Review of The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988) by Jani H — 08 May 2009

"I'm Baron Munchausen!

- That sounds nasty. Is it contagious?".

I've been waiting to see this movie for a long time but never had the chance.. Until now. Because of the reviews that I've read from people and critics, I was prepared that 'The Adventures of Baron Munchausen' would be something I either love or hate. Strong words, love and hate..

The film is directed by Terry Gilliam, the man behind several hits, for example '12 Monkeys', 'The Fisher King' and several Monty Python productions, so you can expect something extraordinary.

The film was a joy to watch. It's a fairy tale that will keep the viewers interest all the way til the end. During their adventure, the Baron and the young girl, played wonderfully by a young Sarah Polley, will be taken all the way to the moon and the belly of a monster fish on their journey to find the baron's old friends. Why, you ask? Well, they gotta defeat the Turkish sultan. A basic plot for any film really...

The special effects have not aged that well but some scenes are wonderfully made, especially the moon. The king of the moon, Ray D Tutto or better known as Robin Wiliams, is hilarious to watch. This is the Williams that I remember from my childhood!

"I don't have time for flatulence and orgasms!".

What I liked about the film was that I got so caught up with the story that I didn't always know if something was real or just a dream. 'Munchausen' is an example on how pure imagination of filmmakers can give us viewers something special, something that really deserves to be seen. By the way, kudos to the cast. John Neville, Eric Idle, Oliver Reed, a young Uma Thurman etc, all do a good job and are simply fun to watch!