directed by Terry Gilliam of `Monty Python' fame, and the influence of that series is obvious. Like two of the Python films, `Monty Python and the Holy Grail' and `Life of Brian', it consists of a number of sketches strung together to form a loosely-connected narrative, set against a historical background. An even closer comparison, however, might be with Gilliam's Python animations, as the film relies less on verbal wit than either `Holy Grail' or `Brian' and more on surrealism and visual inventiveness. The plot is very loose and episodic, with each sketch depicting one of the many adventures of Munchausen and his four trusty servants, each of whom has a miraculous power, such as the ability to run from Constantinople to Vienna in an hour or the ability to shoot an apple from a tree several hundred miles away. In the course of their adventures the five friends, accompanied by Sally, a young girl who has befriended the Baron, fly to the moon and meet its king and queen, descend into a volcano and are swallowed by a huge fish.
Although the exact geographical location of the city is unclear, its location in time is made clear from the beginning:- `The 18th century. The Age of Reason. Wednesday'. This points us to what is to be the film's major theme- the contrast between reason on the one hand and the imagination on the other. Although the Turks are the enemy, the real villain of the film is not is the Sultan but rather the Right Ordinary Horatio Jackson, a high official in the government of the city who represents the unimaginative, overly rational attitude to life and who has no time for Munchausen, who represents the power of dreams and the imagination.
Tim Burton's recent film `Big Fish', which can be seen as a modern slant on the Munchausen story, also deals with this theme- the importance of the imagination, personified by a teller of tall tales, in a rationalistic, literal-minded world. Gilliam's film and Burton's are both highly visually imaginative, but in my view Burton's is the better of the two. The reason is that `Munchausen' is uneven in quality; parts of it are brilliant, but others tend to drag. The `King of the Moon' scenes are perhaps the best example of this. Robin Williams is often described as a great comic actor, but I normally find him at his best when his comic talents are used in the context of a predominantly serious film, such as `Good Morning Vietnam', `Dead Poet's Society' or `Patch Adams'. (The excellent `Mrs Doubtfire' may be considered an exception, but even here the film, amidst the laughter, had some serious points to make). When he acts in a pure comedy, such as `Club Paradise' or `The Birdcage' he can be more self-indulgent and less disciplined, and his rather tedious performance in `Munchausen' was a good example of this.
This unevenness is one of the risks of making a film with an episodic structure; such films can often be hit-and-miss affairs. Nevertheless, although "Munchausen" has its misses, it also has its hits. Jonathan Pryce makes a highly effective villain as the soulless bureaucrat Jackson. John Neville as Munchausen is an equally effective hero. Neville had had few major film roles before this one, made when he was in his sixties. (Munchausen and his servants are all presented as elderly and worried that their powers might be in decline). Particularly touching is his close friendship with young Sally, recalling a grandfather-granddaughter relationship. Imagination in this film is the faculty of the old and the very young- rationalism is the credo of the middle-aged Jackson- exemplifying the dictum that every generation rebels against its parents and makes common cause with its grandparents.
The original Baron Munchausen appears to have been a real character, whose supposed adventures were fictionalised (and no doubt exaggerated even further) by a writer named Rudolf Erich Raspe. (The eighteenth century was clearly not an age purely given over to reason, and surrealism evidently existed long before Andre Breton and Salvador Dali). Enough of the surreal lunacy of those tales (balloons made of women's underwear, a man travelling on a cannonball) has survived into the film to make it watchable, despite its weaknesses. 6/10.
- JamesHitchcock
- Apr 9, 2004
- Permalink
When I read the reviews by the critics of this film, I wondered if we had seen the same movie. There seems to be a fear when a great artist presents something that doesn't work, that critics are afraid to criticize it because they may reveal their ignorance. Picasso is probably the greatest example of this effect.
The same thing seems to have happened with Baron Munchausen. It is big, the cinematography is first-rate, the production values and the actors are all first rate, but the film itself is impossible to follow. I have always been a big Terry Gilliam fan, and this was one of my biggest disappointments in a film I was sure would be brilliant.
