A film like “The Brothers Grimm” is a stellar example of the whole not adding up to the sum of its parts. As with any Terry Gilliam movie, a filmgoer must expect a bit of long windedness and several things to not make sense. However, I’ve come to expect a little more from Gilliam.

Earlier films like “Brazil,” “The Fisher King” and “12 Monkeys” had their strange moments, but overall the film worked. These movies were like “2001: A Space Odyssey.” Even if you didn’t understand everything, it was still a great flick. Even “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” was a visual masterpiece and fully captured the spirit of the original source material.

But with “The Brothers Grimm,” the problem was the original source material. On one hand, Gilliam is trying to overcome the weight of Disney’s G-ification of the original tales. (Ironically, this film itself is produced under Disney’s Dimension banner.) On the other hand, he tries to incorporate too many of these myths and stories into the film.

The gist of the story is nothing new. The Brothers Grimm are traveling Europe, scamming people into hiring them as old-style ghostbusters. We soon learn that they set up the whole hauntings themselves. They are caught by the French government and are threatened with death. However, they must take one last assignment – to solve a real mystery in the woods.

Being a fan of the fantasy and horror genres, I have seen the scam-artists-face-real-threat plot done so many times, it’s almost painful to watch again. To start out, I was underwhelmed by this approach, and I expected so much more from Terry Gilliam. At least the live-action “Scooby Doo” film gave us some real creatures up front.

Ultimately, “The Brothers Grimm” isn’t as much of a mess as you might think it would be. Matt Damon and Heath Ledger actually play well off each other and carry the film in their own right. The supporting cast has some good names, primarily Jonathan Pryce and the always fetching Monica Bellucci. Peter Stormare is a bit overdone – as per his usual performance – but he is tolerable. The fresh face of Lena Headey is pretty, although the actor herself isn’t all that compelling.

The DVD has a nice selection of features that help delve into the mind of this reclusive director. Much of this comes out in a feature commentary, but also in several deleted scenes that receive a commentary track themselves. Unlike most deleted scenes, it’s arguable whether these pieces should have been cut, including a climactic battle with a possessed tree. It’s nice to hear Gilliam explain why they were left out.

In addition to the deleted scenes and an audio commentary, there are two behind-the-scenes featurettes that cover some detailed aspects of the production. This makes the DVD a better catch than the film in its initial release – and a must have for hard-core Gilliam fans.

Perhaps if Terry Gilliam hadn’t tried to force every fairy tale into this film it would have been better. But as it is, he did a fine job making a semi-coherent film from a soupy plot. If he hadn’t been at the helm, this could have become a Napoleonic “Wing Commander.”



Specifications: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. Widescreen (1.85:1), enhanced for 16x9 televisions. French language track. Spanish subtitles. English language subtitles for the hearing impaired.