One of the most original, hilarious and visually striking comedies ever made. Its unnecessary gorgeousness and goofy, slapstick laughs stand out.
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Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
11 reviews from 11 publications. We need six from publications we count before we show a critics’ score; there are 5 so far.
Feature films bring out the best in the Pythons, resulting in a focused comedy packed with killer lines, sight gags and absurdity that qualifies as a medieval-on-your-ass laff-riot. Highlights singled out include the homicidal bunny, the wedding guest massacre and the use of coconut shells for horses.
Read the full review →The critic praises the film's anarchic daring and subversive elements of anticlimax, noting its bridgehead into international stardom. Gilliam’s animations are singled out as timelessly brilliant.
Read the full review →A wonderfully inventive comedy that brilliantly debunks the Dark Ages and legends of chivalry. Highlights include the witch trial and Holy Hand Grenade sequence, though the ending disappoints.
Read the full review →The inspired lunacy of the Pythons' take on King Arthur is more often amusing than hilarious, with dry and talky passages. Its glorious Scottish locales and the troupe's erudition in medieval history stand out, though 'Life of Brian' remains funnier.
Read the full review →The critic praises the film's brilliant satire of medieval legends and lifestyles combined with strong comic timing and irreverent humor. They highlight its youthful charm, energy, and the troupe's freedom in creating an accessible, singular work despite its amateurish production qualities.
Read the full review →The film is a marvelously lunatic endeavor that sends up the King Arthur legend, courtly love, bravery, costume movies and movie violence. It features nonstop gags, some inspired, with Graham Chapman as an earnest but doomed Arthur.
Read the full review →The film offers moments of brilliance in its loosely related set pieces and early religious irreverence, though the Pythons later peaked with Life of Brian. The Knights Who Say “Ni!” and Trojan Rabbit gags are highlighted as highlights.
Read the full review →The British comedy group sends up Arthurian legend in whimsical fashion, with Graham Chapman effective as King Arthur. The story is an excuse for set pieces, some amusing and others overdone, including gruesome fight scenes that will get laughs from some and make others squirm.
Read the full review →The critic finds the film a funny and surprisingly fresh silly romp through medieval legends, praising its loose sketch structure, standout hilarious scenes like the French knights and Knights who say 'Ni', and Gilliam's fabulously surreal animation.
Read the full review →The film is a triumph of silliness over British pomposity and a comedy masterpiece. The critic singles out the coconut shells used in place of horses and the irreverent satire of religious fanaticism for praise.
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