Customer Reviews

Jabberwocky [VHS]

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Jabberwocky is a terrific film in every way: funny, smart, visually involving, and wonderfully acted and directed. It's also gruesome, effortlessly combining subtle social commentary with farce. This first film of Terry Gilliam is often mistaken for a Monty Python film because Michael Palin stars (and possibly also because of the surface similarity to Monty Python and the Holy Grail), but the humor comes from entirely different and more complex sources than anything Python.

The movie is unrelentingly ugly and often horrifying, full of blood and filth that make you laugh and groan at the same time. This reversal of the whole knight-in-shining-armor myth accounts for a lot of the negative reactions people have to the film, as they expect another medieval fairy tale. I, on the other hand, find Gilliam's treatment of the theme deliciously and viciously funny. In reality, jousting is a nasty blood sport, not something fun like you see at a modern-day Renaissance Fair. A castle is a cold, damp, nasty place to live. People who don't bathe often tend to be dirty and unwell. These graphic realities, made VERY graphic in the film but set against the traditional story of an earnest young man on a quest, give the whole film a rare and wonderful depth of humor. Palin's performance as the amiably squirmy (and totally clueless) Dennis is particularly superb.

The film is also a wonderful exploration of self-delusion. Dennis never realizes how disliked he is, particularly by his beloved Grizelda Fishfinger (whose discarded, half-eaten potato he cherishes as a love token). The Fishfinger family reject Dennis to tempt a knight into marrying Grizelda, despite her total lack of physical or social charms. The king and his court ignore the plaster crumbling down around their heads as they meet on official business. The princess sighs dreamily at the thought of being married to a heroic knight at the same moment that she's doused with blood and gore from the joust. A beggar is cheerful at his prospects because he just had the "marvelous idea" of cutting off one of his feet to increase revenue. (Note:Gilliam based this beggar character on an image in a Hieronymous Bosch painting.)

And the Jabberwocky itself - a symbol, a figment, a real monster? It's clearly not anything from Wonderland. It's all the better that Dennis, having (accidentally) slain the Jabberwocky and won riches and the princess, still can't get anything he wants, or even speak and be heard. This definitely isn't Camelot!

With the recent release of Gilliam's atrocious "Brothers Grimm", now is the perfect time for disappointed fans to check this film out again. It shows Gilliam developing his distinctive style that would later peak in such films as "Brazil" and "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas". This is definitely a rich, intelligent film worth owning on dvd to see multiple times.

(Trivia: Look for the always-delightful Neil Innes in this film. Innes is best known for his involvement with Monty Python and for his lead in The Rutles, and also has a long musical history with such bands as The Bonzo Dog Band and GRIMMS.)

Gilliam's first solo feature was very much a transitional effort; While trying to stretch his wings as a film director, Gilliam also falls back on a number of Pythonish devices throughout the film. In many respects, Jabberwocky is a reaction to the first Python film co-directed by Gilliam and Terry Jones (who is killed in the first scene of this movie interestingly enough): Gilliam hasn't fully integrated his cynical and dark observations with the slapstick inspired humor of the Monty Python brood.

Nevertheless, Jabberwocky is a fun film particularly with Gilliam and Michael Palin providing audio commentary throughout the film. The film was shot for less than a million dollars on sets for other films (Olivier Twist for one). Gilliam used many of Bosch's paintings as inspiration throughout the film and his take on Lewis Carroll's classic poem is unique and, at times, devestatingly funny.

The extras are quite nice on this DVD edition. The comparison between Gilliam's sketchbook and the final film is particularly interesting. Although there isn't a documentary looking back on this pivotal film, Gilliam and Palin manage to provide a funny and interesting look back on their commentary track.

Make no mistake, this isn't a Monty Pyton film. It does share much of the same humor and irreverent look at human nature that appears throughout the Python canon. Gilliam continues to be one our most talented and iconoclastic film makers. His skewed vision on humanity manages to both celebrate and satirize human nature at the same time. Jabberwocky represents an artist finding his voice and, although a bit inconsistent, is well worth purchasing.

My favorite Director, Terry Gilliam, and one of my favorite actors, Michael Palin, as well as a short appearance by my favorite of the python team, Terry Jones. By the way, both Palin and Gilliam are also Python veterans, for those who didn't know. The film is based on the poem "The Jabberwock" by Lewis Carrol, the man who wrote the Alice stories. It follows the story of Dennis Cooper, a peasant who, after he is disowned by his late father, leaves for the city, leaving behind his "true love" the obiese Griselda Fishfinger, who doesn't care a fig for him. What follows is a very entertaining adventure with lots of humor, lots of bizzare moments, some delightfully disgusting moments, which, in my opinion, make the film all the more fun to watch, and a few moments where you just can't help but feel sad for poor Dennis. A warning to a few parents or younger people: This film was made before PG-13 ratings existed, and has some blood and two parts with some very brief nudity, so you may want to be careful. All in all, this is a very fun film to watch.

