Classic Movie Review The Adventures of Baron Munchausen

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1989)

Directed by Terry Gilliam 

Written by Charles McKeown, Terry Gilliam 

Starring John Neville, Sarah Polley, Eric Idle, Robin Williams 

Release Date March 10th, 1989 

Published January 3rd, 2023 

Terry Gilliam's delirious, chaotic, and fantastic, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, is now part of the Criterion Collection. Released in 1989, this wildly over the top, sensory overload inducing film remains, 34 years after release, as alive and full of imagination as ever. Even as special effects and cinematography have evolved past the somewhat aged looking Munchausen, Gilliam's dedication to practical effects gives his masterpiece a timeless look. 

The story of The Adventures of Baron Munchausen begins on the stage where an acting troupe is acting out the supposedly fictitious adventures of Baron Munchausen. The story kicks into gear when the real Baron Munchausen (John Neville), charges the stage and demands to be allowed to tell the story of his adventures correctly. Thus, the Baron launches into a fantastical story about his conflict with the Grand Turk, one that began with a reasonable wager and ended with the Baron and his men leaving with all of the wealth of the empire. 

The Baron's remarkable and vivid tale is interrupted when that same Grand Turk and his army begin to bombard the English city where this tale had been told. Caught off guard, it appears that the English are to be overrun by the Turks until the Baron makes a big movie, creates for himself an airship on which he will fly across the galaxy to gather his servants to help fight the Turks. Stowing away on the Baron's airship is Sally Salt (Sarah Polley), a plucky youngster who is one of the few who believes that the Baron's fantasies are real. 

And boy are they real as, indeed, the Baron takes Sally to the Moon where The King of the Moon (Robin Williams), imprisons them. There they are able to recover The Baron's top assistant, played by Eric Idle. Naturally, there is an amazing escape that leads to another remarkable adventure that includes a brief bit of romance wherein The Baron is smitten with the wife of a dangerous bandit king. Uma Thurman is luminous as the Queen while the inimitable Oliver Reed chews the very large and practically crafted sets. 

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen is a wildly imaginative masterwork. It's pure chaos but in the best possible way. The flights of fantasy and the visual delights never rest while the extraordinary cast provides even more color with big, broad, and hilarious performances. Star John Neville grounds the story with elegant dignity and roguish charm, while Sarah Polley never succumbs to the cliches of a plucky child sidekick. Her Sally is an urgent part of the plot as she plays the part of the Baron's conscience. 

Find my full length review at Geeks.Media. 

Movie Review Monty Python's The Meaning of Life

Monty Python's The Meaning of Life (1983) 

Directed by Terry Jones

Written by Monty Python

Starring Eric Idle, Michael Palin, Terry Jones, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam

Release Date March 31st, 1983

Published March 31st 2013 

I have a horrible confession to make, I've never really been into Monty Python. I know, I know, anyone who considers themselves a serious fan of comedy tends to be into Monty Python but I've never really invested the time necessary to master the basics of Python's absurdist sketch comedy.

Sure, I can appreciate "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" but only as much as it reminds me of a more absurd version of a Mel Brooks comedy. It was with this in mind that I sat down for a 30th Anniversary look at "Monty Python's Meaning of Life" and once again I came away with a vague appreciation mixed with a bit of revulsion and a touch of confusion.

A Sketch Movie

'Meaning of Life' isn't so much a movie, in the traditional sense of the word, as it a collection of all new, in 1983 anyway, Python material reminiscent of the popular TV series that spawned the legendary comedy troupe. These however, are preceded by a wonderfully bizarre and oddly still trenchant today riff on corporate accountants called "The Crimson Permanent Assurance."

This 17 minute short film follows a group of accountants treated as slaves to their adding machines until the geezers decide to rebel. Once having seized the accounting firm they pull up anchor, hoist the main sail and suddenly the stodgy old English building is a working pirate ship enroute to a swanky financial district seeking the most hostile of takeovers.

Even today so-called Corporate 'Raiders' remain the pirates of Wall Street pillaging any company they choose and doing bloody battle with any company that stands in their way. The fact that so little has seemed to change in 30 years is disturbing and yet it adds an even greater tickle to this already delightful short satire.

Why Are We Here?

From there we are thrust into the Python troupe's sorta-kinda examination of the meaning of life, i.e 'Why are here?' ("At this restaurant?" "No sir, on this planet") First up for satire is the miracle of birth from different ends of the socio-economic ladder. On one end a woman finds herself almost ignored by doctors, played by Graham Chapman and John Cleese, more interested in playing with high end medical gadgets than in delivering her baby.

On the other end of the spectrum a poor bloke played by Michael Palin has just lost his job at the mill and must break it to his several dozen children that many of them will have to be given up for medical experimentation. This is merely the jumping off point for a soft-hearted satire of Catholics and the Church's illogical stance on birth control via the song via the not-so subtle tune "Every Sperm is Sacred."

The opening bit is tagged with another satire, this time of Protestants, played by Chapman and Eric Idle, as protestants who mock the Catholic stance on birth control yet never seem to take advantage of the birth control freedoms the clueless Chapman praises in volume and in variety as his wife listens ever to be disappointed.

Stiff Upper Lips and other Such Things

Further portions of 'The Meaning of Life' tackle learning from the perspective of a fearful Catholic school that teaches an abiding fear of God's wrath alongside a very liberal idea of sex education. Later the subject of War is lampooned with a joyously violent birthday celebration amidst the chaos of World War 1 and a tribute to the ever stiff upper lips of the English Officer Class.

