The Brothers Grimm (2005)

Folklore collectors and con artists, Jake and Will Grimm, travel from village to village pretending to protect townsfolk from enchanted creatures and performing exorcisms. They are put to the test, however, when they encounter a real magical curse in a haunted forest with real magical beings, requiring genuine courage.


I give The Brothers Grimm a solid 82%

Now I have to admit, this is a movie right up my alley right now. It has the dark elements, comic relief, and weirdness all combined in a story that keeps your attention. I think it is appropriate that the critics have not rated this movie very highly because I really like this movie. Many times that has been the case. Most reviewers forget that movies are for entertainment, not to be a major sociological commentary or means to changing society. And in that light, The Brothers Grimm was thoroughly entertaining.

Probably one of the best things for me was the evolving mythos of the town they found their biggest mystery in. It was also cool to see the traditional fairy tales pulled into the story line giving everthing a degree of plausibility, from the perspective of the brothers. I have to admit though, my favorite character was definitely Cavaldi. He was dark, sadistic, laughable, but in the end, more than you expected him to be. Kudos to Terry Gilliam for doing it again.

I think the thing that keeps me from rating this movie higher is that there were some continuity errors at times and the ending was a little less than expected. I know they are supposed to live happily ever after, but the issues between the brothers did not come to complete enough resolution for my tastes. Plus the underlying love angle should have been a liitle more overt. However, this version of the telling of some of the classics is definitely on my list of "must buy" when it comes out on CD.

My favorite quotes from the movie:

Delatombe: It is a thorn, in my toe.

Angelika: Show us the way, Grandmother Toad, and I'll give you a kiss.
[licks the toad]
Will Grimm: That's just not right.

Jacob Grimm: You killed my friends!
Delatombe: I only wish you had more!

And every time Cavaldi says "Grimmy"

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) - DVD

Jack Skellington, the pumpkin king of Halloween Town, is bored with doing the same thing every year for Halloween. One day he stumbles into Christmas Town, and is so taken with the idea of Christmas that he tries to get the resident bats, ghouls, and goblins of Halloween town to help him put on Christmas instead of Halloween -- but alas, they can't get it quite right.


I give The Nightmare Before Christmas a solid 67%

Now I have to admit my primary attraction to this movie is its weirdness and Tim Burton does a great job in delivering weird. I do get a bit tired of the rhyming, but it flows nicely with the weirdness of the movie. In fact, this movie is so over the top weird that is probably why I like it and give it as high of a rating as I do. It lacks so much, but still holds my attention. I think the thing that I really do not like is how some of the songs are just too silly. They blend well. But I tire of them.

Now to some this movie may be just way too dark for most tastes. But I don't get caught up in the dark stuff, I just think it is cool and weird. And really, I do like the underlying love story between Jack and Sally. In a really bizarre way, it is kind of cute.

Some of the more memorable quotes:

Mayor: Jack, please, I'm only an elected official here, I can't make decisions by myself!

Dr. Finkelstein: Sally, that's twice this month you've slipped deadly nightshade into my tea and run off.
Sally: Three times!