Customer Reviews

The Missionary

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Michael Palin plays a missionary who has just returned after ten years in Africa. He has a fiancé waiting and has high hopes for a good position.

But all does not go as planned. He keeps running into an intriguing woman, his fiancé is obsessed with filing, and his church wants him to tackle the growing problem of "fallen women" working in the docklands.

Faced with the task of setting up a mission in London, he must find funding and souls to save. But to do either he finds that he may have to extend a different sort of kindness. One that gets him money and fills the mission with prospects.

But, again, all is not well. Other churches are jealous, all of their prospects want to go to Palin's mission. His funding source gets jealous and stops funding. He learns of a murder plot that he must stop. He must even go against the wishes of the church in order to save the women.

All of this is wrapped in a sort of dry British humor. We have the fiancé who is utterly obsessed with filing, a butler who can't go from one room to another without getting lost, and all sorts of subtle gags. In the middle is Palin as the straight man dealing with it all.

A good movie, but I have to agree with others that I can't believe MGM released it only in full-screen (several scenes have only a character's nose making it onto the screen).

How could MGM release a fullscreen only version of a film at this late date? I'm afraid that this lovely film is too obscure ever to be re-issued in the correct aspect ratio. I hope I'm proved wrong.

After ten years of heroic missionary work, the Rev. Charles Fortesque is recalled from Africa and reassigned to the most pressing problem of the Church of England - to reform "fallen women" who work on the back streets of East London. Yet, ironically, by a strange twist of fate, it is he who is reformed by a woman who once was "fallen". Or, is it that he always does the decent thing? I loved the reversals!

The information Amazon gives on this DVD does not stipulate whether it is wide-screen or full screen. I purchased on the assumption that it was the theatric release ratio but it is the full screen version. If this is what you want, fine, but otherwise watch out. I am not giving a review because full screen movies are not worth watching.

I loved the movie. Palin's great in the leading role. The humor isn't quite as heavy as the Python sort but you get lots of god laughs. I must say that I liked this better than fierce creatures.

... well worth the price movie !!! glad i ordered it. very funny as well. any movie with Maggie Smith is bound to be good, i am certain ... i especially liked the way it was filmed.

It's good to have THE MISSIONARY back on DVD again. Kudos to Image Entertainment, especially for bringing it out in a widescreen edition. That said, I noted two things about it:
1) While the movie was originally shot in 2.35:1 widescreen, the DVD is 1.78:1. This is a pity, since this is a visually sumptuous film, with some really nice visuals. That said, the cropping is only noticeable in a few shots.
2) The source print was not in great shape, with some noticeable scratches. There's also some loss of contrast in scenes with extreme lights and darks.
But, as I said, these are minor points. THE MISSIONARY is great good fun. It's not absurd sketch-type comedy like the Monty Python films, so as long as your expectations are adjusted accordingly, it's a hoot.

More subtle British type of humor than the wild spoofs of The Life of Brian or The Search for the Holy Grail. Another entertaining Pythonesque amusement.

The Rev.Charles Fortescue has returned to Victorian England after ten years among the natives of Colonial Africa.He arrives home with the intention of marriage to his fiancee,Deborah Fitzbank,a proper twit airhead who has an extreme obsessive/compulsive disorder of organizing things! No sooner does Fortescue settle in that The Bishop of London commissions him to work among "the ladies of the night;" and so begins the next tongue-in-cheek,typically British-humored chapter in dear Missionary Fortescue's life!

Anyone who is a big fan of The Monty Python alumni will immediately recognize Michael Palin,voted "most cute of the Monty Python group." Palin wrote and stars as Fortescue in this typically English farce that is all laughs in an economical 81 minutes.You cannot help but love Palin's Fortescue as do all of the "fallen women" of the East End of London.He is irresistible to all of them...and this "holy innocent" doesn't seem to get the clue! Maggie Smith, as the stately but seductive Lady Ames throws herself at him as one of his "biggest supporters", and still Fortescue is intent and oblivious to his animal magnetism to the opposite sex!

As the Brits would say,"Good show.Rollicking good fun!" and it is. This sprite film is full of the best of the BBC and Monty Python group for the last 30 years.Any fan of "Brit Wit" will be pointing at the screen and saying "oh she was in...and he starred in.."...you get it.Michael Palin is truly irresistible to anyone in this adorable romp through Victorian London.Palin shows off the writing and acting skills that have made him a five time BAFTA Award winner,even outshining John Cleese (probably more well recognized in America).For "ripping fun" and stayed British humor, THE MISSIONARY is a found Holy Grail!

This movie, about a missionary, who comes back from Africa, and is about to get married to his highly organised [British spelling] fiance, is given an assignment by his bishop, to "convert" the "fallen women" (prostitutes) of England. With funny performances by Palin, Maggie Smith (stunningly attractive in an aristocratic way), Phoebe Nicholls, as his future wife (you have to see the movie to see if he marries her), and others, presents a wickedly funny look at a man who seeks to do good, in the face of temptation. Not bad.