Reviewed by Johnny McNair

Sony Pictures – 127 mins – 1989 – Rated PG – 1080p Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85: 1 – TrueHD 5.1

It’s hard to describe a film like 1989’s The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, because it’s one of those movies where you either really like it or you sincerely don’t get it. Directed by Monty Python alumni Terry Gilliam, the master behind Brazil, Time Bandits, and Twelve Monkeys, his over the top fantasy film Baron Munchausen was a huge flop at the box office, but went on to maintain a strong cult status. Now available from Sony Home Entertainment in high definition Blu-ray, Baron Munchausen can be seen by a whole new generation of film watchers, and if you’re up for the ride it’s quite a treat.

THE MOVIE

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen is part Alice in Wonderland, part The Wizard of Oz, and a whole lot of Terry Gilliam, for those who are familiar with his work. Baron Munchausen tells the story of an old quirky adventurer from the 17^th Century played by John Neville, who after being rescued from the hands of death by a young girl named Sally, sets off on a magical journey to find his lost friends, all who have superhero-like abilities, and will aide him in saving the her town from the vicious Turks, leading he and Sally across the world and as far away as the moon on the adventure of a lifetime.

Baron Munchausen is a hard film to explain, and must be seen with an open mind, because while not aimed as a children’s fairy tale, it has some of those elements, but at the same time it goes for the epic battles that you’ll find in a Lord of the Rings film. Yes, it’s all over the place at times, sort of like watching a film under the influence of some illegal substance, but that’s its charm. And the most unique quality about the film is that only Terry Gilliam could have directed this film, because it has his stamp all over it. Anyone who has seen Time Bandits, Brazil, or his most recent film The Brothers Grimm, will know what to expect if this is their first time seeing Baron Munchausen. All others may find themselves lost.

Unless you’re familiar with British films or the world of Monty Python, the cast will be unfamiliar with the only recognizable faces being Robin Williams in a comedic cameo as a king with a detachable head, and a very young Uma “Kill Bill” Thurman as a partially nude Venus. Eric Idle is another face that will stand out as he plays a man who can run faster than a speeding bullet, literally, as you will see in one of the films action sequences.

Baron Munchausen’s main problem is that while visually it knows where it wants to be, the story itself is quite hard to follow and at times all over the place and chaotic. Some will have no issue with this because it’s a Gilliam film, but it is a lot to swallow if you go into this blindly. One thing that must be credited is that Baron Munchausen was made before computer generated images took over and with the use of elaborate sets and various photography and optical tricks, the filmmakers managed to create an amazing world, which yes at times looks dated, but at the same time more imaginative than what some films try to do today with four times the budget.

No matter what its flaws are, this film is recommended because it’s so different that it is quite a cinematic experience, and if you give it a chance it might make a positive impression on you. Gilliam is not a Hollywood studio puppy who keeps cranking out assembly line hits; he has a vision, and even though his movies are usually not box office smashes, they are memorable. The Adventures of Baron Munchausen has been positioned in the cult film category, which is fine because cult movie lovers seem to have a more open mind when it comes this style of cinema. But you owe it to yourself to see the film at least once to decide for yourself.

VIDEO

Presented in full 1080p in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen offers a decent transfer, but it could have been better. This is a very colorful film, where scenery and costumes are meant to stand out, and at times it does look stunning, but there are certain scenes that also appear to be dark and grainy or just flat. And when the old styled layered special effects shots are shown, you will see how time didn’t treat them well. But after you see the making of documentary on the disc and seeing the hell it took to make this film, this is probably the best looking version of the film you’re going to see, because who knows how long the negative just sat around and was mishandled.

AUDIO

Offering a lossless Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtrack, Baron Munchausen sounds a bit muffled in places, but overall the audio stands out tremendously next to previously releases of the film. The mix won’t exactly make your speakers rock, but in certain scenes there’s so much going on that the audio will stand out to immerse you. For a film that’s about to turn 20 years old, it’s age is showing but it still sounds strong.

EXTRAS

Past versions of The Adventures of Baron Munchausen skimped on the extras, but for it’s 20^th birthday, Gilliam and the gang have stepped forward to offer a nice batch of extras for this edition. Because they are ported from the anniversary DVD that has also been released, al the extras are in standard defintion.

An audio track is available featuring director Terry Gilliam and the films co-writer Charles McKeown who also plays the character of Adolphus in the movie. This is actually a good commentary because it’s not filled with fluff, because in many places Gilliam is very direct about how much crap he had to deal with making this film. He sincerely thanks those who stood by him and basically gives the finger to everyone who tried to hold the production down.

‘The Madness and Misadventures of Munchausen’ is a 70-minute making of documentary that is divided into three parts, Flights of Fancy, Caught in the Act, and The Final Curtain. This is the best extra offered because it’s not the basic, “we all had a party making this film” schlock, instead telling you the way it really is. Getting this film made was a nightmare for all involved, and no one is pulling any punches. The biggest issue was obviously the budget that kept ballooning, as well as name actors like Sean Connery, who was original attached to the project, but it never worked out. These are issues that seem to plague Gilliam, even with current projects like his failed attempt to make The Man Whoeown. This is actually a very unique way to present the scenes that they could not do, and because Gilliam knows how to make simple drawings stand out (remember all those Monty Python paper cut out animated scenes?), so this plays out very well.

“The Marvelous World of Munchausen’allows you to watch the film with a Picture-in-Picture feature that provides trivia about the movie, as well as artwork and production photographs. Other films have used a similar feature, but with a movie as outrageous as Baron Munchausen it completely feels right.

BOTTOM LINE

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen is one of the most original and imaginative films you’ll ever see, and 20 years later it still has a lot to offer. It’s not going to take much to convince fans of the movie to pick up this Blu-ray, they’re probably watching it right now. To date this is the best looking version of the film you’re going to see in your living room, and the making of documentary is enough alone to make this purchase justified.

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