Jabberwocky Details

[Highly rated reviewer]

Half Gilliam, half Python

A good cast - Max Wall, John Le Mesurier, Harry H. Corbett, Bernard Bresslaw, Warren Mitchell and, of course, Michael Palin - and the sort of beautifully shot grubby mediaeval England you would expect from Gilliam, but I feel it falls between two stools. Not quite funny enough to be full-blown Python, not earthy or quirky enough to be top notch Gilliam. The DVD commentary from Palin and Gilliam has them wondering if they put in too many jokes, and oddly enough, I think they are right - some of the anachronistic gags spoil the carefully created dramatic atmosphere.

A 2 star rating may be a bit harsh - I enjoyed it more when I saw it at the cinema, and a fresh pair of eyes may find it more engaging than I did second time around.

Good fun, but not up to Gilliam's later work

'Jabberwocky' was Terry Gilliam's first solo effort as a director, which followed immeadiately after 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail'. But this is by no means another Python movie -- some of the team are here, but the key figures of Graham Chapman, John Cleese and Eric Idle are all absent.

We follow the story of Dennis, a young barrel-maker in the dark ages who travels to the city in search of his fortune. There he encounters knights, princesses, nuns, heretics and so forth, and he is swept up in a quest to destroy a terrifying creature known as the Jabberwock. The pacing of the film is very chaotic, probably due to Gilliam's inexperience as a director at the time, but there are plenty of good Python-style laughs to be had. I was expecting some of Gilliam's trademark animation, but the film is almost 100% live action. The Jabberwock itself is a wonderful creation.

I'd recommend this if you're a big fan of Terry Gilliam or Monty Python. Otherwise, you should check out his other movies first -- noteably 'Brazil', 'The Fisher King', and of course 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail'.