There were several very basic and fixable things wrong with this film. The first is that not everyone is familiar with the Baron Munchausen story. The script should have introduced us to the character and made us familiar with why he is a pathological liar who believes his own tall tales. Secondly, Neville, the actor who played the title role, never had acted in a movie before, and here he acts exactly as if he is on stage, complete with warbling old-age stage voice. Third, Gilliam lost track of what should have been the core interest of the film; the relationship between the hopelessly muddled old man and the little girl who cares about him despite his fabrications. Instead, that gets lost, and we lose the only thread of the story we care about.
Possible Spoilers: The point where we leave reality and enter his tall tales is not made clear, and the fact that the little girl inhabits his tall tales as he tells them, makes it even more confusing and muddled to the viewer. We don't know where we are, and if that is what the director intended, it is a mistake. After a while the audience gets disconnected from the film and we stop caring, because we get tired of being confused.
The characters of the dwarf with sharp hearing, the world's strongest man, Eric Idle as the world's fastest man, and the guy who can see around the world are all superfluous. We don't know who they are other than their powers, what their relationship is with the pathological Munchausen, and why we should care about them. There is an absolutely tedious scene where Eric Idle does a silly dance to confuse Hephaestus (the god of fire) so Munchausen can escape, that goes on and on. The scene has absolutely no purpose and isn't funny, even tho Idle puts everything into it. It's painful to watch, and feels insulting to the audience to believe an Olympic god is going to be "tricked" this way.
This movie reminds me very much of Yellowbeard, in the amount of great talent that is wasted. Gilliam told some pretty tall tales himself to get the movie made, misleading the studios into how much it would cost, then kvetched at length about having to cut down the script. What he should have done was bitten the bullet, swallowed his pride, and had a coherent rewrite done of the script. In this case, less expense, less visuals, and tighter writing would have been much more. The ending makes no sense and will leave the viewer with the full sense of confusion the rest of the movie induced. It will also leave the viewer with the correct sense that they have just wasted well over two hours of their time, waiting for a satisfying conclusion that makes sense of the preceding two hours.
As expensive as this movie was to make, and as much as I admire Gilliam, I can't recommend this movie; it is tedious and headache-inducing, and repeated viewings don't help clear up gaps in the story. You also will not care about a single character in it.
Buy the book "Losing the Light" about the debacle of the making of this film. It is much more gripping, enthralling and fun to read than this movie is to see. In it, Gilliam comes through, unfortunately, as a man done in by his own perceived cleverness and hubris (and deliberate deception, which almost destroyed one company, the completion bond company, after costing it millions), and you will understand why this movie is not more successful than it is. The definitive Munchausen story, for those that care about this character, is still waiting to be made; however, after this $50,000,000 movie, it is doubtful another one about Munchausen will be!
The same thing seems to have happened with Baron Munchausen. It is big, the cinematography is first-rate, the production values and the actors are all first rate, but the film itself is impossible to follow. I have always been a big Terry Gilliam fan, and this was one of my biggest disappointments in a film I was sure would be brilliant.
There were several very basic and fixable things wrong with this film. The first is that not everyone is familiar with the Baron Munchausen story. The script should have introduced us to the character and made us familiar with why he is a pathological liar who believes his own tall tales. Secondly, Neville, the actor who played the title role, never had acted in a movie before, and here he acts exactly as if he is on stage, complete with warbling old-age stage voice. Third, Gilliam lost track of what should have been the core interest of the film; the relationship between the hopelessly muddled old man and the little girl who cares about him despite his fabrications. Instead, that gets lost, and we lose the only thread of the story we care about.
Possible Spoilers: The point where we leave reality and enter his tall tales is not made clear, and the fact that the little girl inhabits his tall tales as he tells them, makes it even more confusing and muddled to the viewer. We don't know where we are, and if that is what the director intended, it is a mistake. After a while the audience gets disconnected from the film and we stop caring, because we get tired of being confused.
