The visual chaos and overpowering irony of Terry Gilliam’s genius rarely worked so well as in the purposeful pomp of “The Adventures of Baron Munchausen.”
Gilliam’s cartoonish exploration of the Munchausen legend plays wonderfully on two levels: For children, as a rock-’em, sock-’em tale of soldiers and adventurers, and for adults, as biting and hilarious observations about government, leadership and war. Plus there’s an early look at the incandescent beauty of Uma Thurman cast appropriately as Venus, and no one in the family will be objecting to that.
Gilliam was the madcap, multi-layered talent behind Monty Python’s period costumes and wicked animations. He carried those skills into movies like “Munchausen,” “Brazil,” “12 Monkeys” and “The Fisher King.” He loves to revive myths and then filter them through a British lens of absurdity and defiance.
“Munchausen” reworks German tall tales of the 1700s, bringing us to a late 18th-century town besieged by Turkish armies. A stage play meant to distract beleaguered townspeople tells some of the Munchausen stories, until a man claiming to be the real baron takes the stage and launches his own flights of fancy.
Munchausen carries the audience to the moon, to the land of the Vulcan god, and to the bottom of the sea. The baron’s trusty aides add comedy and action to the adventures, with the world’s fastest runner, the best shooter, the biggest windbag, etc.
Don’t let the children worry if the baron appears dead or dying. As he tells his rapt audiences, this may be “only one of the many occasions on which I met my death.” Rebirth to more adventure is a given in Munchausen’s world.
“The Adventures of Baron Munchausen.”
Rated: PG, for brief, non- sexual nudity and some cartoonish war violence.
Best suited for: Children 7 or older, watching with any parents possessing a love for the Python worldview.
