Customer Reviews

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen

5 star:		(46)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Anyone who can sit there and say thay never spun a tale or two in their lives has no imagination. The Baron is a man who has cheated life and death by being both hero and con man but still retaining a sense of "je ne sais quois" Robin Williams steals his cameo and plays it in his usual frantic way. Sarah Polly is wonderful as the child of innocence who looks up to the Baron and the rest of the cast is wonderful as well. Not a movie that should be missed especially by those who enjoy the mania that is Monty Python

check it out. a great fantasy tale.

Fantasy (in film) is apparently a dirty word. I do not understand why. Of all the people to whom I showed or recommended this film, only 3 enjoyed it. Normally, we (those with whom I would discuss films) like the same stuff.
Ah well. This is one fantastic film. Baron Von Munchausen, historically real and mythologised, was/is the world's greatest liar. So, the story opens with a theatrical cast in a dilapidated theater, in the midst of war and shelling, putting on a play about the life of the baron. The real Baron walks into the theater, and tries to set the story straight. Then he, in his explanation of the reality as he sees it, illustrates for us, in real life, what was portrayed on stage, but on a much grander scale, to most magnificent effect; not to mention the added adventures that are woven-in.
I first saw this piece on video in the mid nineties. Now, post September 11th horrors and excess, the story has added resonance. The antagonists of the story are bureaucrats who believe they represent the fullest expression of Reason in life and government. They have everything compartmentalized practically and rationally, including the days on which they can shoot at the enemy, and the enemy at them. And they can't accept that the war eventually has been won. "Don't open the gates!"
And then there is the fantasy: A balloon made of ladie's silken underwear, a flight to the moon. The king and queen of the moon (the king is Robin Williams) with their detachable heads to pursue intellectual pursuits while their bodies... A sea monster... the spectre of death...
The story is well told, the cinematography beautiful, the dialogue witty and compelling. There are enough layers to keep the viewer from being lazy, and yet, one doesn't have to stare at the screen and lay heavy on the rewind to understand the film. Just watch it.
The Baron, on one of his many death beds, laments that the world has gone to Reason and science, and has no room for "cucumber trees", and indeed, there are too few yarns so imaginatively told on film these days. This is one of them. A great afternoon flick, or something for after the bars,when it's still too early to go to bed.

i've been a terry gilliam fan since i saw 'brazil' and have rarely been disappointed. this lives up to his usual work in many ways, although it lacks the certain darkness that is present in much of his stuff. a fairy tale for adults is how i usually describe this movie to anyone who asks...unlike 'time bandits' and 'brazil' (the first two movies in the unofficial trilogy) which both show society and rationalism defeating man, the baron deals with the final victory of fantasy and belief over rationalism and science. this is just a fun movie to watch and to dream about. trying to think through it doesn't really work, you simply have to let your imagination go and accept it. not many movies challenge adults to do that anymore, and it is cool to have one that does.

I was very disappointed that this DVD edition does not include a director's commentary track, even though there has been a laser disc edition with that feature. Although it is a great movie, I probably will not buy the DVD because of this oversight.

When I first saw Terry Gilliam's "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen", It was 1989 and I was in my last year of college in Columbia, Missouri, though I didn't know it would be my last year at that time (Alas, I'm a Dropout). I remember running into a few counterculture acquaintances that night, and feverishly describing the entire movie to them-spoilers be dammed. I've never done that with another movie before or since, which speaks volumes not only of my enthusiasm for the film, but of the film's narrative pull (There are tons of infinitely more linear movies around, but I would be hard pressed to recite a plot of any of them as easily as I did this one. Maybe that's why I'm a dropout). This isn't the kind of blockbuster movie that is generally made nowadays, where CGI takes the place of a soul. This is the old way, with models, trick photography, and ingenuity.

