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Reviewed by: Chris Burton

10 Apr 2008

Adventures of Baron Munchausen, The

What is it about Terry Gilliam that gets people so riled up? Is it that he never bows to studio pressure, even when the studios are giving him good advice? Ever since he made his first feature, there has been constant struggle on his end, whether its Brazil or Don Quixote. The man just can't seem to ever get his true vision realized.

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen is vintage Gilliam in many ways. The vision of the story and the film is truly immense, but the script often does not deliver. It get so caught up in fantasy, that it sometimes forgets to follow its characters. However, that isn't too much of a detraction. If you just sit back and enjoy the ride, you won't regret it.

Usually, Terry Gilliam favors visual imagery over story, usually giving us a bare-bones script as just an excuse for zany action sequences unlike anything else we see in movies today. He has a childlike obsession with fantasy, which is why him telling his own version of a fairy tale is so fitting. True, this movie lacks a strong script, but it is incredibly enjoyable taken just as a smorgasbord of visuals.

"The fantastic tale of a 17th century aristocrat, his talented henchmen and a little girl in their efforts to save a town from defeat by the Turks. Being swallowed by a giant sea-monster, a trip to the moon, a dance with Venus and an escape from the Grim Reaper are only some of the improbable adventures"

That's about as accurate a quote as you'll get about this one here.

This Blu-ray is presented in 1.85:1 widescreen and encoded at 1080p. This is a great transfer, especially considering the age of the film Shadow delineation is absolutely impeccable, the blacks so detailed and the colors so vibrant and rich that the visuals of Mr. Gilliam look about as good as they could possibly look. There is minimal grain, and its quite a step up from the film's previous incarnations.

The audio is Uncompressed PCM 5.1 Surround and its quite impressive for a very non-studio picture. The dialogue is never difficult to hear (even though the accents are often difficult to understand). The surrounds are quite active and offer a very engrossing experience to the point that you often forget you are watching a movie, and just experience the fairy tale. The bass is deep and strong and the music sounds incredible.