Loosely based around the authors of Grimm Fairy Tales who wrote Little Red Riding Hood and The ginger bread Man, this film follows the brothers as they embark on an adventure in their very own grim fairy tale.
Jacob and Will Grimm have grown up to be con artists in order to make lots of ... Read review
Fairy tales come vividly to life inThe Brothers Grimm, a long-delayed fantasy/horror ... more
comedy that greatly benefits from the ingenuity of director Terry Gilliam. In lesser hands, the ambitious screenplay by prolific horror specialist Ehren Kruger (who wr...
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Fairy tales come vividly to life inThe Brothers Grimm, a long-delayed fantasy/horror ... more
comedy that greatly benefits from the ingenuity of director Terry Gilliam. In lesser hands, the ambitious screenplay by prolific horror specialist Ehren Kruger (who wr...
Postage & Packaging: free Super Saver Delivery Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Matt Damon (The Bourne Supremacy, Ocean's 12) and Heath Ledger (The Patriot, A Knight's ... more
Tale) team with acclaimed director Terry Gilliam for this fantastic tale based on the legendary storytellers. Famous collectors of folklore, Will and Jake Grimm (Da...
Eliminating Evil Since 1812. Set in the early 19th century (in French-occupied Germany!) ... more
Will Grimm (Damon) and Jake Grimm (Ledger) are siblings who travel the countryside as snake-oil salesmen convincing unsuspecting towns that they are haunted and ...
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Production Year: 2007 - Action/Adventure - Director: Paul Greengrass - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring:Matt Damon, Julia Stiles, Joan Allen, Edgar Ramirez, David Strathairn, Paddy Considine, Albert Finney
Production Year: 2002 - Action/Adventure - Director: Vincenzo Natali - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring:Lucy Liu, David Hewlett, Anne Marie Scheffler, Joseph Scoren, Matthew Sharp, Jeremy Northam
Production Year: 1964 - Action/Adventure - Director: Cyril Endfield - Original Language: English - Classification: Parental Guidance - Starring:Stanley Baker, Jack Hawkins, Ulla Jacobsson, James Booth, Michael Caine, Nigel Green
Advantages: A decent soundtrack Disadvantages: Uninspiring, dull as dishwater acting and a 2 hour waste of my life.
Loosely based around the authors of Grimm Fairy Tales who wrote Little Red Riding Hood and The ginger bread Man, this film follows the brothers as they embark on an adventure in their very own grim fairy tale.
Jacob and Will Grimm have grown up to be con artists in order to make lots of money and get the girls. To do this they travel from village to village in Germany and play on the fears of the local people. With a couple of friends ... ...'rid' the town of it for a small fee of course.
All is going well until they are kidnapped by General Delatombe and his henchman Cavaldi. It transpires that they have been observing the brothers, and that someone has been copying their tricks. In a local village ten girls have gone missing, and the brothers are ordered to apprehend the culprit or they will meet a gruesome fate.
Cavaldi is sent along to keep a watchful eye other them, ... more
Loosely based around the authors of Grimm Fairy Tales who wrote Little Red Riding Hood and The ginger bread Man, this film follows the brothers as they embark on an adventure in their very own grim fairy tale.
Jacob and Will Grimm have grown up to be con artists in order to make lots of money and get the girls. To do this they travel from village to village in Germany and play on the fears of the local people. With a couple of friends they stage events such as a local ghost, and then 'rid' the town of it for a small fee of course. All is going well until they are kidnapped by General Delatombe and his henchman Cavaldi. It transpires that they have been observing the brothers, and that someone has been copying their tricks. In a local village ten girls have gone missing, and the brothers are ordered to apprehend the culprit or they will meet a gruesome fate. Cavaldi is sent along to keep a watchful eye other them, but when they arrive in the village they soon realize that all is not as it seems. Will the brothers be able to find the missing girls, or is it already too late?
While the storyline sounds captivating enough it's hardly original as it's very reminiscent of Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow, as the heroes use strange looking gadgets that are way ahead of their time. Where Sleepy Hollow got the balance of creepy and humour right, this film struggles to define which genre it is. The problem is you're never sure if you watching an adventure film, romance, comedy, horror or something in between the lot. What you get is toads that you lick to get directions, a boy that turns into the gingerbread Man for know apparent reason, a romance of sorts and characters from the fairy tales weaving in and out. Add to this people running about and acting silly and you'll end up with a film that disappoints on almost every level.
The CGI is way over the top to be remotely believable, and where you should be spooked by the events you're just laughing at how silly they look. All is not lost however and there are some visually stunning scenes to feast your eyes on. Take for example the forest where some of the children have gone missing. One minute it displays a beautiful array of autumn colours, and the next it's unveiling the dark hue tones that can make it a very spooky place to be in. Limited scenes of this nature however aren't enough to save this film from being anything more than average.