Though these segments earn solid chuckles they are the least connected to the themes of 'Meaning of Life' and a brief break in the middle of the movie, actually called "The Middle of the Movie," seems to acknowledge the lack of connection while the following scene 'Middle Age' quickly moves to excuse it by openly mentioning how disconnected the film is from the title.

Not that formalism is on order for "Monty Python's The Meaning of Life." Directed by the wildly brilliant and unpredictable Terry Gilliam and fellow Python Terry Jones, 'Meaning of Life' as a title is merely a marketing tactic meant to tie together the Python's many bright sketch ideas and a few less bright ideas.

Mr. Creosote

Least among the sketches in "Monty Python's The Meaning of Life" is one that opens Part 6 "The Autumn Years." I can recall friends and comedians referencing someone called 'Mr. Creosote' and having no idea what the reference was about. Now having witnessed 'Mr. Creosote' for myself I am re-evaluating my friends and idols.

The sketch involves an exceptionally large man, played director Jones, dining at a fancy restaurant and repeatedly projectile vomiting onto anything and anyone in range. I get the joke, it comes from the sheer lunacy of the large man and his extraordinary amount of vomit but knowing that doesn't make me laugh. The premise is flawed and the denouement of the large man exploding after eating a tiny after dinner mint is a mere ripoff of an Warner Bros. cartoon writ with more gore.

I did however, enjoy the final sketch "Death." It begins with a wildly inappropriate and terrifically funny sketch about a condemned man, Chapman, allowed to choose his method of death. I won't spoil this part as it truly deserves to be seen; I will only say that I might choose such a method death were I in a similarly absurd condemnation.

So, after thirty years, do I recommend "Monty Python's The Meaning of Life?" Yes and no. Yes, I recommend it for the truly curious who want to know more about the legendary Monty Python. However, because of 'Mr. Creosote' and another rather gory sketch involving forced liver donations, I must advise those with weak stomachs to pass on 'The Meaning of Life.'

Movie Review Shrek the 3rd

Shrek the 3rd (2007) 

Directed by Chris Miller

Written by Jeffrey Price, Peter S. Seaman, Aron Warner

Starring Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas, Justin Timberlake, Eric Idle

Release Date May 18th, 2007

Published May 17th, 2007 

Shrek may have began its film life as a veiled slap at Disney’s fairy tale past, courtesy of Dreamworks honcho Jeffrey Katzenberg, but the film's success and the subsequent success of its sequel have shown that the big green ogre has a life and identity of its own. Sure, the shots at Disney\ 's classic fairy tales remain as Shrek offers its third installment, but the success of Shrek the 3rd comes entirely from these wonderfully familiar and lovable characters.

Shrek the 3rd finds our heroic green friend in line for the throne of Far Far Away. The king (John Cleese), turned into a frog in Shrek 2, is near death and proclaims Shrek as the next king. That is, unless Shrek can find another more worthy heir. The only thing Shrek fears more than becoming king is becoming a father. Unfortunately, he has no control over that one, Fiona (Cameron Diaz) is pregnant.

Facing fatherhood and royalty, Shrek takes up the task of locating the next in line for the throne, if he is going to be a dad, at least he can do it from his slime covered hovel in the swamp. For that to happen he has to find Fiona\'s cousin Arthur (Justin Timberlake), Artie to the kids who pick on him. Artie is the resident punching bag at his private school when Shrek shows up to tell him he could be king.

Meanwhile, with Shrek away from the kingdom, the evil Prince Charming (Rupert Everett) has raised an army of fairy tale villains to assault the kingdom and proclaim him the new king and set a trap for Shrek, Donkey (Eddie Murphy) and Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas).

The first Shrek without the guiding hand of writer-director Andrew Adamson, moved on to the Chronicles of Narnia series, Shrek the 3rd suffers from typical sequel atrophy. This is not necessarily the fault of new directors Chris Miller and Raman Hui, rather it\'s more likely the problem of some 7 different writers who took a swipe at this screenplay.

The problems with Shrek The 3rd aren\'t deathly. The first 20 minutes or so are an awkward hodgepodge of humor that is a little adult for child audiences. It\'s not so inappropriate that parents should be wary, but it could lead to some awkward questions. After that however, the film settles in and allows these familiar characters and what we love about them to lead the way and deliver the laughs.

Credit Directors Miller and Hui and their platoon of writers for dialing back on the product placement jokes that made Shrek 2 look like a non-stop billboard. Shrek the 3rd dispenses with the product placement jokes, with storefronts like \"Versarchery\", in the first few minutes. Shrek the 3rd is still heavy on pop culture but is far less precious about it than Shrek 2.

Shrek The 3rd also has a better brain than Shrek 2. The relationship between Shrek and Artie has more depth than you expect and the characters are allowed to explore their issues in ways that deepen the characters and their bond without bogging down the plot. The pace clips along quick enough to put audiences back on the streets in under 90 minutes.

Shrek 2 delivered louder and more consistent laughs than Shrek the 3rd.  The second sequel could use an infusion of bigger laughs and more laughs that rise from the plot as opposed to the stand up comedy one liners that provide many of the giggles in Shrek the 3rd.

Neither Shrek sequel has risen to the magical level of the first film which remains fresh and funny in a brilliantly subversive fashion. Each of the sequels has been a step down in quality, a function of simple sequel fatigue. Thankfully, the first film set such a high standard that a step down in quality here and there still places the Shrek sequels above most other animated films.

Shrek the 3rd is not as great as the original or as funny as the second film but your kids will still love it and you definitely will not be bored by Shrek the 3rd.