Rating: 
Summary: Ironic but stirring, my favorite fantasy epic!
Review: There have been many Baron Munchausens through the years, and by that I do not mean merely that there have been many movie versions. The real Baron Hieronynimus Karl Friedrich von Munchausen (1720-1797), a resident of Göttingen, was a veteran of the wars with the Turks, and loved to tell outrageous tales with an imperturbable countenance, as if they had actually happened: these stories included his encounter with a ravenous wolf, from which he saved himself by reaching down into its jaws and turning it inside out, how his horse came to be bridled to the top of a church steeple, and his famous cannonball ride. (I myself have had a lifelong interest in the Baron and his tales, partly because several members of my family assert, without any real foundation that I can see, that the Baron is a distant relation.) The Baron never expected these tales to be taken literally; some scholars believe that he told them to drive away overly serious or otherwise boring visitors. Certainly he never expected to see his tales put into print without his permission, especially alongside other more remarkable tales falsely attributed to him, such as a trip to the moon, his adventures inside a giant sea monster, how he obtained his remarkable servants, and his meeting with Don Quixote, as well as other notable figures from literature. Some of these stories were added by an erstwhile companion of the Baron, Rudolph Erich Raspe, and others by the publisher. The Baron was understandably incensed at the appropriation of his own tall tales, and the connection of his good name to tales which made him seem to be a liar or a lunatic. McKeown and Gilliam's version of the Baron is nothing less than brilliant, for many reasons, first and foremost because as the movie begins, in a nameless town under siege by the Turks somewhere on the shores of the Mediterranean, the Baron is an old man, a laughingstock, a character in theatrical productions which do not present his stories correctly, a hero whose statue in the town square has been destroyed: he is already part of history when he returns to remind the world of his existence. He does so in grand style, captivating his audiences in the meantime. The Baron's foes in most versions of his adventures were wild animals, soldiers, and literary and historical figures; many of these do appear here, but his greatest enemy in this movie is none other than the Right Ordinary Horatio Jackson, a functionary who attempts to run the city by reason and Enlightenment, and who has no time for figures such as the Baron. Jackson sees the Baron as a fool, a liar, or a madman, while the Baron considers Jackson to be a sign of things to come, if he and his tales should ever pass from the world. In this sense the Baron is a very close relative of Don Quixote, who challenged the everyday reality in which the majority of his neighbors lived. Like Don Quixote, the Baron is both laughable and admirable at the same time, and the film's perspective is without a doubt told from the perspective of the Baron's view of reality. Gilliam and McKeown's insertion of the central conflict of _Don Quixote_ rejuvenates the Baron and his tales, once again. This convoluted story could not have been told without a capable cast, and the casting directors outdid themselves. Particularly remarkable is John Neville as the Baron; I can think of no other actor who could have created a Baron who could tell such fantastic tales with such officiousness and dignity. Sarah Polley turns in a wonderful performance as his sidekick. I simply have never seen a better performance by a child actor. All of the other actors turn in wonderful performances as well, under what must have been very trying circumstances--the production was plagued with technical and funding problems from the start. Another factor which made the filming difficult was the sheer number of special effects and action sequences. This film is technically brilliant; its sets, camera work, and costumes all waver between believable and incredible, as is appropriate for a movie about the adventures of an incredible story teller. The cinematography is beautiful, and the sets on the moon and within the city are particularly well-done. The cast and crew, much like the Baron himself in the face of everyday reality, rose above their difficulties to create an immortal and immortalizing version of the Baron's amazing adventures. Another element of the film that ties is all together is Michael Kamen's wonderful score, which is by turns, as the film demands it, martial, lunatic, or stirring. Gilliam and Kamen together have created their finest work in this film. The music has also had a powerful effect upon my own life: many times when I have gotten into a scrape in some part of the globe or other I have heard the Baron's theme in my head, and the image of the Baron marching toward the Sultan's tent has given me the motivation to go on. It has thus gotten me out of many a tight spot--as many as the original story of the Baron, an early impetus for my own travels, has gotten me into. In short, though I cannot recommend this film to everyone, those who enjoy adventure, tall tales, and fantasy will enjoy it, as will those who remember such films as Korda's _Thief of Baghdad_ and Curtiz' _Robin Hood_. To quote the Baron, it is "an interesting experience which I don't hesitate strongly to recommend"!
Rating:
Summary: Ambitious Movie
Review: By far the movie most fraught with criti-schism. This is Terry Gilliam's best picture. The ambitous layout's and great travel story lead to a truly entertaining movie for all ages.
Rating:
Summary: Remarkable. Unbelievable. Impossible. And true
Review: The Age of Reason. A time when men are ruled by logic and emotions have no place. Fantasy is dead. Where does such frivolous things belong in the world today? But their is always a place for war. And a city is besieged by the Turks, heroism met with death instead of cheers. Why? It's not rational. Even though the government frowns on it, the common people turn to fantasy to forget their woes. The theater is putting on a production of 'The Adventures of Baron Munchausen', much to the Baron's chagrin. And so begins an adventure where the aged baron, longing to die then live in a world that has no use for him, goes to end the war because a little girl believes in him. Along the way he'll find old friends, travel to the moon, inside a volcano, the belly of a giant fish and occasionally delight us with a tale of adventures past. This delightful film is a marvelous treat for both young and old. The cast is delightfully filled with John Neville as Baron Munchausen, the wonderful Eric Idle as one of his servants, Oliver Reed as Vulcan, Uma Thurman as his bride Venus, and Robin Williams as the King of the Moon whose head is constantly at war with his body. The story is rich and whimiscal, serious where it needs to be. The special effects are top notch, making you believe the fantastic is real. This is one of Terry Gilliam's finer films. And is highly recommended for the young or the young at heart.
