SummaryThe adventures of legendary fairytale scribes Will and Jake Grimm, two brothers who travel around the Napoleonic countryside vanquishing monsters and demons in exchange for quick money. But when the French authorities figure out their scheme, the con men are forced to contend with a real magical curse when they enter an enchanted forest ...
SummaryThe adventures of legendary fairytale scribes Will and Jake Grimm, two brothers who travel around the Napoleonic countryside vanquishing monsters and demons in exchange for quick money. But when the French authorities figure out their scheme, the con men are forced to contend with a real magical curse when they enter an enchanted forest ...
Plot a little cliche, but a curious and interesting history. Maybe it was the kind of script that Hollywood directors have repeatedly hit the hammer. The performances are convincing and the scenery is beautiful.
If The Brothers Grimm flies apart like a badly designed airplane (and it does), it still has more going for it than most of the movie fare this summer.
Kitted out in period garb and dubious British accents, the actors throw themselves into this flimsy contrivance with energy, but are badly served by a director focused on flipping switches and twirling knobs. Despite a few early sparks of promise The Brothers Grimm sputters and coughs along like an unoiled machine, grinding gears and nerves in equal measure.
On the whole, The Brothers Grimm is a mess; a formerly daring director’s attempt to cash in on big studio backing even after the rug has been pulled out from under him.
The Brothers Grim may have horrendous CGI and a clunky plot to follow through, but the film was quite enjoyable and became okay at best. I did enjoyed Damon and Hedger's performances as the Grimm brothers, where they really stood out well for the characters they had to portrayed. The other performances however were okay. I also liked how many fairytale motifs were presented in such morbid conceptual scenes, but I would agree with others that the tone and dialogue felt campy, stale and out of context for something like the brothers Grimm and their fairy tales. The tone definitely felt like the film was trying to approach too many audiences but really cannot stick to one. The Brothers Grimm does not fully Live A Happily Ever After for this written review, but that does not mean it is a bad popcorn flick to rent.
This movie has some major problems but there is an offbeat quality I can't help but love. Its not a good movie but also not bad, its just okay. The production design is fabulous and I love towns and rooms and sets built. The costumes are off-putting to say the least but there is a gross fantastical aspect about them that fits into the world. The major plus for The Brothers Grimm though is the leads in Matt Damon and Heath Ledger. These guys pop and are so likable and add so much to the story, they almost save the film alone. This is also a case of a brilliant director who had no limits and had all the money he wanted. It really shows and the film was a complete mess because of it. The cinematography was awful, the script was so clogged and plot hole filled I was being driven crazy, and the side characters were so annoying and awful I can't help but entirely blame Gillian. This film had so much potential its insane and there are some really cool things to take inspiration from but at the end of the day its just mediocre.
This film is based on the tales of the Grimm Brothers, but also makes a completely fictional portrayal of the brothers who, in real life, were German poets, scholars and linguists, who dedicated themselves to collecting traditional fables from the center of Europe. So the first step in understanding the film is to realize, from the outset, that its pure fiction, based on the mere existence of these two brothers. Here, they're two gamblers, who make money cheating the villagers, casting out witches and demons that don't exist. So their first reaction, when they're called upon to investigate a truly magical phenomenon in which several girls have disappeared, is of disbelief, thinking that they're dealing with an elaborate scold.
The screenplay is clever, in the way it approaches Grimm's fairy tales and rebuilds them, but it lost from the middle, with some ideas and options looking absurd. Equally positive was the performance of Matt Damon and Heath Ledger in the lead roles. The two actors are versatile, strong and worked well together. However, the same cannot be said of Lena Headey, who seemed to me a bit artificial and cliché. Peter Stormare is the most humorous actor and the most remarkable moments of humor are made by his character, an Italian torturer at the service of Napoleonic officials. Jonathan Pryce is the French general and was perfectly capable of becoming contemptible. Good costumes and sets, clever cinematography, good use of colors and light and shadow games make the film visually appealing and beautiful.
So, this movie is good and has several quality values. But the flaws in the story, the several moments when the plot is lost and becomes idiotic, overturn the attempts of this film to become truly iconic.
This is a terrible terrible movie! Tied with Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy as the worst in the world in my opinion....this has absolutely no substance, no underlying plot, and is in NO WAY faithful to the original tales...this movie is practically a parody of itself just as hitchikers was. Do not watch this movie unless you want to get trolled by stupidity and utter, utter ****