'The Brothers Grimm': Both too grim and not Grimm enough
by Eleanor Ringel Gillespie

"The Brothers Grimm" is not your father's fairy tales. Or your children's. And that's part of the problem. Terry Gilliam has created a movie that's occasionally stunning but more often confused. It's not really a family film and it's not really a film for Gilliam's fans, since he's not at his best. And it's certainly not the action extravaganza that's being advertised on television. Nor is it a chronicle of the actual 19th-century Grimm brothers, who collected and recorded most of the fairy tales we know today. Read the full review

TO SUM UP
Brothers Jake and Will Grimm travel around the Napoleonic countryside vanquishing monsters and demons in exchange for quick cash. But when the authorities figure out their scheme, the con men are forced to contend with a real magical curse — and with all that their imaginations have brought to life.

FILM FACTS ...
Dimension Films
'The Brothers Grimm'

Director: Terry Gilliam
Starring: Matt Damon, Heath Ledger, Monica Bellucci, Jonathan Pryce, Lena Headey
Release date: August 26, 2005
Rating: PG-13 for violence, frightening sequences and brief suggestive material.
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On the web
Official movie site
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READ THE REVIEW

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: C
"Like Hansel and Gretel and that gingerbread house of horrors, Gilliam has bitten off more than he can chew. "

Austin American-Statesman: 2 of 5 stars
"... an above-average fantasy/adventure, if judged against generic Hollywood product. Held against the standard of what it might have been, it's a big disappointment."

Dayton Daily News: C+
"The result looks great, as one expects of Gilliam. But as far as the story goes, it's hardly the fairest of them all."

The Palm Beach Post: D
"Although (Terry Gilliam's) latest effort ... is undeniably unlike anything you have seen before, it is also a joyless mess."


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