What happens when you combine lots of well-known fairy tales into one big chaotic mess? Well, apparently you get The Brothers Grimm , directed by Terry Gilliam. The story begins well, with two brothers setting out to vanquish an evil witch from a terrified German village. It all starts to fall through though when it is revealed that there is no witch, just a con set up by Wilhem(Matt Damon) and Jacob Grimm(Heath Ledger) using inventive theatrics. When their tricks, which all the while have been earning a lucrative sum of money for them, are found out by the General Delatombe (Jonathan Pryce) they are told that unless they can uncover what happened to another nearby village's missing children, they will be executed for their fraud. But things go awry when the brothers discover that this time they are dealing with real enchantments and an evil witch instead of the parlor tricks they are accustomed to.
As I stated before, things start out well, but as the film progresses it gets more and more confusing as audiences are presented with vague references to “Hansel and Gretel” and “Red Riding Hood,” among others. The final scenes are dragged out and the ending sort of just drops. What The Brothers Grimm lacks as a film by itself is made up for with stunning visuals. The villages are well constructed and believable for the times while the enchanted forest is very impressive. Generally, there is too much material with too little time, so naturally, something has to get left out. Unfortunately, in this case, it's a good plot.
Besides the plot and the visuals there is of course the script. While nothing spectacular in itself, there are some mildly amusing moments. A particular scene in which a black creature reminiscent of “The Blob” crawls up out of a village well is somewhat funny but also absolutely ridiculous. Most of the film's humor is like that; funny but more or less pointless.
The acting is passable but definitely falls short of Oscar worthy. The characters of Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm seem somewhat underdeveloped and slightly juvenile, at times. The strengths of both characters are also hindered by their seemingly endless sibling rivalries. Some of the best acting in the film is delivered by supporting actors Jonathan Pryce(General Delatombe) and Peter Stormare(Cavaldi).
All things considered, The Brothers Grimm had excellent potential. It's bound to strike a strange chord with audiences being how it is unsuitable for children but not substantial enough to entertain adults. Meanwhile good acting and visual effects alone can't hold up a plot with gaping holes.