The characters of the dwarf with sharp hearing, the world's strongest man, Eric Idle as the world's fastest man, and the guy who can see around the world are all superfluous. We don't know who they are other than their powers, what their relationship is with the pathological Munchausen, and why we should care about them. There is an absolutely tedious scene where Eric Idle does a silly dance to confuse Hephaestus (the god of fire) so Munchausen can escape, that goes on and on. The scene has absolutely no purpose and isn't funny, even tho Idle puts everything into it. It's painful to watch, and feels insulting to the audience to believe an Olympic god is going to be "tricked" this way.
This movie reminds me very much of Yellowbeard, in the amount of great talent that is wasted. Gilliam told some pretty tall tales himself to get the movie made, misleading the studios into how much it would cost, then kvetched at length about having to cut down the script. What he should have done was bitten the bullet, swallowed his pride, and had a coherent rewrite done of the script. In this case, less expense, less visuals, and tighter writing would have been much more. The ending makes no sense and will leave the viewer with the full sense of confusion the rest of the movie induced. It will also leave the viewer with the correct sense that they have just wasted well over two hours of their time, waiting for a satisfying conclusion that makes sense of the preceding two hours.
As expensive as this movie was to make, and as much as I admire Gilliam, I can't recommend this movie; it is tedious and headache-inducing, and repeated viewings don't help clear up gaps in the story. You also will not care about a single character in it.
Buy the book "Losing the Light" about the debacle of the making of this film. It is much more gripping, enthralling and fun to read than this movie is to see. In it, Gilliam comes through, unfortunately, as a man done in by his own perceived cleverness and hubris (and deliberate deception, which almost destroyed one company, the completion bond company, after costing it millions), and you will understand why this movie is not more successful than it is. The definitive Munchausen story, for those that care about this character, is still waiting to be made; however, after this $50,000,000 movie, it is doubtful another one about Munchausen will be!
- mercuryix-1
- Jan 6, 2008
- Permalink
And all the other fantasy market driven flicks to come out in recent years at the time of this writing, there was Gilliam's take on Munchausen.
Though the miniature effects by today's standards might seem rather primitive, the scope and scale of the film, combined with some exceptional and exquisite art direction and acting, create an incredible visual tapestry. Unknown to much of the audience at the time, Gilliam's film was to be the future of movies in terms of genre and character exposition. I and an acquaintance of mine at the time were hopeful that "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen" would succeed, because then it would open the doors for other "superhero" films, and push story telling to its limits. But, that was back in 1989, and the boom that we anticipated took some fifteen years to take off. Well, at least our careers weren't riding on that hedge... but I digress.
The other aspect of this film, as I was reminded of on the IMDb BBS, is that the story itself is a blend of both an old Russian tale, "The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship", and Rupert Raspe's take on Baron Munchausen's tall tales. In short, without divulging facts of either sets of fables, the Baron, as originally portrayed, was just a little too robust, and the Russian tale offers a chance to splinter the Baron's self aggrandizement.
Some facts you won't find in the film; Baron Munchausen was a real man, and liked to "brag" about himself (to put it mildly). He actually fought for the Turks, being a German mercenary for hire. He claimed to have all kinds of amazing abilities with a gentleman's character (even having visited Royalty as well as the U.S. and the president in the white-house), but was more or less simply a soldier of fortune.
Gilliam's film, in this vein, pays homage to Munchausen, real and fictional alike by playing fast and loose with the "facts" of his dual existence. In this way it's a pleasant ride, and the sets and locations are incredible to look at.
Critiques; there's a couple of miniature shots that bug me--in particular the ballroom dancing sequence. I'm sure it was a difficult shot to get, but some articulation of the models was really a must to sell this sequence. Using a process shot for the closeups kind of added to the destruction of the illusion. Putting the actors on a scissor's life, and shooting them against the actual set would've served the production better, and probably saved money (a must for this production). Also, it's a tragedy the moon sequence, as originally envisioned, wasn't realized. Were left with two actors to carry that sequence, instead of the highly populated kingdom as described in the actual tales.
