★ 5 / 10
The biggest problem I have with this is
CinemaSerf
The biggest problem I have with this is that, well, it just isn't very funny! It centres on Michael Palin's "Dennis Cooper" - a man who determines that to win…
The biggest problem I have with this is that, well, it just isn't very funny! It centres on Michael Palin's "Dennis Cooper" - a man who determines that to win the hand of his true love "Griselda" (Annette Badland) he must enter the vile and filthy city of King "Bruno the Questionable" (Max Wall) and prove his worth with some magnificent deed of derring-do. The deed, well that is to rid the kingdom of a pesky dragon - "the Jabberwocky". Right from the get-go, the would be fairy tale romance is so implausible as to go from mildly amusing at first to downright irritating after about ten minutes. Thereafter, a cast of British theatrical stalwarts and comedians do try to keep this film vaguely entertaining, but the humour is just far too contrived and piecemeal. Palin works hard, but the exhaustion in having to stretch this thinnest of stories out for 1¾ hours is writ large on his face until, by the end, even he looks like he is thinking - "Please, let's just get this over with". "Star Wars" fans might spot "Darth Vader" himself and from a star-spotting perspective, there is some value in the film but otherwise it is a poorly conceived and executed attempt at a fantasy adventure and my money was always on the dragon!
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★ 7 / 10
Well worth viewing, and viewing again!
digitaria
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…
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.
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★ 7 / 10
This early Terry Gilliam film is better than its reputation.
RufusT
This often neglected first solo directing effort of Gilliam's is certainly much better than its maligned reputation would have you believe. While it is though…
This often neglected first solo directing effort of Gilliam's is certainly much better than its maligned reputation would have you believe. While it is though sledding the first time through, it gains appreciably with repeated viewings, but does demand you pay attention. Amongst all the excrement, garbage and filth, Gilliam and his co-writer actually have a little something to say about big business, but mainly JABBERWOCKY is very, very funny. Strong stomachs are required, however.
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45%
TOMATOMETER
· 22 reviews
47%
AUDIENCE
· 5K ratings
6.1/10
17.4K
•••
Excellent restored version.