Rating: 
Summary: Excellent Terry Gilliam flick
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Medieval Romp, reminiscent of Python, but different!
Review: A Python spin-off, owing much to the earlier "Monty Python and The Holy Grail", Jabberwocky is a fine film in its own right, featuring a tremendous cast of British stalwarts, a regrettably high percentage of whom have since died. Harry H Corbett, John Le Mesurier, Max Wall, Bernard Bresslaw and Brian Glover all feature and none is still with us.Disinherited by his father and therefore unable to win the hand of the appalling Griselda Fishfinger, who snacks on raw potatoes, gormless but optimistic Dennis Cooper (Michael Palin) sets off for the city to make his fortune. The city is somewhat under siege by the vicious Jabberwock(y), a beast influenced by Lewis Carrol's doggerel poem of the same name. Dennis, in the time-honoured tradition, is ultimately required to rid the city of the threat and accordingly claim half of King Bruno the Questionable's creaking kingdom and the hand in marriage of his beautiful daughter, notwithstanding the dubious but apparently lingering attractions of "Greasy" Griselda. The riotous succession of eccentric characters encountered along the way is what it's all about, of course, with a memorable string of ridiculous situations and occurrences and liberal spattering of mud and gore to be undergone. This film rewards repeated viewing, when previously unappreciated subtleties emerge. The Fishfinger family's changing attitude to Dennis, according to his perceived fortunes, Dennis narrowly escaping death or serious injury on a regular basis, Gordon Kaye appearing briefly, dressed inexplicably as a nun, the kingdom by degrees collapsing, there's a beggar who attracts charity by means of auto-amputation, street-racing merchants, the King displaying only intermittent episodes of lucidity, characters who step out of line are suddenly and brutally eliminated - it's all great fun. Jabberwocky is less well known than the pure Python films, but none the worse for that. When the DVD is available in the UK, I shall be ordering a copy.
Rating: 
Summary: Unsteady "Jabberwocky"
Review: Anyone who has read Lewis Carroll's classic children's tales will remember "Jabberwocky," the screwball poem about a young man slaying the fearsome Jabberwock. While there are some likable moments in "Jabberwocky," it never really pulls itself together. Dennis Cooper (Michael Palin) is disinherited by his about-to-die father, penniless, and inexplicably in love with the obese, potato-crunching, none-too-pleasant Griselda Fishfinger. So Dennis heads off to the city, only to learn that the fearsome Jabberwock, a horrendous monster that devours everything except the head and bones of its victims, is attacking the city. King Bruno (Max Wall) has promised his romantic-minded daughter's hand to the one who slays the Jabberwock, and the princess duly falls in love with the hapless Dennis. So somehow this "beamish boy" ends up being sent out against the Jabberwock in a horrific wasteland. It's hard to tell what the vision behind "Jabberwocky" was, but it came across as a limp spinoff of "Monty Python and the Holy Grail." It has the same grimy, icky medieval look, klunky knights and abundance of filthy beggars, but it doesn't manage to be similarly hilarious. Is it a farce? A dark fairy-tale? The evil twin of "Holy Grail"? I was never really sure, and sometimes I wasn't sure if Gilliam was either. He flipflops through all three. The Jabberwock is pretty good; though nobody could say it looks real, it's entertaining. The jokes are often either stretched out to the breaking point, or repeated over and over (like the urination joke). And while the tale of Dennis is engaging, there's no twist or offbeat quirk to make it really engaging. It proceeds and ends just as you'd expect it to. Michael Palin is the saving grace of the movie. He's wonderfully bewildered as events spin out of his control, especially when the princess greets him stark naked. Max Wall gives a pleasantly offbeat performance as King Bruno, So take up your vorpal blade, head off through the Tulgey Wood, and burble your way over to one of Gilliam's more cohesive works. This isn't one of them, unless you're a die-hard fan of Palin.
Rating:
Summary: Unsteady "Jabberwocky"
Review: Anyone who has read Lewis Carroll's classic children's tales will remember "Jabberwocky," the screwball poem about a young man slaying the fearsome Jabberwock. While there are some likable moments in "Jabberwocky," it never really pulls itself together. Dennis Cooper (Michael Palin) is disinherited by his about-to-die father, penniless, and inexplicably in love with the obese, potato-crunching, none-too-pleasant Griselda Fishfinger. So Dennis heads off to the city, only to learn that the fearsome Jabberwock, a horrendous monster that devours everything except the head and bones of its victims, is attacking the city. King Bruno (Max Wall) has promised his romantic-minded daughter's hand to the one who slays the Jabberwock, and the princess duly falls in love with the hapless Dennis. So somehow this "beamish boy" ends up being sent out against the Jabberwock in a horrific wasteland. It's hard to tell what the vision behind "Jabberwocky" was, but it came across as a limp spinoff of "Monty Python and the Holy Grail." It has the same grimy, icky medieval look, klunky knights and abundance of filthy beggars, but it doesn't manage to be similarly hilarious. Is it a farce? A dark fairy-tale? The evil twin of "Holy Grail"? I was never really sure, and sometimes I wasn't sure if Gilliam was either. He flipflops through all three. The Jabberwock is pretty good; though nobody could say it looks real, it's entertaining. The jokes are often either stretched out to the breaking point, or repeated over and over (like the urination joke). And while the tale of Dennis is engaging, there's no twist or offbeat quirk to make it really engaging. It proceeds and ends just as you'd expect it to. Michael Palin is the saving grace of the movie. He's wonderfully bewildered as events spin out of his control, especially when the princess greets him stark naked. Max Wall gives a pleasantly offbeat performance as King Bruno, So take up your vorpal blade, head off through the Tulgey Wood, and burble your way over to one of Gilliam's more cohesive works. This isn't one of them, unless you're a die-hard fan of Palin.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely my favourite film!