The new DVD is a blessing. The colors and details of the film are far richer than the original DVD release. The colors are vibrant and rich in luminosity. They accentuate the late 18th century visual thrust that this film is attempting to deliver. On top of that the overall level of visual information has been enhanced from both initial DVD and VHS releases. One can almost feel the texture of the clothes and clouds as they scroll and undulate across the screen. A definite plus.
A very fine film that predates superhero and fantasy genres by almost a couple of decades. As I stated earlier, some of the SFX may not hold, but the overall scope of the film should prove more than a counterweight to this, and give to the viewer an emotional and visual effulgent experience.
WARNING; it's not a film for everyone. As a family film it skirts the edges of PG and PG-13 territory, and the far-out nature of the film may be a bit too existential for some adults to absorb. Still, I liked it very much.
Enjoy :-)
Though the miniature effects by today's standards might seem rather primitive, the scope and scale of the film, combined with some exceptional and exquisite art direction and acting, create an incredible visual tapestry. Unknown to much of the audience at the time, Gilliam's film was to be the future of movies in terms of genre and character exposition. I and an acquaintance of mine at the time were hopeful that "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen" would succeed, because then it would open the doors for other "superhero" films, and push story telling to its limits. But, that was back in 1989, and the boom that we anticipated took some fifteen years to take off. Well, at least our careers weren't riding on that hedge... but I digress.
The other aspect of this film, as I was reminded of on the IMDb BBS, is that the story itself is a blend of both an old Russian tale, "The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship", and Rupert Raspe's take on Baron Munchausen's tall tales. In short, without divulging facts of either sets of fables, the Baron, as originally portrayed, was just a little too robust, and the Russian tale offers a chance to splinter the Baron's self aggrandizement.
Some facts you won't find in the film; Baron Munchausen was a real man, and liked to "brag" about himself (to put it mildly). He actually fought for the Turks, being a German mercenary for hire. He claimed to have all kinds of amazing abilities with a gentleman's character (even having visited Royalty as well as the U.S. and the president in the white-house), but was more or less simply a soldier of fortune.
Gilliam's film, in this vein, pays homage to Munchausen, real and fictional alike by playing fast and loose with the "facts" of his dual existence. In this way it's a pleasant ride, and the sets and locations are incredible to look at.
Critiques; there's a couple of miniature shots that bug me--in particular the ballroom dancing sequence. I'm sure it was a difficult shot to get, but some articulation of the models was really a must to sell this sequence. Using a process shot for the closeups kind of added to the destruction of the illusion. Putting the actors on a scissor's life, and shooting them against the actual set would've served the production better, and probably saved money (a must for this production). Also, it's a tragedy the moon sequence, as originally envisioned, wasn't realized. Were left with two actors to carry that sequence, instead of the highly populated kingdom as described in the actual tales.
The new DVD is a blessing. The colors and details of the film are far richer than the original DVD release. The colors are vibrant and rich in luminosity. They accentuate the late 18th century visual thrust that this film is attempting to deliver. On top of that the overall level of visual information has been enhanced from both initial DVD and VHS releases. One can almost feel the texture of the clothes and clouds as they scroll and undulate across the screen. A definite plus.
A very fine film that predates superhero and fantasy genres by almost a couple of decades. As I stated earlier, some of the SFX may not hold, but the overall scope of the film should prove more than a counterweight to this, and give to the viewer an emotional and visual effulgent experience.
WARNING; it's not a film for everyone. As a family film it skirts the edges of PG and PG-13 territory, and the far-out nature of the film may be a bit too existential for some adults to absorb. Still, I liked it very much.
