The Brothers Grimm is a one of the last couple of summer movies that I’ve been looking forward to. The story concept lends itself to almost endless possibilities and with Terry Gilliam involved I think almost anyone could be forgiven for going into the theater with high expectations.
Sadly, the early reviews are coming in for The Brothers Grimm and they’re leaning rather strongly towards the negative side. A number of the critics are actually especially hard on Gilliam himself. A few positive reviews here and there, but the majority of them are negative. Here’s what some of them have to say:
“Gilliam’s film is trapped somewhere between fable and comedy. It’s as if he is so entranced by his own visual inventiveness that he completely loses sight of his storytelling.”
Frank Houston, PALM BEACH DAILY NEWS“Mr. Gilliam has no clear idea what he’s doing, so the movie is nothing more than noise, costumes and disjointed special effects that do not make an acceptable substitute for the sense of tempo the rest of the film sorely lacks.”
Rex Reed, NEW YORK OBSERVER“…the most nakedly commercial and impersonal film that Gilliam’s ever made.”
Moriarty, AIN’T IT COOL MOVIE REVIEWS“…a ragged, sloppy patchwork quilt –but there’s magic in it. The movie is a compromised, semi-mangled visit to a very special place.”
Sean Burns, PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY
Hmmm… not really what I was hoping to hear. As of this moment, The Brothers Grimm are carrying a 38% on Rotten Tomatoes. Not the worst rating I’ve seen… but certainly bad enough. Look for my review on Monday.