For a start Director Terry Gilliam (Monty Python) postponed making this film for six months, as the film studios were unhappy with the film. One of the biggest mistakes he made was casting Heath Ledger and Matt Damon in the lead roles. Damon who was superb as a bond style spy in The Bourne Identity, for the majority of the film lacks the zap which is required. Hedger's English accent ends up being a cross between Graham Norton and Zippy from Rainbow. Heath ledger is capable of much better things as he proved in a Knights tale and Broke back Mountain. Laughably though he won BEST actor of the year, gaining a Central Ohio film critics award. Getting such an award for his bleak performance, hardly says much for any of the other actors in the category. Lena Heady fairs slightly better as the feisty heroine in the story, but Jonathan Price is wasted in this film and never really gets a chance to shine. The award for most annoying, over the top actor would have to go to Peter Stormare as Cavaldi. His Italian accent is over exaggerated, and he goofs about like a clown on speed. Very rapidly you'll find yourself screaming "not that idiot again, get off!"
Written by Ehren Kruger who was the ingenious behind Arlington Road, but who slipped up with Scream 3 and The Skeleton key, this latest attempt of his was always going to be a very hit and miss affair. In my mind where he went wrong was taking the audience for complete idiots, which is never a bright move. In a scene involving the heroine coming up against a wolf it's obvious that something alarms her about his eyes. It's there for all to see but Kruger insists on making her say "His eyes …" in a creepy manner. There are many other scenes where this takes place and it rapidly becomes very annoying. It's blatantly obvious what's happening, and I certainly didn't need it spelt out for me. It's basically like your going in doors after being out in the rain, and some idiot says "you look wet, is it raining? While watching this charade I had the distinct feeling that Kruger and Gilliam were both making it all up as they went along, and just left us with pieces of different puzzles that are impossible to fit together.
At just under 2 hours in length this film drags on far too long for its own good. While editing has been clearly made albeit poor, another half another sliced off would've benefited this film. When the film finally finished, I was still very much confused as nothing was tied to up and just it went out with a whimper instead of a bang.
The only really note worthy element to mention is the powerful and captivating soundtrack. Although the brilliance of the eerie sounds of the sting family couldn't save this film, it does add a slightly dark atmosphere to the proceedings.
The film has a 12 certificate due to violence, frightening sequences and brief suggestive material (beats me where that was), lol. Although I don't have children I wouldn't be happy for a child of 12 years old to see this. I say this because there are scenes involving horrific injuries to animals, and in particular a cute little kitten gets sliced and diced which isn't pleasant.
If you're a fan of Tim Burton's sleepy Hollow then this might appeal to you, although Burton's film was way better in every respect. Similarly if you really have a thing for Damon and /or Ledger, then go a head and knock yourself out. For the rest of you out there, if you like your films to make sense, then avoid this one like the plague.
This film was released in 2005 and retails at around £4 from amazon.
Advantages: Superb acting, great special effects and settings, original compilation. Disadvantages: Not perfectly balanced, didn't tie up all it's loose ends.
...DVD to give balance to the negative way in which other people have received it. I put off watching if for months and months having read several reviews about how awful it is but was last night pleasantly surprised to find myself enjoying a very watchable film.
Synopsis (spoiler-free)
The story is inspired by the Grimm Brothers as the title might suggest. For those of you who aren't sure, Jacob and Willhelm Grimm were fairytale writers from the ... ..."Little Red Riding Hood". The 2005 film Brothers Grimm however is by no means biographical and should be treated purely as inspired fiction.
To start with we get an insight into how the characters Willhelm and Jacob spent their childhood before discovering two grown Brothers Grimm travelling the country as con-artists. Along with their hired henchmen, they roam from town to town playing on local folklores to frighten the locals into paying them ...
Lizamabug 12.05.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Brothers Grimm (DVD)
Advantages: Interesting casting Disadvantages: A nonsensical script, poor effects and lack of chemistry between co-stars
...who spend their time hoodwinking the simple country folk of Germany. They make a name for themselves ridding villages of mythical beasts and baddies with their fake magic. But they soon find some fairytales are real when they are called on by nasty government official Delatombe to find children that have disappeared in a haunted forest. Can the pair take on real sorcery and win?
Ex-Monty Python member Terry Gilliam is a visionary director with a ... ...he always manages to bypass the system to make the films he wants. Not all of them are successful or even coherent, but they are always diverting and a real treat for the senses. However, it was only a matter of time before the studios managed to get one over on him and sadly "The Brothers Grimm" is the victim of this. The production was plagued with problems from the start; Gilliam wasn't allowed to cast the female lead (Emma Morton) that he wanted ...
afy9mab 12.03.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Brothers Grimm (DVD)
Advantages: Brilliant graphics Disadvantages: A far-fetched tale (but is that always a bad thing?)
