“This is precisely the sort of thing no one ever believes.” —Baron von Munchausen
Today’s quick review: The Adventures of Baron Munchausen. When Baron von Munchausen (John Neville), the renowned fabulist, stumbles upon a theater in a war-torn city presenting his adventures as fiction, he takes the opportunity to set the record straight. His tales capture the imagination of Sally (Sarah Polley), the daughter of the lead actor, and together they set off on adventure to reunite the Baron’s old compatriots and save the city from Turkish siege.
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen is a fantasy adventure from director Terry Gilliam. Adapted from the famously improbable travel memoirs of Baron Munchausen, the movie portrays a world of actors, oddity, and wonder in Gilliam’s signature style. While its strange tone and inconsistent payoff keep it from living up to its full potential, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen does offer refreshing amounts of charm and creativity.
The story revolves around Baron von Munchausen, an aged adventurer, and Sally, a young girl and one of the few people to believe his stories. Setting out in a hot air balloon, Sally and the Baron travel as far afield as the Moon in their search for Berthold (Eric Idle), Adolphus (Charles McKeown), Albrecht (Winston Dennis), and Gustavus (Jack Purvis), Munchausen’s extraordinary crew, now some twenty years removed from their prime.
The themes of the movie are similar to Terry Gilliam’s other work. Prominently featured elements include the theater, the boundary between reality and fiction, larger-than-life adventures, and strange imagery. The fickle nature of the story boosts its sense of wonder but hurts its dramatic impact. The sense of whimsy is also marred by a few macabre moments and a couple of adult jokes, but on the whole the movie stays within the boundaries of a family film.
Neither the plot nor the characters are particularly deep, but good performances and the nature of the story keep these issues in check. Sally and the Baron tumble into trouble as easily as they escape it, and the adventure progresses with all the capriciousness of a children’s book. The conflict between the Baron’s irrational adventures and the “Age of Reason” of the world around him is a potent one, but the movie opts for a shallow treatment of it.
Watch The Adventures of Baron Munchausen when you are in the mood for an odd, family-friendly fantasy. The movie has similarities to everything from The Man of La Mancha to The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, and Terry Gilliam fans are sure to find something to chew on. But the far-fetched plot, odd tone, and peculiar ending make The Adventures of Baron Munchausen a movie with only niche appeal.
7.2 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 to 7.0 for daring fantasy with mixed execution.