there's not one time where it doesn’t seem like Gilliam is making horror movies with paint by numbers
The Brothers Grimm (2005)
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Reviews Counted:175
Fresh:65
Rotten:110
Average Rating:5.1/10
Consensus: The Brothers Grimm is full of beautiful imagery, but the story is labored and less than enchanting.
Runtime: 1 hr 59 mins
Genre: Science-Fiction/Fantasy
US Box Office: $37,848,537
Synopsis: Director Terry Gilliam, who brought his magical storytelling talents to such films as TIME BANDITS and THE ADVENTURES OF BARON MUNCHAUSEN, sets his sights on the Brothers Grimm, turning their life... Director Terry Gilliam, who brought his magical storytelling talents to such films as TIME BANDITS and THE ADVENTURES OF BARON MUNCHAUSEN, sets his sights on the Brothers Grimm, turning their life into a playfully grim fairy tale all its own. Set in early 18th century French-occupied Germany, THE BROTHERS GRIMM stars Matt Damon as Will Grimm and Heath Ledger as Jake Grimm, siblings who travel the countryside as snake-oil salesmen, convincing unsuspecting towns that they are haunted and agreeing to get rid of the demons--for a price. In the meantime, they set their tales down in writing, creating a wealth of oddball, offbeat, and frightening characters. But after they are caught by General Delatombe (Jonathan Pryce) and his sidekick, Cavaldi (Peter Stormare), they are sent to the tiny village of Marbaden to solve the mysterious disappearance of a number of young girls, placing them in the middle of a fantasy world unlike any they'd ever invented. They enlist the help of a peasant woman, Angelika (Lena Headey), and they set off for the evil forest to save the lives of the girls--and themselves. Gilliam has once again built a unique, entertaining land where anything can happen, and he throws in references to such Grimm tales as Little Red Riding Hood, Hansel and Gretel, Cinderella, Rapunzel, and the Frog Prince for good measure. The movie also features Mackenzie Crook and Richard Ridings as the Grimms' cohorts, Monica Bellucci as the Mirror Queen, and Julian Bleach and Bruce McEwan as two of Cavaldi's henchmen. [More]
Starring: Matt Damon, Heath Ledger, Peter Stormare, Monica Bellucci
Starring: Matt Damon, Heath Ledger, Peter Stormare, Monica Bellucci, Jonathan Pryce, Lena Headey, Roger Ashton-Griffiths, Mackenzie Crook, Richard Ridings, Julian Bleach, Bruce McEwan
Director: Terry Gilliam
Director: Terry Gilliam
Screenwriter: Ehren Kruger
Producer: Charles Roven, Daniel Bobker
Composer: Dario Marinelli
Studio: Dimension Films
Reviews for The Brothers Grimm
The most unforgivable thing Gilliam has done in this film is to dumb down two of the best looking and radiant actors working today.
It’s easy to sense the allure this fantastic project held for Gilliam, but it’s hard to imagine the outcome is anything like his early expectations.
a dud...Gilliam doesn’t seem to be in control of things and leaves his star actors to their own devices.
An aimless chore to sit through in desperate need of a human pulse and a shot of adrenaline.
The movie is an utter mess, but it's the kind of maddening disappointment that could only be made by a director of Gilliam's stature.
earns a few points for sheer audacity and stylishness. ...Much of the comedy is clumsy, and the mixture of burlesque and brutality only works about half of the time.
To see what The Brothers Grimm aims for — to see how wonderful and glorious it could have been — is to curse it all the more as it slowly loses its way.
This time, Gilliam's storytelling is even more convoluted than his bookkeeping.
The film is as much about the process of creation, of spinning yarns and contexts, as it is about any particular yarns.
Gilliam is inspired by the sibling writers, it seems, so he could deliver a goofy comedy.
The best thing to be said about this expensive but drab wannabe mirthmaker is that it has some of its director's quirky touches.
This film does for fairy tales what Time Bandits did for time travel stories
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