Cannot add to has already been written apart from the fact I haven't seem for 10 years or so but watched it this Christmas. If anything it has got better and there are not many films this is true for. I think the fact it is set in roman times means it does not date like a normal 70s film. There are no fashions or venues that look out of place. Even the filming looks fresh, it doesn't have that blurry green tinge you sometimes get. Phrases like conjugate the verb don't lose their appeal. Watching it with fresh eyes, the film has a pace to it which never falters. The perfection in the acting, for example Palin's hopping walk whilst begging, just sublime. Again Palin steals the show with his speech impediment, its not so much the speech , but the way he glances at the guards, make the scene work on a higher level than it first appears. Cleese bamboozles his way into the film with a commanding presence , lines delivered in a dry way that more recent comedians like the unlistenable Punt and Dennis can only dream of.
The only reason it's not a 10 rating is the frankly daft spaceship scene . Totally out of place and only to pander to Terry Gilliam and give him something to do, but I wished they hadn't, probably some contractual reason. Anyhow don't let this spoil the timeless brilliance of the python team at their best.
The only reason it's not a 10 rating is the frankly daft spaceship scene . Totally out of place and only to pander to Terry Gilliam and give him something to do, but I wished they hadn't, probably some contractual reason. Anyhow don't let this spoil the timeless brilliance of the python team at their best.