The movie itself I would give 5 plus stars in a heartbeat, the DVD probably warrants about a 3. Brief bios of Gilliam and Eric Idle, and the theatrical trailer, which, considering how badly this movie was publicized, isn't much of a bonus. The Baron needs someone like Criterion to come along and give him the royal treatment, as Gilliam's "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" has gotten recently. This is the second Terry Gilliam film whose troubled history inspired a book ("Losing the Light" now out of print, I believe). Also, few filmmakers give better commentaries on DVD than TG, so one of those would be welcome. An upgraded image and sound transfer would be in order, also. This version is okay in those departments, but only just. I bought this for the same reason I bought "Local Hero", because the movies are necessary, but in both cases, a nice special edition is long overdue.

My final star rating is an average, by the way...

This is a gorgeous fantasy epic with a hefty dose of Monty Python-esque comedy thrown in for good measure. It has the silly humor that made Terry Gilliam so famous in his Monty Python days, as well as a fantastic story about a pathological liar's rendition of his epic adventures. From standing against a sultan's army to invoking the wrath of Vulcan, God of Fire, this movie is non-stop hilarious action set against beautiful scenery and a fantastic story. People of all ages from kids to adults will enjoy this one, but be prepared to watch it several times to be able to grasp everything that's going on!!! It's packed! Also, watch for some high-profile cameo's from Robin Williams (uncredited!!) and Sting. Although Robin Williams' part is actually very huge (watch the movie to find out!). I have waited many years for this to come out on DVD and it's finally here.

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen was nothing less than a sheer joy to watch. When I was young, my father would always say, in reference to a movie made in the 30s or 40s, "They don't make movies like that anymore!" I guess I'm getting old because I've just purchased my copy of The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (which I hadn't seen since its debut in 1989), and I found myself muttering, "They don't make films like this anymore", too.

As you've no doubt read in other reviews, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen is pure fantasy, and like all good fantasy, it pits reason against imagination, truth versus story-telling, and resignation against hope. After all, Dorothy didn't really go to Oz: it was a dream. And yet, it would have an effect on her view of the world and reality that would probably last her entire life. She won't ever be bored with Kansas again, and would never seek the greener grass on the other side of the fence. On a darker side, Kaiser Soze of The Usual Suspects, can spin a yarn that convinces a seasoned Customs agent and anybody watching the film.

Baron Munchausen, as wonderfully portrayed by John Neville, is the ultimate story teller. Not only does he draw in the attention and hopes of his beleaguered city, but every story he tells actually makes HIM younger. The underlying message of The Adventures of Baron Munchausen is that fantasy, adventure, romance, and a world where cucumber trees still thrive will save us, children and adults alike, from a world determined to destroy us. This is a common theme among Terry Gilliam's films. In Time Bandits, Brazil, even The Fisher King, characters escape the horrors of their lives in fantasy worlds. This is known as escapism: its what fantasy allows us to enjoy for a moment--because if it were long-term we'd all wind up in the Betty Ford Clinic--however, that moment gives us a needed relief from a stern and impersonal world. The Adventures of Baron Munchausen is the ultimate fantasy film that gives us a couple of hours of pleasure and joy.

Rocco Dormarunno, author of The Five Points

this was one of the best movies of the decade, and certainly Gilliam's greatest movie triumph -- a film that he struggled with the studio over. Not suprising, actually. I remember seeing it in theaters and my jaw dropping in disbelief that Hollywood had actually made a picture this imaginative, lyrical, inventive, and daring. Fresh is another great adjective. Hands down the best film of 1989 (the uninspiring, middle-of-the-road "Driving Miss Daisy" won the Oscar). Even the film's symbolism is first rate as in the end when Munchausen leads the people out of the confining walls of the city (the limited mindset of the Age of Reason). The film score alone is an absolute gem.

For those who can watch the film in the spirit in which it was
made, the experience is WONDERFUL. If you cannot or will not enter into the spirit of the (now dying) "TALL TALE", then the film must be an utter bore. I found it WONDERFUL. Like any work
of art, one can only get from it what one already brings.