"Makes Ben Hur look like an Epic" "Sets
The Cinema Back 900 Years"
Knights of Camelot: [singing] "We're knights
of the Round Table, we dance whene'er we're able. We do routines
and chorus scenes with footwork impeccable, We dine well here
in Camelot, we eat ham and jam and Spam a lot."
Synopsis: This hilarious story tells the tale
of King Arthur and his knights who on various levels of bravery
and fortitude, go out on a holy quest, to seek the Holy Grail,
during the middle ages.
Monty Python is a beloved, zany comedy troop,
best known for their hilarious hit comedy series, Monty Python's
Flying Circus, which aired on the BBC in the late1960's &
1970's, and gained a whole new following of fans when the show
was imported to the United States.
In this film, Monty Python members have a blast,
poking good fun, in their zany style, at the British King Arthur
legends. The cast of Monty Python have their comedic timing and
acting down to a fine science, as most of them have been working
together for years, and are really good at their craft, which
is making people laugh. Their comedic talent is showcased as they
face curious threats, great odds and "silly sots," in
their determined quest to find the Holy Grail.
The terrific script, written by Graham Chapman,
John Cleese, Michael Pain & Eric Idle, and its insightful,
gifted direction by Gilliam & Jones, successfully leads our
heroes to combat such foes as the "Fierce Killer Rabbit,"
and the Dreaded Knights Who Say "Ni!", who challenge
the whole group, while individual knights face their own foes,
such as Sir Robin and the 3-headed monster-knight.
SIR Robin ( Eric Idle), it seems, isn't as brave
as Sir Lancelot, as he likes to stay away from trouble, pain,
torture and too much adventure. He has his own minstrel who is
supposed to sing about his brave antics, but also sings in a truthful
way that is hilarious. One of my favorite scenes is when Sir Robin
runs into a 3 headed monster Knight (Michael Pain, Graham Chapman
& Terry Jones). While the monster 's heads argued with each
other about whether to kill him or have tea first, Sir Robin makes
a hasty retreat. His minstrel sings: " Brave Sir Robin ran
away, bravely ran away away. When danger reared his ugly head,
he bravely turned his tail and fled. Yes, brave Sir Robin turned
about, he turned his tail, he chickened out. Bravely taking to
his feet, he beat a very brave retreat. A brave retreat by Sir
Robin."
Other favorite scenes include: the "Fierce
Killer Rabbit and the Holy Hand Grenade scenes, the bridge scene
with the creepy Soothsayer / bridgekeepr (Terry Gilliam), the
French Castle scene with the flying cow, and the sequences pertaining
to the dreaded Knights Who Say "Ni!"
The use of animation, made famous on their TV
show, really adds to the silly comedic style of the film, and
works well with the live-action sequences. Also, be sure to pay
attention to the credits, which are hilariously creative. John
Horton and Julian Doyle are the gifted, responsible parties.
The original musical score was by De Wolfe, and
the songs were by the zany Neil Innes, who also was Sir Robin's
minstrel. He liked to have bit parts in Monty Python movies, and
their T.V. series, as well as composing the songs for the group.
""Ladies and gentlemen, I've suffered for my music ... now
it's your turn."
Most people will enjoy and appreciate this unique,
humorous work of art, that is a comedic classic, long to be remembered.
If you enjoyed MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL
you may like LIFE OF BRIAN, TIME BANDITS, JABBERWOCKY, AUSTIN
POWERS, THE INTERNATIONAL MAN OF MYSTERY, and ACE
VENTURA, PET DETECTIVE.
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