Enjoy :-)
Terry Gilliam stands out as a true auteur. His wit and injection of satire into his work has made him one of my favorite writer/directors. In his films he often portrays a highly structured society that is cold and pedantic, stifling freedom and imagination. In Baron Munchausen, he uses an enormous budget from Columbia Pictures to create a vivid adventure in the "late 18th century" during the "Age of Reason". Seemingly disdainful about this designation, he once again satirizes government and society, its cruelness, pettiness, and vanity, and the apparent loss of imagination to "logic and reason".
The story is highly fantastical and absurd, with an adventurer, Baron Munchausen, traveling the world in search of his old crew to end a war that he started long ago. Along the way he will go to the Moon and talk to the moon king, whose unique dichotomy of animalistic instinct and intellectual aspiration satirize the powerful. He will fall inside a volcano, meet the God Vulcan and the Goddess Venus, and later get swallowed up by a giant fish. This may sound great, and it certainly is. The reason this movie is not a 10/10, however, is due to some unfortunate weaknesses throughout. Though the scenery and special effects can be quite dazzling, and the sardonic humor amusing, this film lacks any real clarity or purpose, and the sheer madness can be tedious. At two and a half hours, it is also long. I found myself watching amused, but not engaged, all the way to the end; an ending which left me even more uncertain as to exactly what I had just seen. Great for the inner child, though you might want to keep away from real children as sexual content, poignant images (such as a man with his eyes sewn shut), and numerous beheadings might be disturbing to young ones.
The story is highly fantastical and absurd, with an adventurer, Baron Munchausen, traveling the world in search of his old crew to end a war that he started long ago. Along the way he will go to the Moon and talk to the moon king, whose unique dichotomy of animalistic instinct and intellectual aspiration satirize the powerful. He will fall inside a volcano, meet the God Vulcan and the Goddess Venus, and later get swallowed up by a giant fish. This may sound great, and it certainly is. The reason this movie is not a 10/10, however, is due to some unfortunate weaknesses throughout. Though the scenery and special effects can be quite dazzling, and the sardonic humor amusing, this film lacks any real clarity or purpose, and the sheer madness can be tedious. At two and a half hours, it is also long. I found myself watching amused, but not engaged, all the way to the end; an ending which left me even more uncertain as to exactly what I had just seen. Great for the inner child, though you might want to keep away from real children as sexual content, poignant images (such as a man with his eyes sewn shut), and numerous beheadings might be disturbing to young ones.
- theowinthrop
- Apr 1, 2006
- Permalink
The cast and direction in this movie are awesome. The music is great. A movie suitable for most ages.
Comedy, drama and action.
One of Gilliam's best in my opinion.
Comedy, drama and action.
One of Gilliam's best in my opinion.
- Dodge-Zombie
- Jul 2, 2022
- Permalink
My kids, who are great Monty Python fans found this movie at the library. Thinking that I knew about all the successful Monty Python related movies I figured that this movie must have been a sleeper. I was greatly surprised by the movie.
In my opinion this movie was much better than Time Bandits. Time Bandits was weak mainly because of the weak (or non-existent) ending. This movie had a much better conclusion. Plus, this movie also had a very strong thread running through the movie, without hitting you over the head with it.
I also enjoyed the literary references and Robin Williams as the king of the Moon. My favorite reference was when Venus came out of the giant clam. It reminded me of Kilgore Trout's "Venus on the Half Shell." (Kurt Vonegut). That was a very nice touch.
In my opinion this movie was much better than Time Bandits. Time Bandits was weak mainly because of the weak (or non-existent) ending. This movie had a much better conclusion. Plus, this movie also had a very strong thread running through the movie, without hitting you over the head with it.
I also enjoyed the literary references and Robin Williams as the king of the Moon. My favorite reference was when Venus came out of the giant clam. It reminded me of Kilgore Trout's "Venus on the Half Shell." (Kurt Vonegut). That was a very nice touch.
- dr_forbush
- Jul 11, 2004
- Permalink
Although The Adventures Of Baron Munchausen went spectacularly over budget and drowned miserably at the box office the film in its after life of syndication and video distribution hasn't done all that bad for director Terry Gilliam. It's a different kind of Munchausen than the one that Dr. Goebbels produced for Nazi Germany during the height of World War II. That one was pure fantasy, this one has a lot of belly laughs which one would expect from a pair of Monty Python troupe graduates like Eric Idle and Terry Gilliam.