Based on Lewis Carrol's 'The Jabberwock', Terry Gilliam unleashes the full force of his creative talents in this brilliant film.
We follow the adventures of Dennis Cooper, besotted with love for the gruesome Griselda Fishfinger, as he is disowned by his dying father and goes off to seek his fortune in the city. The city is however besieged by the eponymous monster, so the king (played to wonderful effect by Max Wall) arranges a tourney to select the best knight to kill the beast. Of course, Dennis is carried along and wins the day.
Doresn't sound much of a story, does it? - but the intricately detailed sets, the wonderful staged humour and brilliant direction make this a cut and a half above anything else in the genre. It knocks the Monty Python films into a cocked hat - and they are GOOD! Not for nothing did this film win the best comedy at Montreux. Particularly good performances from Max Wall, John leMesurier, Harry H Corbett and of course, Michael Palin, who just IS Dennis.
I don't understand how a great film like this has been allowed to fall out of circulation. I'd give it 10 stars if I could.

JABBERWOCKY starts off with the very talented Terry Jones as a poacher checking his traps. He suddenly encounters the JABBERWOCK which eats his body to the bones(great scene I might add the likes of George Romero and Peter Jackson)its the middle ages and the JABBERWOCK has terrified the land.
Enter Dennis Cooper(played by my favorite Python Michael Palin)a barrel maker who is in love with a VERY plus size girl who really wants nothing to do with him. I will not give the movie away and would like to point out some things I liked and did not like with this movie. I really do admire Terry Gilliam he is fantastic with the camera and can be compared to the likes of Lynch and Raimi. The GORE in this though limited is excellent and you really do feel like it is the dark ages. Michael Palin plays this straight and though I love ALL the Python actors any other would not have made it believable(meaning I would not have taken the role of Dennis seriously and would have been waiting for the punch-line ESPECIALLY if the role was given to Cleese)the disappointment in this film is that it really cannot make up its mind what it wants to be? Is it a HORROR film a comedy a adventure WHAT? Terry throws in some comic moments but has few successes in this he also throws in some HORROR but not enough and the script in the middle of the film is quite dry. Still I feel the good outweighs the bad by a small margin. Believe it or not I have this in my HORROR collection(right after ERASERHEAD 1977) for it looked out of place anywhere else. Python fans this is not a comedy at all do know this. This is based off a Lewis Caroll poem,I would love to see a Terry Gilliam HORROR picture though in truth I think this is as close as I will get.

The presence of three of the Monty Python team might suggest a certain kinnd of film - this isn't it. It might seem like an extension of 'the holy grail', but is a lot less less sketchy, and not so silly. The plot is a basic inversion of the 'hero slays the dragon' myths, where the hero is a distracted cooper's apprentice who has no greater ambition than winning the love of the local fish-merchants repulsive daughter. that he unwittingly finds himself in the filthy and disintegrating castle of the ineffectual King Bruno the Questionable is just the beginning of his unwitting and unplanned adventures... that ends with him confronting the terrifying eponymous creature..

quite a dark film, with a humour to match. With silly bits too.

recommended to every fan of the films of Terry Gilliam.

For the uninitiated, T. Gilliam is the ex-Monty Python genius behind films such as '12 Monkeys', 'Brazil' etc. - though for me, this is probably his best film.

Featuring his trademark surreal humour in a grimy medieval setting, this chronicles the adventures of our hapless anti-hero Dennis (played by Michael Palin), trying to win the hand of the fair Griselda Fishfinger (not anything like as cute as her name might suggest). Similar in tone to 'Life of Brian' and 'Time Bandits', though even darker, if that helps explain things any.

Based on the 'Jabberwock' poem from Alice in Wonderland, this is suitable for all ages, especially for people with a slightly warped sense of humour.

Okay, so it gets a tad tiresome. It's not quite the classic that, say Monty Python and the Holy Grail is. But it is wonderful, a wonderfully dark, gloomy comedy. See it with another Gilliam film sometime for a treat, and a peak inside the mind of a delightful madman without whom the world would be a poorer place.

My favorite director Terry Gillaim makes a great Medival Misadventure. It follows Dennis Cooper played by Michael Palin. Dennis is a stupid Git that loves the fat Gezelda. When Dennis arives home he sees that his father has died. As away to honor his father he goes to a city and tries to get a job. What Dennis does not know is that the monstourouse Jabberwocky has ruined the city. People are fighting over food and roofs to cover their heads. Dennis becomes friends with a Man that is going to fight the dredded Jabberwocky. The Man rather sleep with women than fight the Jabberwocky so he sends Dennis. Dennis does not want to go, but is forced into it anyway.

This is Terry Gilliams first film as solo director. The viewer can tell by the way the camera does not catch many things. The special effects are actualy pretty good, the Jabberywocky looks very real. It's better than any computer generated hunk of doo-doo.

