Rating: 
Summary: Python classic in a great and excellent DVD version!
Review: 1983'S "Monty Python's The Meaning Of Life" is one of the group's best comedies and has now finally struk down to earth in a brand-new DVD version which has a chock-full of bonus features! Although there is a catch,the first disc contains the full-length feature,but be warned the print wasn't correctly encoded during the film-to-disc transfer as there are appearances of jagged video interlacings BUT on my DVD player remote,there is a pan/scan control button which can give you the full frame ratio of this film and NO INTERLACINGS WHATSOEVER!!! Since this film was shot in a 'flat' aspect ratio (1.85.1),you can use the pan/scan button on your remote and it will clear away the problems,as simple as that!! The second disc contains lots and lots of bonus features such as the theatrical trailer and two TV spots PLUS an interesting promo film promoting the U.S. release of MEANING OF LIFE in which we see Mr.Creosote (not Terry Jones) traveling to LA'S finest restaurants in a so-called 'quest for the most expensive meal'! Also,a hilarious 'mockumentary' on the film's remastering in which Terry Jones takes the recycled film to a laundry mat and stuffs them in a dryer while Terry Gilliam cleans up the film using soap and water to scrub off the dirt! And a quirky virtual reunion in which all five surviving Pythons (Graham Chapman died in '89 of cancer) meet and mostly stand around hardly ever saying a word and so-forth.I love this DVD and that it's a absolute must-have for any Python fan!!! THANK YOU UNIVERSAL FOR FINALLY PUTTING OUT A SPECIAL EDITION DVD!!!
Rating: 
Summary: Horrible DVD quality...
Review: I'm not even going to go into the whole how I don't like Monty Python schtick. Just not my poison. I bought this as a gift for my husband for Christmas and the encode on this DVD is SO horrible the only reason it's not going back is because he threw away the original wrapping. Every motion in this DVD is plagued with lines that surround the object like an aura as it's moving. It's pathetic they would release a "special edition" with such crappy quality encoding. I don't even know if he's going to watch it all the way through b/c the lines are so bad. So for us...waste of money. (I could've told you that regardless of the lines! LOL! Sorry men...couldn't resist!)
Rating:
Summary: Deliciously offensive: One of the best
Review: Ever since I first saw "Meaning of Life", I've always looked upon it as an unheralded classic, something that fails in parts but on the whole is a satisfying last stab by the legendary Monty Python. Closer in spirit to the original sketch comedy show than the previous two movies (Holy Grail and Life of Brian, masterpieces of cinema), MOL is less of a movie than an extended show, with equal bits surreal and downright hilarious bits ("Find the Fish" is amongst the finest Python ever did, and the "Christmas in Heaven" segement is ribald and delicious).I had read on the internet about "technical problems" with the first disk, thus my not purchasing it until recently. I have to report that none of the problems reported seem to occur with my system. I will say the picture quality could stand to be cleaned up a little more, Holy Grail was far more crisp and colorful in its DVD transfer than MOL. maybe the fact that the Pythons themselves are so ambivalent about the film led to some effort (but not enough) to improve the picture quality from the DVD. I haven't gotten into all the special features as yet, but the fifty-minute "Meaning of the Making of Meaning of Life" is a remarkably well-done and (on John Cleese's part) cheery remeberance of the film's conception, filming, and eventual selection at the Cannes Film Festival. The trailer and TV spots seem clever, and I haven't gotten into much else in the brief time I've had it. Overall, I would say this is an essential addition to any Python fan's film library, and whatever gripes I may have about the picture quality should not take away from the absolute joy of this film. It's a masterpiece, and offensive as hell.
Rating:
Summary: THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST ORIGINAL COMEDIES OF ALL-TIME.
Review: "The Meaning Of Life" has it all: jokes, satire, unforgettable characters, incisive and intelligent songs, a lot of creativity, well, it has everything. Perhaps this isn't a comedy suitable for all the family, but without a doubt this is a movie completely different to the other comedies. The Monty Python team was capable of create intelligent jokes and at the same time funny jokes with a dose of critic to well respected institutions: the schools, the church, the army, the hospitals, as well to real life people: wealthy people, religious fanatics, lazy and obese people, etc. "The Meaning Of Life" presents very interesting issues while the Monty Python crew mixes black comedy with satire and philosophy. "The Meaning Of Life" is divided in several mini scenes, featuring characters searching for the answer to the mystery of life, some of them seem to provide clues and theories about the meaning of life, and some of them provide more doubts, creating an excellent balance between jokes and serious issues. Without a doubt "The Meaning Of Life" is highly recommendable for those who are looking an original and unique comedy.
Rating: 
Summary: Better get a bucket.
Review: "Monty Python's The Meaning of Life" is the group's third venture into film. For many it does represent a return to their roots in sketch comedy. Unfortunately it suffers from the problems that plague most skit movies - the disjointed structure inherent to this type of film begins to wear a bit after about an hour. That said it does rise above other films of this ilk, providing us with a lot more hits than misses and with some very funny and now classic Python bits. So while I wouldn't consider "The Meaning of Life" Monty Python's best effort on film, it is a must have for any Python fan. The "Special Edition" of this DVD is a bit of a mixed bag. There is the fiasco with Disc 1. When it was played on progressive-scan DVD players, there was "the appearance of jagged video interlacing". The "replacements" that Universal sent out have the same problem. I did find that if I manually turn off the progressive scan the interlacing wasn't a problem. Now Universal has sent out replacements for the replacement discs. Mine plays without any problems. The special features are a mixed bag. In my opinion the more gimmicky ones like soundtrack for the lonely and the virtual reunion weren't worth more than a passing glance (if that). The behind the scenes features are fairly standard fare, but do provide some interesting moments. Now that the problems with the first disc seem to have been fixed I would say that it is worth picking this set up.
Rating: 
Summary: Possibly their worst
Review: I am a huge Monty Python fan, and believe that Holy Grail and Life of Brian are examples of true comic genius. Meaning of Life, however, is hardly funny. The long "corporate raiders" sequence in the beginning has great comic potential, but drags on far too long to be funny. Most of the jokes do have potential, and you know that the gags should be entertaining, but they didn't spark much amusement in me. It doesn't have the wonderful zany spontaneity of their other movies. I would not reccommend this movie to Monty Python fans, because it's quite disappointing.
Rating:
Summary: WHAT THE HELL?
Review: Just a warning, do NOT buy this DVD unless the box it comes in bears the label: "FEATURE DVD IS NOT DEFECTIVE AND HAS IN FACT BEEN TESTED AND CLEARED BY SOMEONE WHOSE VISION IS RELATIVELY NORMAL." The feature DVD is obviously screwed up, and after sending off the defective DVD and waiting three weeks for the supposedly fixed DVD, I discovered that the replacement is every bit as defective as the one I returned! Thanks a lot, Universal! Python deserves better.
Rating:
Summary: Still Screwed Up
Review: Got my replacement. Still f'd up! Same problem. Just wanted to add my .02
Rating:
Summary: Meaning of Life SE
Review: I just got my replacement disc today, and the damn thing is still horrible looking - on both my Progressive Scan JVC AND my XBOX. The same issues that plagues the original release. Truly pathetic. What is Universal willing to do about this now?
Rating:
Summary: Avoid this DVD! Disk one replaced.....still defective!
Review: I have just received the replacement disk #1 for this title. My replacement disk is as defective as the original. The visual distortion appears on both of my DVD players. You should wait until this problem is resolved before wasting your money.
This is a really good movie and it is a shame that it was released in this way.
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