Cast as the fabulous German aristocrat and teller of tall tales is John Neville who I first encountered and best remember as the Duke Of Marlborough in The First Churchills. He's as aristocratic as Marlborough as Munchausen, but plays it tongue in cheek with the ever present twinkle in the eye.
You won't see my parent's Munchausen here. I refer of course to the famous radio show done by vaudeville dialect comedian Jack Pearl who told those tall tales to the listening audience and when getting a bit too outrageous and questioned by the announcer would give the ever ready answer, "vas you dere Charlie".
Kids of all ages might like Neville's version. As for the adults what's not to like about Uma Thurman as the goddess of love Venus. The adults will definitely rent this DVD for her.
Cast as the fabulous German aristocrat and teller of tall tales is John Neville who I first encountered and best remember as the Duke Of Marlborough in The First Churchills. He's as aristocratic as Marlborough as Munchausen, but plays it tongue in cheek with the ever present twinkle in the eye.
You won't see my parent's Munchausen here. I refer of course to the famous radio show done by vaudeville dialect comedian Jack Pearl who told those tall tales to the listening audience and when getting a bit too outrageous and questioned by the announcer would give the ever ready answer, "vas you dere Charlie".
Kids of all ages might like Neville's version. As for the adults what's not to like about Uma Thurman as the goddess of love Venus. The adults will definitely rent this DVD for her.
- bkoganbing
- Mar 12, 2016
- Permalink
This has to be one of my favourite films ever, I'll admit it's not the greatest work of art ever made and to be honest it never tries to be. I get very annoyed with these armchair film experts who think just because they've sat on their backsides for twenty years, neglecting everything except their expanding waist lines feel they have a god given right to pass judgement on a great film maker's hard work. I've made films and let me tell you EXPERTS out their it's the hardest thing you could ever undertake, harder even than getting off your butts and getting some exercise.
Baron Munchausen is in my opinion a visionary masterpiece, like Brazil and Time Bandits its pure escapism, but intelligent python-Esq escapism. I sat down recently and watched all three films with my girlfriend, (not in one night) and was dismayed when she started yawning and checking her watch every five minutes. I think I've come to a conclusion why......
Munchausen is a film that people with an imagination will enjoy, but if sadly your a member of the Ally Mcbeal, lets go shopping watch American Pie and wear what every other moron wears generation, you won't get this film. Mainly because Gilliam is far more intelligent than you, both in his use of visual metaphors and sexual innuendo but also in the fact as a director he thinks of things even Tim Burton would be jealous of.
Okay the film tales off towards the end, but after to been subjected to such a rich bombardment of visual genius can you blame Terry for being tired.
9 out of 10 And my favourite bit is when Eric Idle chases the bullet!!!!! GENIUS!!!
Baron Munchausen is in my opinion a visionary masterpiece, like Brazil and Time Bandits its pure escapism, but intelligent python-Esq escapism. I sat down recently and watched all three films with my girlfriend, (not in one night) and was dismayed when she started yawning and checking her watch every five minutes. I think I've come to a conclusion why......
Munchausen is a film that people with an imagination will enjoy, but if sadly your a member of the Ally Mcbeal, lets go shopping watch American Pie and wear what every other moron wears generation, you won't get this film. Mainly because Gilliam is far more intelligent than you, both in his use of visual metaphors and sexual innuendo but also in the fact as a director he thinks of things even Tim Burton would be jealous of.
Okay the film tales off towards the end, but after to been subjected to such a rich bombardment of visual genius can you blame Terry for being tired.
9 out of 10 And my favourite bit is when Eric Idle chases the bullet!!!!! GENIUS!!!
