At no point in the development process of The Brothers Grimm did anybody set out to create a film that would one day air on A&E's Biography. Instead, Terry Gilliam has chosen to take the real life Grimm Brothers, wrap them up into the fictional, fairy tale world they created within their stories, and create a fairy tale about *them*.
The result is a visually impressive story that follows the brothers' rise from frauds to heroes, all within the context of humor, fantasy, horror, and romance. If you're part of the growing number of moviegoers who constantly complains that nothing fresh and original ever comes out of Hollywood then here's an alternative. However, you might want to leave the children at home. Gilliam has delivered a somewhat dark fairy tale for an older crowd, and he obviously didn't bother himself with making sure this was safe for the average kindergartener. Thank goodness.
The Brothers Grimm feels like it was made for those of us who grew up with Grimm fairy tales, so you need to pay close attention for the clever nods to characters from the original stories (particularly Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Little Red Riding Hood, Hansel & Gretel, and The Gingerbread Man). I've seen the movie twice, and I was surprised to find that I caught quite a few things the second time I saw the movie that I missed the first time around.
A lot of the references are subtle and won't be appreciated by the average moviegoer who has no reference to the source material. I overheard one teenage boy at the screening sarcastically remark, "What's next, the Big Bad Wolf? Why is the Gingerbread Man in this?" Hey man, do you read much? Ever break away from action movies starring Ice Cube? No? Then try heading to the library someday, indulge in a little self-education, and broaden those movie horizons.
Keeping in mind that Gilliam decided to let his off-the-wall imagination run wild every now and then, you might want to forewarn any friends that are animal lovers. I have one friend who doesn't mind seeing humans get killed left and right in movies, but she's reluctant to see any movie where an animal suffers fictional harm. Go figure. I don't want to reveal too much, but there's one scene in particular where I actually found myself audibly saying, "Oh man." I laughed, and I should probably feel guilty about it, but nah, every now and then it's healthy for us to allow the darker side of our sense of humor to prevail.
Do things get a little goofy, a little cartoonish, and a little over-the-top at times? Of course! It's directed by the only American-born actor from Monty Python, so what else are you expecting? If you're willing to embrace a small amount of your PG-13 dark side, and you love letting yourself get wrapped up in fantasy and fairy tale worlds, then you very likely well find a lot to enjoy in The Brothers Grimm.
The result is a visually impressive story that follows the brothers' rise from frauds to heroes, all within the context of humor, fantasy, horror, and romance. If you're part of the growing number of moviegoers who constantly complains that nothing fresh and original ever comes out of Hollywood then here's an alternative. However, you might want to leave the children at home. Gilliam has delivered a somewhat dark fairy tale for an older crowd, and he obviously didn't bother himself with making sure this was safe for the average kindergartener. Thank goodness.
The Brothers Grimm feels like it was made for those of us who grew up with Grimm fairy tales, so you need to pay close attention for the clever nods to characters from the original stories (particularly Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Little Red Riding Hood, Hansel & Gretel, and The Gingerbread Man). I've seen the movie twice, and I was surprised to find that I caught quite a few things the second time I saw the movie that I missed the first time around.
A lot of the references are subtle and won't be appreciated by the average moviegoer who has no reference to the source material. I overheard one teenage boy at the screening sarcastically remark, "What's next, the Big Bad Wolf? Why is the Gingerbread Man in this?" Hey man, do you read much? Ever break away from action movies starring Ice Cube? No? Then try heading to the library someday, indulge in a little self-education, and broaden those movie horizons.
Keeping in mind that Gilliam decided to let his off-the-wall imagination run wild every now and then, you might want to forewarn any friends that are animal lovers. I have one friend who doesn't mind seeing humans get killed left and right in movies, but she's reluctant to see any movie where an animal suffers fictional harm. Go figure. I don't want to reveal too much, but there's one scene in particular where I actually found myself audibly saying, "Oh man." I laughed, and I should probably feel guilty about it, but nah, every now and then it's healthy for us to allow the darker side of our sense of humor to prevail.
Do things get a little goofy, a little cartoonish, and a little over-the-top at times? Of course! It's directed by the only American-born actor from Monty Python, so what else are you expecting? If you're willing to embrace a small amount of your PG-13 dark side, and you love letting yourself get wrapped up in fantasy and fairy tale worlds, then you very likely well find a lot to enjoy in The Brothers Grimm.