The Brothers Grimm

***

Reviewed by: John Gallagher

The Brothers Grimm
"There are scenes that go on and on and..."

Jake (Heath Ledger) and Will (Matt Damon) Grimm travel the land searching out the supernatural, the mysterious and the downright eerie. They're travelling hunters/exorcists who want nothing more than to rid the land of all evil... The thing is, though, they're the ones who put the evil there in the first place.

The Grimm brothers are travelling con artists, with nothing more to do with their time than go from town to town, spinning tales and putting the willies up simple folk. They're good at it, too, because somehow they manage to come away from each situation with a smile on their faces and a bag of shiny coins in their coattails pocket. That is, until the French capture them and decides to get rid of them.

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In order to weasel their way out of this fine mess, they are given the task of going to Marbaden to catch and rid the town of another trickster, who seems to be putting the fear of death into the locals. Little do they know that the town is cursed and that the so-called trickster is, in fact, real and has been enticing young girls into the enchanted forest, from where they never return. It is up to the Grimms to save the town and also escape the clutches of the French.

The performances are great, from womaniser Will, to book-smart Jake. The baddies are even quite entertaining themselves, especially Cavaldi (Peter Stormare). The sets are stunning, from the small town of Marbaden to the magic forest. There is even the odd hint of humour thrown in and a few adult jokes to keep the grownups involved.

The only two things I had against it were the shoddy accents (Damon jumps from Cockney to Mancunian to God knows what every five minutes) and the length. There are scenes that go on and on and...

Other than that, the movie is highly entertaining.

Reviewed on: 03 Nov 2005
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The Brothers Grimm packshot
Bogus ghostbusters finally meet their match in a genuine enchanted forest.
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Read more The Brothers Grimm reviews:

Darren Amner ***1/2
Anton Bitel **1/2
Angus Wolfe Murray *

Director: Terry Gilliam

Writer: Ehren Kruger

Starring: Matt Damon, Heath Ledger, Monica Bellucci, Lena Headey, Peter Stormare, Jonathan Pryce

Year: 2005

Runtime: 118 minutes

BBFC: 12A - Adult Supervision

Country: US/Czech Republic

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