Truly Dreadful Film

Good start, but then it gets ruined

I have absolutely never seen anything like this movie before. You have to see this movie.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

This is an odd movie. It's clear right from the start that this is not a logical story and almost never for a second tries to tell you otherwise. With that said, while this might put people off... I quite enjoyed it. A theater is acting out the adventures of a Baron that... To say they're exaggerated looks to be an understatement and the real Baron walks in to correct it by making the stories even weirder. However Turks invade the town and he, along with the help of the theater manager's daughter try to get his old team back (each with unexplained super speed, strength and marksmanship) and defeat them, mainly because the baron had all his treasure after a bet. The Set design, the special effects... Wow! They really stand out as being pretty good. I have seen Sarah Polley in a few things and in here she's actually quite good. The entire cast is as well (with the kookiest performance being Robin Williams who's different levels of crazy depending on whether his head's attached). As an illogical story, this did suck me in quite a lot. If I was to name a complaint it would be around the end where they cut back to the theater, literally from that point on I was taken out of the story and never quite got back to it. The best way I can describe this is if you like stories like Alice In Wonderland or The Wizard Of Oz (I'll say specifically the book, considering it's weirder than the movie but I'll say the movie may apply as well) then this is that kind of a story.

Clocking in at just a littler over 2 hours, Baron Munchausen is a very visually imaginative film that takes a while to get going.The Adventures of Baron Munchausen focuses on the titular character who is a decrepit old man that has gone on to become a legend of sorts. He visits a theater inside of a city in the middle of a raging battle between some Europeans and the Turks. The Baron is eventually recognized by the citizens to be the legendary figure and they plead with him to get reinforcements. He decides to get his old gang back together with the help of a littler girl traveling all the way to the moon and even into the depths of a sea monster's belly. Like Terry Gilliam's other films Time Bandits and Brazil, Baron Munchausen is about escaping the shackles of reality through imagination. For Munchausen, those shackles are outliving his usefulness and the inevitability of death. The story is somewhat disjointed but what pulls it together is the charming cast, Gilliam's unique visual style and complex metaphors about life. The best way to describe this movie is if Gulliver's Travels and Alice in Wonderland got fused together in a blender. It's a delight for both the eyes and the mind.

This film, borne of years of frustration, cost overruns and production delays, is a marvel, true example of fantasy filmmaking at its best. The mind blowing production values are one-of-a-kind, its stellar cast, phenomenal. From John Neville in the title role to Eric Idle in yet another marvelous comic turn, make for extraordinary viewing. After years of watching it, I never tire of its wonderful story telling, of its unending visual richness. The only thing that disturbs me is why it was never given the acknowledgment or box office success it deserved, somehow delegated to the dustbin of "failed films," when it is in fact, a singularly great motion picture on every level. Rather than rehash its twisted turns and lush literary content, I can only say this: Watch it.

Gilliam must be the king of fantasy films, his filmography lists some true cults and this tale of tall stories is no exception. What I find fascinating about this film is the fact its actually based on a real person and what he actually claimed. An 18th Century German nobleman who spoke or boasted of his outrageous adventures whilst at war against the Ottoman Empire. Whether of not this chap was possibly a bit tipsy at time I don't know but its quite amazing to think this man made himself into a bit of a legend through these tall tales.The films plot starts off in the present day of the film and then briefly as a short story told by Munchausen himself. It then leads back into the present day of the film again and carries on as an adventure, presumably the same adventures adapted from the Barons own stories. In short we follow the Baron and a little girl as he goes off to find his close friends so he can then return to this unnamed European city and save them from the attacking Turks.Surreal isn't the word...or maybe it is, as this film is right out there with Gilliam's other bizarre fantasy worlds. Of course the film is based on the novels that recount the tall tales of the real man in question so I'm guessing that what we see is actually the real Munchausen's imagination and Gilliam has just recreated it, with some artistic license I'm sure. What is accurate to the source material I can't say as I have not read the books.So the main plot point is for Munchausen to find his four compadres who are scattered around in this bizarre universe. We follow the Baron as he travels to the Moon of all places, to the South China sea, the belly of a huge sea monster (familiar story line for fairy tales) and deep below the Earth in the realm of the Roman God Vulcan. A heavily character driven movie with each little venture being hosted by new outlandish people. I think most viewers may have forget that Robin Williams was in this film as the headless King of the Moon...and oh my is he annoying, yep its that old Williams routine that makes you wanna slap him. I guess he suits the crazy character but it just feels like the Robin Williams show.Another performance that felt a little weird was Oliver Reed as the God Vulcan. I'm not entirely sure Reed even knows he's in a film here, he plays the character as an oafish quick tempered stereotypical British northerner, whilst also coming across like a simpleton and a bit drunk, so that's just an aging Reed then. A young Uma Thurman portrays his wife Venus which stuns you because she was actually pretty back then, doesn't say much though.There are so many characters in this film I couldn't possibly go through them all. Pryce is the perfect choice as the snivelling city official, Eric Idle and Jack Purvis take to this extreme fantasy like a duck to water with all their previous fantasy film/Gilliam experience but its John Neville who steals the show as the Baron. For a start the makeup is brilliant and really captures those typical aristocratic features, they really nail the real life caricature of Munchausen. I also loved that old fashioned gentlemanly lordly performance by Neville, both dashing and flamboyant in his beautiful period attire, sword at his side, elegant facial hair and perfectly pompous wig. One could say a dignified pirate appearance. Its a bit odd how his age keeps changing from time to time depending on the specific escapade they are on but every time Neville looks terrific. It really is quite incredible how he actually resembles some real historic images from the era.The film can't help but look a bit dated these days I'm afraid, for its time the film was top of its game but these days the cracks show. Not to say that dampens your enjoyment of the film, if anything it heightens it and adds to the delightful charm of all you see. There is something about Gilliam films, that unique look that has carried through with other projects like 'Time Bandits' and 'Jabberwocky', its almost crappy looking, obvious effects yet somehow it just works. This film has it all with the added bonus of some lovely period costumes and that wonderful theatre set opening.I must admit the film doesn't quite hold up the wonder it used to have for me when I was but a mere sprog. The fantasy element is excellent and feels more like a traditional fairytale or dream more than anything, not so much like an Indy type adventure. I think some bits work and some don't, the whole Moon part feels a bit stupid in all honesty and I didn't like Reed's God, but getting swallowed by the sea monster is the quintessential time-honoured fantasy fodder that I liked. There are many golden classic images and sequences in this film that have stood the test of time. That along with Neville's grand performance and some sumptuous sets and costumes you can see why this film was nominated for so many awards.7.5/10