Even know this film has three pythons in it, i wouldn't consider it a python film. It has a much darker tone that pythons comedy.

I bought this at a hollywood video, i haden't seen it, and it was very very cheap. If you want to see it, i sugest renting it first.

This is a movie that I seen in high school (Mideval History) and my teacher of that class insisted that it was about as accurate a portrayal of Medieval Life available out of all of the movies involving Medieval life and oddly I had to agree. This movie is definately British humor and the Brits like things dry like Gin and their jokes. Also there is a different view toward nudity in the European cultures so partial nudity in movies is acceptable where here in the good old USA sexuality of any kind is taboo and a very hypocritical view is taken toward nudity. If you are naked in a movie you are offending peoples' cultural sensativities and to them I say GET A LIFE! You came into this world naked, you bath naked, and you sure as heck are not going to care when you are dead and when you take off all our cloths, guess what! So with this aside there is also some extreme violence as well (people are being eaten by the Jabberwocky as well as animals and the Jabberwocky is pretty pissed off). This movie should have been in all honesty rated R. With cultural difference aside the movie is well made and well played out. There is the moments of side plots that go nowhere but it breaks up things a little so it is more of a snapshot of medieval life that is pretty damn accurate. People didn't bath then and true to Python humor the only person not covered in SHI* is the king (in the words of Palin during an interview about the Holy Grail). Many of the scenes are of filthy people in dirty hamlets being plagued by the Jabberwocky eating livestock and pesants. This is not your run of the mill pretty boy slaying the big bad dragon like 'Dragonslayer' where people look well groomed except the pesants who don't look like they really have hard lives with a really cool looking dragon. Jabberwocky makes the pesants LOOK like pesants. Filthy, covered in rags, and definately a punishment to the senses. You can almost smell the rank odor of the unwashed masses. The dragon Jabberwocky is a real nightmare. If they had the CGI of today it would have really creeped people out. It looks more like it is undead like a zombie dragon and it comes out mad as hell and out to kill. For what they lacked in CGI they made up for with raw special effects magic. There is nothing pretty about this movie. It is gritty and realistic.
Within the plot is a toung and cheek stab at chivalry, love, and honor. The hero loves a fat angry potatoe grubbing woman who does not care for him at all. The people he is out to save could care less and the nobles are ignorant, egotistical, and narcissistic. True to British form some of the humor is hidden in the subtlties and requires a little thinking. It helps to have a more worldly view rather than a basic education to understand this movie fully. It takes a lot to understand British humor sometimes. It also takes watching it twice to catch some of the side humor or satire involved. There is a scene where the hero is asleep at the foot of a castle that was closed over night. The hero is awakened to what he thinks is rain. He figures out what happened when he looks up to see a guard putting everything away after relieving himself over the side of the castle wall. This is one of the many satirical remarks made by this movie. The hero getting pissed on says a lot in itself. No other movie treats the hero like dirt.
The story does follow a typical progeression of events as the hero decides to hunt the Jabbgerwocky and when he finally catches up to it the fight is not all it is expected to be. If you are expecting a thriller of a movie this is not it. It is a more cereberal piece that makes statements that parrallels modern life. It is very entertaining in the traditional sense but the point will be lost on many younger viewers much like the movie Brasil (Terry Gillian) which was a movie ahead of it's time. I am a long time fan of Monty Python and although this is not a Monty Python movie there are people associated with the Python players in this movie and it does parallel the way Montey Python movies like the Life of Brian and The Holy Grail are presented. If you hate Montey Python stay away from this movie. It will bore the heck out of you. If you are a Python fan you will love it. If you are into foreign cinema then you will enjoy this movie as well.
It was done after the Lewis Carol poem and yes the Jabberwock has teeth that knash and claws that slash! This is no tame movie for as low brow as the humor is. I gave it a four stars because it is a good movie but not a great one. Five stars is reserved for movies like Riddic Chronicles or Kung Fu Hustle (WHICH GETS SIX STARS BY ME! HOT HOT HOT MOVIE!) but definately not a movie to be underestimated. Just because the point or content of the movie is lost to many of those posting reviews one should not be dissuaded from viewing Jabberwockie. It does not suck like the movie Pecker (Which could suck the seeds from a cucumber from one end! It was an hour and a half of my life wasted) or Being John Malcovitch which sucks harder than a tornado in Kansas (I wanted to kick the hell out of the characters and take their lunch money! Especially the main character who discovers the secret door. Total drivel unfit for the silver screen and worst than a waste of my time and thankfully I wasted no money putting up with it!!) This definately is no Prince Valliant movie. I say watch it if you want to see something different. Don't if all you want is blood and gore action.
To all of thee I bid thee NIE! NIE! NIE!NIE!NIE!NIE!
And where is my SHRUBBERY?