...2005 'The Brothers Grimm' tells the story of legendary storytellers Will and Jake Grimm, famous not only for collecting folklore but for vanquishing monsters and demons for a price. The only snag is, is that the pair are simply con artists who together with their two stagecraft companions simply conjure up these imaginary demons and non-existent monsters and battle them without and risk whatsoever. This however is all about to change when they are ... ...the village of Marbaden, where ten young girls have vanished and uncover the mystery behind it. But when the pair comes face to face with a real enchanted forest their minds become a blur of magic that even they could never have dreamt up. This haunted forest and its genuine and living curse will test the brothers to the extreme, as this job doesn't simply require a few snap traps and a length of rope. Oh no, this job requires genuine courage something ...
MI9to5 28.09.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Brothers Grimm (DVD)
Advantages: Visually Stunning. Disadvantages: Rubbish Ending Due to Weak Story.
...so we decided to watch The Brothers Grimm that we had rented. I gave up with it after ten minutes as I was bored and Sam gave up after half an hour fast forwarding to the end to see what happened. Yesterday though my boyfriend decided he wanted to give it a go so I sat down with him and tried it again and although this time I watched it all the way through I still did not think it was worth watching.
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The film:
A little boy comes running ... ...hear a lady say in the background 'Jacob did you sell the cow?'. Jacob holds out his hands and shows that he has sold the cow for magic beans which he believes will cure everything. His brother Will tells him he is stupid and that magic beans do not solve anything and that Jacob always manages to mess things up.
Fast forward quite a few years and Will and Jacob are traveling to a small village who are plagued with a witch that they cannot get rid ...
katygriff 02.05.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Brothers Grimm (DVD)
Advantages: entertaining , light viewing Disadvantages: not as sophisticated as some might expect
The Brothers Grimm
Starring: Matt Damon and Heath Ledger
Format : DVD
" Matt Damon and Heath Ledger team with acclaimed director Terry Gilliam for this fantastic tale based on the legendary storytellers .
Famous collectors of folklore , Will and Jake Grimm are also travelling conmen who promise to rid towns of legendary monsters and nonexistent demons in exchange for quick money .
But they'll soon see things beyond even their wild imagination ... ...for a doctor after selling the family cow .
Jake returns , overjoyed at having achieved his aim , but to his family's despair has accepted payment in " magic beans " from a stranger he met on the road , and the relationship between the brothers is set from this point .
Will sees Jake as an idealistic dreamer whose main interest in life is the writing of fantastical stories , and Jake considers Will to be little more than a hardened conman and womaniser ...
Janej47 18.03.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Brothers Grimm (DVD)
Feature Commentary, Deleted Scenes With Optional Commentary, Bringing The Fairy Tale To Life A Look Behind The Scenes Of The Brothers Grimm, The Visual Magic Of The Brothers Grimm A Look At The Special Effects Featured In The Brothers Grimm
With dazzling, inspired imagery of the grotesque-caricature, lyrical-fairy-tale, and harrowing-nightmare variety, sometimes all at once. (Premiere, )
It's Gilliam's chance to run amok, and watching him do it is eye-popping fun (Rolling Stone, )
Visually fantastic and very enjoyable (The Independent, )
DVD Description
Director Terry Gilliam, who brought his magical storytelling talents to such films as TIME BANDITS and THE ADVENTURES OF BARON MUNCHAUSEN, sets his sights on the Brothers Grimm, turning their life into a playfully grim fairy tale all its own. Set in early 18th Century French-occupied Germany, THE BROTHERS GRIMM stars Matt Damon as Will Grimm and Heath Ledger as Jake Grimm, siblings who travel the countryside as snake-oil salesmen, convincing unsuspecting towns that they are haunted and agreeing to get rid of the demons for a price. In the meantime, they set their tales down in writing, creating a wealth of oddball, offbeat, and frightening characters. But after they are caught by General Delatombe (Jonathan Pryce) and his sidekick, Cavaldi (Peter Stormare), they are sent to the tiny village of Marbaden to solve the mysterious disappearance of a number of young girls, placing them in the middle of a fantasy world unlike any they'd ever invented. They enlist the help of a peasant woman, Angelika (Lena Headey), and they set off for the evil forest to save the lives of the girls and themselves. Gilliam has once again built a unique, entertaining land where anything can happen, and he throws in references to such Grimm tales as Little Red Riding Hood, Hansel and Gretel, Cinderella, Rapunzel, and the Frog Prince for good measure. The movie also features Mackenzie Crook and Richard Ridings as the Grimms' cohorts, Monica Bellucci as the Mirror Queen, and Julian Bleach and Bruce McEwan as two of Cavaldi's henchmen.
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