Review: 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.
Rating: 
Summary: For Gilliam affciandos and the generally warped only
Review: Being one myself, I can honestly say that I love Terry Gilliam's first film. The general tone is wonderfully dark, and Michael Palin gives a wonderful performance as the rather ineffective hero. However, I can easily see how this would not be a hit with the average viewer. For me, Jabberwocky is a feast of marginal insanity, visually elegant (with a fantastic interpretation of the Jabberwock), and above all INTERESTING. However, for the the viewer whose favourite film is... say Titanic, this would be a nightmare. Being Gilliam's first film (apart from his work with Monty Python, that is), there are some noticeable rough spots. Most characters aren't really developed, as the film seems to go for an "overall effect" instead of heart-rending individuality.
Rating: 
Summary: Python-Lite
Review: Essentially, Director Terry Gilliam is trying to tackle the same territory the Pythons did In "Monty Python and the Holy Grail", however, this movie captures the mood of that film but not the spirit. Ostensibly, the plot involves a cooper (Michael Palin) trying to impress his beloved by slaying a beast that is terrorizing the kingdom. However, director Gilliam has bigger fish to fry. He wants to demonstrate that medieval times were rotten. This theme is repeated over and over again, ad nauseum. He does this through various sight gags some involving body functions. This is not a bad movie, it just pales in comparison to "The Holy Grail". If you are a fan of Python then I give it a marginal recommendation.
Rating:
Summary: More offbeat than funny
Review: Every time I go to watch this movie, I remember the last time I watched it, and didn't like it at all. But even after viewing it about 5 times already, I still feel compelled to view it every now and then. It takes a mighty odd film to do that.
Rating:
Summary: LET'S GO WHIFFLING THROUGH THE TULGEY WOOD
Review: Filmed two years after "Holy Grail, director Terry Gilliam's "JABBERWOCKY" (Columbia Tristar, $25) stars Python pal Michael Palin in a picaresque, sometimes madcap, medievalishly loose adaptation of Lewis Carroll's nonsense poem "Jabberwocky" (taken from "Through the Looking Glass," the sequel to "Alice in Wonderland.")
"The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame, came whiffling through the tulgey wood, and burbled as it came!" Carroll was a wordsmith of high weirdness and Gilliam is a uniquely gifted artist (and animator) with a singularly skewed vision. A perfect match, it would seem. Unfortunately, when this film was originally released, what Python fans expected was another full throttle farce like "Holy Grail." It is not. Officially, this is not even a Python film but rather an artistic exercise grim fairy tale imagery itself. Wonderfully stylized costumes and sets abound in rich detail and design. The story follows simpleton peasant Dennis Cooper (Palin) who, disowned by his late father, leaves his true love -- the obese, spiteful Griselda Fishfinger -- and heads for the big city that has, unbeknownst to him, been laid waste by the dreaded Jabberwock. There seems to be an homage by Gilliam to acknowledge original Carroll illustrator John Tenniel's line drawings, especially when the Jabberwock actually appears. And with whom Cooper does battle.
"One, two! One, two! And through and through the vorpel blade went snicker snack! He left it dead and with its head went galumphing back." The widescreen disc features a fascinating and funny commentary with Gilliam and Palin as well as photos and sketch to screen comparisons. For specialized tastes and Gilliam fans.
Rating:
Summary: LET'S GO WHIFFLING THROUGH THE TULGEY WOOD
Review: Filmed two years after "Holy Grail, director Terry Gilliam's "JABBERWOCKY" (Columbia Tristar, $25) stars Python pal Michael Palin in a picaresque, sometimes madcap, medievalishly loose adaptation of Lewis Carroll's nonsense poem "Jabberwocky" (taken from "Through the Looking Glass," the sequel to "Alice in Wonderland.")
"The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame, came whiffling through the tulgey wood, and burbled as it came!" Carroll was a wordsmith of high weirdness and Gilliam is a uniquely gifted artist (and animator) with a singularly skewed vision. A perfect match, it would seem. Unfortunately, when this film was originally released, what Python fans expected was another full throttle farce like "Holy Grail." It is not. Officially, this is not even a Python film but rather an artistic exercise grim fairy tale imagery itself. Wonderfully stylized costumes and sets abound in rich detail and design. The story follows simpleton peasant Dennis Cooper (Palin) who, disowned by his late father, leaves his true love -- the obese, spiteful Griselda Fishfinger -- and heads for the big city that has, unbeknownst to him, been laid waste by the dreaded Jabberwock. There seems to be an homage by Gilliam to acknowledge original Carroll illustrator John Tenniel's line drawings, especially when the Jabberwock actually appears. And with whom Cooper does battle.
"One, two! One, two! And through and through the vorpel blade went snicker snack! He left it dead and with its head went galumphing back." The widescreen disc features a fascinating and funny commentary with Gilliam and Palin as well as photos and sketch to screen comparisons. For specialized tastes and Gilliam fans.
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