Rating: 
Summary: lots of fun
Review: i've been a terry gilliam fan since i saw 'brazil' and have rarely been disappointed. this lives up to his usual work in many ways, although it lacks the certain darkness that is present in much of his stuff. a fairy tale for adults is how i usually describe this movie to anyone who asks...unlike 'time bandits' and 'brazil' (the first two movies in the unofficial trilogy) which both show society and rationalism defeating man, the baron deals with the final victory of fantasy and belief over rationalism and science. this is just a fun movie to watch and to dream about. trying to think through it doesn't really work, you simply have to let your imagination go and accept it. not many movies challenge adults to do that anymore, and it is cool to have one that does.
Rating:
Summary: Time Bandits II?
Review: When this first came out I thought the ADVENTURES OF BARON MUNCHAUSEN was just a fancy way to say "Time Bandits 2". Imagine my disappointment when, much like Napoleon, I discovered the tall statue of most of the cast. I had never heard of the Baron and couldn't get into these "adventures". But years later I have a different opinion. Terry Gilliam, who spent much of his early career cutting out bits of paper animations for John Cleese and the rest of Monty Python, shows how to tell a tale on the big screen. Lots of excitement and never boring. The visual effects are stunning in places (the Baron's trip across the sky on a morar shell and the amazing climb to the tip of the moon) and wonderfully campy in others (The moon king riding those...er, whatever those were and the big fish scene). The variety of characters is refreshing and made me want to read some of the Baron's other tales. The DVD picture and sound are very good. There is also lots of star power: John Neville (The Fifth Element), Uma Thurman (Pulp Fiction), Oliver Reed (Oliver!), Robin Williams (Mrs. Doubtfire), Jonathan Pryce (Brazil), and my favorite Eric Idle (Monty Python). You won't be disappointed. ...
Rating:
Summary: Ah, yes, The Baron
Review: Truly, Gilliam's only self-created obstacle is his structure.... When I first saw this at the movies (like so many of Gilliam's other movies) I thought upon leaving the theatre "what the heck was that?".... His structure and timing are non-conventional, his directing far too honest and naive, but the movie (and this coming from an aspiring and not unintelligent film major) is one of major cinematic beauty and purity. You can find the details in other reviews, so I will not endeavour to write what has already been communicated, but let it be known that Gilliam's Baron is one of the most enchanting and lyrical fantasies ever made, for both child and adult alike. The lulls that others have noted are called "pacing" in the modern lingo, something not found in modern movies. Character building is what makes Gilliam so enchanting/infuriating. It is difficult to swallow at first, but after two or three viewings, you know exactly what he is about, and the movie goes down very sweet indeed. Trust me, as with other convention breaking paradigms, a little patience goes a long way with Gilliam's Baron. Please, watch, and enjoy. J.
Rating:
Summary: Superlative Terry Gillian film; fantasy meets reason
Review: THE ADVENTURES OF BARON MUNCHAUSEN: amazing new worlds to visit; in the Age on Enlightenment I believe; themes of logic and science pushing out art, creativity and therefore, even imagination; great battle sequence at the end; amazing visuals and fantasy plays; not fully appreciated for its time. Terry Gilliam directed if that changes your mind either way.
Rating: 
Summary: Technical problem with this DVD
Review: Like the Dinosaur Collector's Edition DVD, this one won't play on my Pioneer Elite DV-37 player. It runs for about 10 minutes and then just stops.
Rating:
Summary: An excercise in the imagination
Review: I love this movie. However it is a Terry Gilliam movie which means that it is pretty strange. Liking this movie will take an acquired taste. You'll love it or you'll hate it, so rent this before you buy it. THis film is pure fantasy, it is a bunch of nonsense and ridiculous occurences strung together, if thats not your thing you won't like it. Munchausen is filled with wonderful and whimsical moments, along with stunning visuals. Air balloons made of underwear,a cast of characters with amazing powers and quirky attitudes, and strange beasts eating and killing everything in their paths. Gilliam unloaded tons of cash on the effects for this movie, and they look great considering it was made in the 80's. The dvd's image qualiity is wonderful and brings everything to vibrant life. THe sound was just fine for me and didn't drown out the actors dialogue. In order to truly view this movie you must be in the mindset that this is purely fantasy and no real logic is adheared to, even though there is a core story line. I have watched this movie many times and still do not fully understand the ending. AS far as extras there is a trailer, das ist it. The movie is the perfect fantasy adventure and will bring forth imagination and wonder in anyone who watches it. Just make sure you check reality at the door beforehand.
Rating:
Summary: Is there a doctor in the fish?
Review: Without a doubt in my mind and not having to take a long time to think about it this has to be my all time favourite movie. John Neville does a brilliant job portraying the imfamous liar Baron Munchausen. With a great cast that includes Eric Idle, Sarah Polley and Jonathan Pryce (to name a few) Baron Munchausen returns on the eve of battle with the Turks claiming that he started it. With the help of a young girl played by Sarah Polly, Baron Munchausen sets out to find his old servants. This movie is a wonderful piece of fantasy that makes me feel like a child again, making us believe that we can sail to the moon, giant see monsters and defying death. It also has some of the best acting and wittiest dialogue. A movie that avoids all the Hollywood cliche's of what a film should be like and is just plain fun to watch.
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