---
title: "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-imaginarium-of-doctor-parnassus/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-imaginarium-of-doctor-parnassus"
critics_score: 62
critics_reviews: 22
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009): what the critics said

Critics' score 62 from 22 reviews: 11 positive, 5 mixed, 6 negative.

The reviews lean favourable on The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, though enthusiasm is far from uniform. Praise centres on Terry Gilliam’s elaborate fantasy worlds and visual invention, qualities that even several detractors acknowledge. Tom Waits and Christopher Plummer attract repeated praise, particularly for their interplay, while some critics also single out Andrew Garfield. Several reviews find the handling of Heath Ledger’s role resourceful and affecting despite the film’s unevenness.

The main disagreement is over how much the imagery compensates for the storytelling. Admirers find the unruly fantasy compelling or moving; detractors describe a confused, sluggish film whose whimsy wears thin. The spread is wide: /Film praises the coherence of its visual world with unusual enthusiasm, while The Hollywood Reporter finds the effects incoherent. The Guardian admires Gilliam’s visual creativity but argues that the drama struggles to hold attention. Even favourable reviews often concede that the story needs firmer shaping.

## The AV Club — Tasha Robinson

Rating B+. 23 December 2009. 

Robinson finds the film ambitious and energetic, with a tragic majesty that carries it past its flaws. She singles out Tom Waits’s performance and Gilliam’s gorgeous cinematography, while criticizing the undisciplined execution and sloppy storyline.

[Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/the-imaginarium-of-doctor-parnassus-1798207665)

## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 25 December 2009. 

Turan finds the film one of Terry Gilliam’s most original and accessible works, recommending it to viewers seeking extravagant fantasy. He especially praises the imaginative visuals and the entertaining interplay between Tom Waits and Christopher Plummer.

[Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-dec-25-la-et-parnassus25-2009dec25-story.html)

## Slant Magazine — Fernando F. Croce

Rating 3/4. 22 December 2009. 

Croce finds the film unwieldy but deeply felt, and ultimately moving. He especially praises its near-sublime imagery and Christopher Plummer’s portrait of artistic endurance.

[Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-imaginarium-of-doctor-parnassus/)

## Empire — Olly Richards

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 1 October 2009. 

Richards finds the film scrappy but ultimately compelling, with flashes of Gilliam returning to form. He especially praises Gilliam’s resourceful reworking of the story after Ledger’s death and the performances of Lily Cole and Andrew Garfield.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/imaginarium-doctor-parnassus-review/)

## Variety — Todd McCarthy

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 22 May 2009. Festival review. 

McCarthy finds the film a pretty good recovery from its troubled production, with strong curiosity value and commercial appeal. He praises its visual effects and lively action, while criticizing overbearing pratfalls and the weakly conceived Anton.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/2009/film/markets-festivals/the-imaginarium-of-doctor-parnassus-1200474709/)

## Screen Daily — Allan Hunter

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 24 May 2009. 

The page identifies this as Allan Hunter’s review, but the paywall prevents access to his verdict. No specific praise or complaint is visible in the supplied text.

[Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/the-imaginarium-of-doctor-parnassus/5001694.article)

## The New York Times — A. O. Scott

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 25 December 2009. 

The page is identified as a review of the film, but its text was inaccessible. I can’t verify the critic’s verdict or what the review singles out.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/25/movies/25imaginarium.html)

## Evening Standard

Rating 3/5. 10 April 2012. 

The critic finds the film visually thrilling but ultimately confused and poorly shaped. They praise the performances of Ledger’s three replacements, which they say help make the film a fitting tribute to him.

[Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/doctor-parnassus-isterry-gilliams-flying-circus-7417078.html)

## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane

Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 13 December 2009. 

Lane finds the film’s phantasmagoria both enchanting and chaotic, with its imaginative freedom eventually losing steam. He praises the brazen anachronism and visual invention, while questioning whether CGI serves Gilliam’s gifts.

[Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2009/12/21/free-and-uneasy)

## Radio Times — Alan Jones

Rating 2/5. 

Jones finds Gilliam’s fantasy confusing and plodding. He criticizes its recycled themes and visuals from earlier Gilliam films.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-30qf3f/the-imaginarium-of-doctor-parnassus/)

## Time Out — Dave Calhoun

Rating 2/5. 22 May 2009. Festival review. 

