IHAO on ... The Adventures of Baron Munchhausen (Dreams Trilogy)

The third in the Dreams Trilogy of Terry Gilliam, Munchhausen is fantastic.  Glorious.  Damn near perfect.  Watch it.

Grade: A+

All right, so it is immediately apparent that I've written more because you can see that I have.  Baron Munchhausen tells the story of a war against the Turks and a small city trying to survive the war.  A theatre troupe is performing a play of the fictional character Baron Munchhausen, when the actual Baron appears, an old man.  He then proceeds to go on one final adventure, finding youth in adventure and searching for his friends once more, all unique characters within the story.

I love this movie.  It is a little hard to explain, but it is much like Time Bandits as a story of whimsy and fantasy, but instead of the dreams of a child, we are watching the dreams of an old man regaining his former glory through story.  Where the fantasy and the truth parallel is many times up to you the viewer, though there are many of the tricks you see in Time Bandits or other similar films like Wizard of Oz and Labyrinth with repeated characters, motifs, props, and visuals.  Oh, and Big Fish.  Lots of similarities there, too.

What makes the film succeed beyond just the intriguing setup is truly fine acting, specifically the Baron himself.  He is a glorious character in a film filled with glorious characters.  He lives and breaths and exists and isn't just an actor in a role.  It is truly a memorable role.  Gilliam's pacing works the best in any of the Dreams Trilogy here, and we are truly watching him become a better and better filmmaker throughout the course.  The film is filled with amazing visuals, great music, great acting, and really just succeeds in every regard.  It is the polar opposite of Brazil.

Makes me smile.  Big puggy smiles.  

I implore you to watch this film.  It is my favorite of the Dreams Trilogy, and also a perfectly wonderful standalone as well.