He went on to do much better........ (Jabberwocky (DVD))

Member Name: tomflint

Product:	Jabberwocky (DVD)
Date:	04/08/09 (39 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Awesome cast!, literally a who's who of British comedy in the 70s..........

Disadvantages: The great cast can't save the mostly unfunny script and rambling narrative.

This is a review of the dvd.

'Jabberwocky' was Terry Gilliam's first film away from the Python's, though it does have Michael Palin in the lead role and has a very 'Pythonesque' feel to it.

Set in the Middle Ages, the story concerns Dennis Cooper [Palin], a lovable halfwit whose father disowns him when he proves himself to be useless at Barrel making and is more interested in trying to make money. Dennis's inspiration appears to be Mr Fishfinger [Warren Mitchell] a kind of Del-Boy character that is always looking to make a fast buck. Dennis is in love with Fishfinger's daughter Griselda [ I thought the actress playing her looked fine, but she was meant to be 'hideously ugly'].

Dennis sets out for the local 'town' which is gated by Castle walls, only those with money are permitted entry, to try and make his fortune. In the forests outside the castle walls resides a mysterious monster [The Jabberwock] which is a constant worry for King Bruno The Questionable [Max Wall] and his aide Passelewe [John Le Mesurier]. They stage a series of jousts to see who will be brave enough to slay the 'dragon like' creature.

Dennis captivates [by accident] the heart of the Castle's Princess who mistakenly believes him to be a knight that has come to liberate/rescue her. The film's plot largely revolves around the role of chance and accident in Dennis's life as he stumbles into each new scenario.

The film has quite an enviable cast of British TV and Film actors from the 70s. Harry H Corbett has an amusing role as a randy squire who befriends Dennis and is the sworn enemy of the local Landlord [Bernard Bresslaw]. John Bird plays an annoying 'Herald' who keeps announcing everything the King is about to do before he does it. And then there's the double act of Max Wall and John Le Mesurier; 'Was that ok?'...........'oh, I suppose so darling......'

Despite this cast though, 'Jabberwocky' is a bit of a mess. It has a very rambling story which I found quite frustrating [explaining the plot concisely is not easy!]. It is also not as funny as I was hoping or expecting from such an established group of comedic actors.

The main problem is the script, characters come in and out of scenes or are suddenly killed off, if your attention is off screen for a second you will probably have missed something. The scenes with Max Wall and John Le Mesurier should have been amusing but are mostly quite tiresome and feel like padding. The film felt to me a lot longer than it's 100 minutes running time.

Having said all that there is much to admire in the film; the Cinematography by Terry Bedford is gorgeous showing the Wales scenery and Castles in a great light. Gilliam used 2 Castles: Pembroke and Chepstow, and is to be highly commended for making a film with a shoestring budget look this good. He really conjures up the grime and filth of the Medieval Ages and there is much use of the customary Python 'black humour' and also plenty of references to 'poo' to keep any teenager happy.

The trouble is, Gilliam already made a definitive comedy film set in this era with 'Monty Python and The Holy Grail', however much I tried not to think it, this did just play as a poor man's version of that. Palin, whilst a very capable comedic performer and presenter on TV, was not really strong enough as a lead actor to carry the film. It all felt like one mate doing another mate a favour, this also comes across in the excellent jovial commentary with Gilliam and Palin which is probably worth the price of purchase alone if you're a fan.

Considering that Gilliam went on to make 'Time Bandits', 'Brazil' and 'Baron Munchausen', 'Jabberwocky' is slightly disappointing by comparison, but as a debut solo feature film it is clear to see Gilliam's abilities in creating a fantasy world and making it come alive for the audience.

The extras on the dvd are quite good, there is the commentary which is essential for fans of Gilliam, Palin or Python, a storyboard to screen comparison with some of Gilliam's sketches and how they were put onto screen. And then the usual subtitles, scene selections and language options. I bought this dvd about 5 years ago and in all honesty have only watched it twice, when I bought it and for this review. So I can't claim this to be one of my favourites, but it is interesting to see the genesis of Gilliam's film style which he had started on his previous film 'Holy Grail', co-directed with Terry Jones, and developed further here.

You can buy the dvd for about £5 on Amazon UK, but I would suggest a rental first unless you are a big Python/Gilliam fan.

Summary: One for the fans.