Calhoun gives the film two out of five stars, indicating a negative verdict. The available page text offers no specific praise or complaint, only identifying its travelling-theatre premise.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-imaginarium-of-dr-parnassus-festival-review-1)

## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw

Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 15 October 2009. 

Bradshaw finds the film imaginative but dramatically slack, and says its whimsy ultimately lets his attention wander. He praises Gilliam’s visual creativity and striking images, while criticizing the story’s chaotic lack of traction.

[Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2009/oct/15/imaginarium-dr-parnassus-review)

## IndieWire — Eric Kohn

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 21 December 2009. Festival review. 

Kohn calls the film a disjointed misfire, though he sees Gilliam’s distinctive talents shining through. He singles out the late visual-design sequence with Colin Farrell as the film’s most inventive and wondrous passage.

[Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/culture/review-low-on-luster-gilliams-imaginarium-of-doctor-parnassus-winds-up-a-sideshow-246109/)

## The Hollywood Reporter — Ray Bennett

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 22 May 2009. Festival review. 

Bennett says Gilliam’s film falls short of his best fantasies and is unlikely to become a lasting favorite. He praises the imagery and the performances of Christopher Plummer and Tom Waits, while finding the visual effects incoherent.

[Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/imaginarium-doctor-parnassus-film-review-93211/)

## /Film — Brendon Connelly

Fi1m's normalised score 100/100 (inferred from the text). 7 September 2009. 

The critic calls it the best film of the year so far and predicts it will win over both Gilliam fans and newcomers. He particularly praises its richly designed visual world and the coherence of its cinematography, colors, and textures.

[Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/505268/movie-review-the-imaginarium-of-dr-parnassus/)

## Digital Spy — Simon Reynolds

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 11 October 2009. 

The critic calls it a memorable, vibrant adventure and one of Gilliam’s most alive films in years. He praises the imaginative visual sequences and says the actors taking over Ledger’s role make the transition relatively seamless.

[Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a179828/the-imaginarium-of-doctor-parnassus/)

## HeyUGuys — Jon Lyus

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 12 April 2010. 

The critic gives the film an enthusiastic verdict, calling its challenging journey well worth taking. They especially praise Gilliam’s vivid imagination and the cast’s performances, singling out Tom Waits as Mr. Nick.

[Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/dvd-review-the-imaginarium-of-doctor-parnassus/)

## Den of Geek — John Moore

Rating 4/5. 19 October 2009. 

Moore finds the film an immensely enjoyable, visually dazzling feast, though its unevenness and an unconvincing central performance weaken the finale. He especially praises Andrew Garfield’s subtle, immersive performance.

[Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-imaginarium-of-doctor-parnassus-review/)

## NME — Owen Nicholls

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 15 October 2009. 

The critic recommends the film despite its chaotic, sometimes incoherent story. They praise Gilliam’s surreal imagination and the cast and crew’s commitment to it.

[Read the review](https://www.nme.com/blogs/the-movies-blog/like-lily-coles-face-dr-panassus-shouldnt-work-but-it-does-44144)

## Eye for Film — Jennie Kermode

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 16 October 2009. 

Kermode finds Gilliam’s imaginative, darkly comic story successful and its adaptation of Ledger’s death affecting. She particularly praises the elaborate fantasy worlds and the film’s portrayal of the modern world as equally remarkable.

[Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-imaginarium-of-doctor-parnassus-film-review-by-jennie-kermode)

## Collider — Monika Bartyzel

Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 10 September 2009. Festival review. 

Bartyzel finds the film an imaginative but uneven work likely to appeal mainly to Gilliam enthusiasts. She praises its striking visual worlds, while lamenting how quickly they disappear.

[Read the review](https://collider.com/the-imaginarium-of-doctor-parnassus-review-tiff-09/)

## Paste — Josh Jackson

Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 24 December 2009. 

Jackson finds the film imaginative and compelling at first, but says its final act becomes confusing and disappointing. He praises Gilliam’s visual splendor and notes that Plummer and Waits steal the show.

[Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/the-imaginarium-of-doctor-parnassus-review)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-imaginarium-of-doctor-parnassus.md