The original Baron Munchausen is a fictional character created by Rudolf Erich Raspe in the late 18th century, loosely based on the real life baron, Hieronymus Karl Friedrich, Freiherr von Münchhausen. The character was one of the most popular pop culture icons of his day, if you can use such terms to describe him.
And then one of the most outlandish directors of our time, Terry Gilliam, got a hold of him, and the rest is history. Gilliam, originally of Monty Python fame, is an eclectic director of the weird, whose movies are always almost immediately recognizable due to their unique imagery, elaborate sets and odd manners of speech and story-telling.
Likewise here. I'd almost call this pairing of source material and director as fated in heaven. Munchausen is very much a larger-than-life character. He lives in the realms of excess, in the realm of fantasy and make-belief. Very much the realm where Terry Gilliam spends most of his days.
It also helps that the film is breathtakingly beautiful. The sets are elaborate and detailed, the costumes are lavish, the lines of dialogue are heavily sprinkled with childlike wonder and the whole tale simply goes from one unbelievable situation to another.
That being said, the film can be off-putting in how often it jumps from one subject matter to another. Plus the framing story happening in the theater is a bit lacking when compared to the actual adventures. Then again, both these things fit Baron Munchausen very well indeed, so one cannot exactly complain.
Very good film. I'd even call it one of Terry Gilliam's best. An innovative blast with oozes of content, imagination, imagery and whimsy. Very easily recommended.
And then one of the most outlandish directors of our time, Terry Gilliam, got a hold of him, and the rest is history. Gilliam, originally of Monty Python fame, is an eclectic director of the weird, whose movies are always almost immediately recognizable due to their unique imagery, elaborate sets and odd manners of speech and story-telling.
Likewise here. I'd almost call this pairing of source material and director as fated in heaven. Munchausen is very much a larger-than-life character. He lives in the realms of excess, in the realm of fantasy and make-belief. Very much the realm where Terry Gilliam spends most of his days.
It also helps that the film is breathtakingly beautiful. The sets are elaborate and detailed, the costumes are lavish, the lines of dialogue are heavily sprinkled with childlike wonder and the whole tale simply goes from one unbelievable situation to another.
That being said, the film can be off-putting in how often it jumps from one subject matter to another. Plus the framing story happening in the theater is a bit lacking when compared to the actual adventures. Then again, both these things fit Baron Munchausen very well indeed, so one cannot exactly complain.
Very good film. I'd even call it one of Terry Gilliam's best. An innovative blast with oozes of content, imagination, imagery and whimsy. Very easily recommended.
- Vartiainen
- Oct 20, 2019
- Permalink
This fantasy, directed by Terry Gilliam, is full of wonderment and adventure. Seldom is a film so immersive that a viewers disbelief is not suspended, but expelled. The film is an adventure that mocks logic and common sense to glorify the romance of imagination. Imagine your child self gained knowledge, but remained passionate, naive, and light of heart; that is the essence of this film. The film Follows Baron Munchausen as he recounts his larger than life adventures that led to the current misfortune of the nation which his audience members hail. The baron must undertake one last quest to gather his old gaggle of super-human friends and save the day. Can he defeat the turks, his own cynicism, and death itself? I don't see why not, after all, anything is possible.
This Terry Gilliam directed movie is a visual masterpiece. With stunning cinematography, costumes and make-up, together with great casting for cameos, such as Robin Williams as The King of the Moon, and Uma Thurman as The Goddess Venus, this is a visually pleasing and well acted movie.
The only place where this movie really falls down is in the script, it attempts to be a comedy, but there are few laugh out loud moments, it attempts to be an adventure, but there are few truly exciting incidents.
Nevertheless, the acting, special effects, and costumes easily manage to keep this movie from drowning.
A pleasure for the eyes, if not for the pulse.
The only place where this movie really falls down is in the script, it attempts to be a comedy, but there are few laugh out loud moments, it attempts to be an adventure, but there are few truly exciting incidents.
Nevertheless, the acting, special effects, and costumes easily manage to keep this movie from drowning.
A pleasure for the eyes, if not for the pulse.