Search - The Adventures of Baron Munchausen on DVD

MPAA Rating: PG Content Advisory: Violence, Brief Nudity, Suitable for Children Movie Release: 1989 DVD Release: 04/27/1999 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV Edition: Dual Layered Audio Tracks: English, Spanish Subtitles: English, Korean, Spanish, Thai SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 2 hrs 7 mins Studio: Columbia TriStar Members Wishing: 32 Genres: Fantasy, Costume Adventure, Sea Adventure, Fantasy Comedy, Fantasy Adventure See Also: The Adventures of Baron Munchausen [Blu-ray], The Adventures of Baron Munchausen [20th Anniversary Edition] [2Discs]

Director Terry Gilliam adroitly applies his Monty Python sensibilities upon the "career" of famed German prevaricator Baron von Munchausen. Played herein by John Neville, the baron is seen quelling a war that he himself started, flying into the stratosphere on the back of a cannonball, ballooning to the moon, exploring the innards of a volcano, being swallowed by a whale....In short, all of Munchausen's fabulous lies are here presented as "truth," played out in full view of nonplussed witnesses Eric Idle, Charles McKeown, Jack Purvis, and Sarah Polley. Fringe benefits include several loving medium shots of jaybird-naked Uma Thurman as Boticelli's Venus and an extended unbilled cameo by Robin Williams -- that is, by the head of Robin Williams -- as the King of the Moon. Filmed under considerable duress on a budget eventually exceeding 45 million dollars, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen never quite caught on with moviegoers, though it has enjoyed a lucrative afterlife on videocassette. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

John Neville - Baron Munchausen
Sarah Polley - Sally
Eric Idle - Berthold
Uma Thurman - Venus/Rose
Jonathan Pryce - Horatio Jackson
Oliver Reed - Vulcan
Sting - Heroic Officer
Charles McKeown - Rupert/Adolphus
Robin Williams - King of the Moon
Valentina Cortese - Queen Ariadne/Violet

It's a shame that films as highly regarded as those of Terry Gilliam are not always given the treatment they deserve; the DVD format allows for unprecedented levels of sound and picture quality, not to mention additional features, so it seems like a waste when a truly deserving picture such as this 1988 effort is given the simple, bare-bones treatment. The film is presented in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1, but there is no 16 x 9 enhancement, and the picture itself is of less than perfect quality. There is quite a bit of graininess, which could easily have been cleaned up, and the lighting seems to periodically flicker for no apparent reason. This is unfortunate, as there are few filmmakers out there who can match Gilliam's flair for visual beauty; talent of his magnitude deserves more respect than is shown here. Additionally, the soundtrack is a simple, two-channel Dolby Stereo mix, though the thundering battle scenes and frequently operatic score of this film almost demand full digital treatment. Other language tracks include Spanish and Portuguese, and subtitles are present in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Korean, Chinese, and Thai. Perhaps the biggest letdown of this disc are the special features; they consist of nothing more than the standard theatrical trailer and cast/crew bios. The film is as enjoyable as it ever was, and even the most impure DVD transfer is head and shoulders above VHS, but with the distinct lack of effort put into this disc, one can only hope that a special edition, perhaps even Criterion release, is on the horizon. ~ Andrew Hercock, All Movie Guide