Monty Python and the Holy Grail

Ni. Ni, ni ni ni ni. Ni ni ni ni ni. NI. Ekki-ekki-ekki-ekki-PTANG. Zoom-Boing, z'nourrwringmm

Monty Python will always be loved or hated depending on your personality. And this is Monty Python at its typical best. If you like daft jokes, killer fluffy animals, bad accents and intelligent discussions that will most likely go over your head the first time round, then you will love The Holy Grail.

The jokes vary from obvious visual puns (coconut halves to represent horses) and audio puns ("I am Roger the Shrubber") to more subtle and intelligent jokes ("I thought we were an autonomous collective" / the Witch-burning scene). The greatest thing about the Holy Grail is that there's something for everyone. No one is left out.

What many don't realise is the sophisticated intelligence behind the jokes that many of later generations don't understand (back in the Life of Brian - Romani Ite Domun - which wouldn't have such impact on the youngsters who never had to suffer through Latin classes) such as the witch burning scene, where it was true that any means possible was used to warp the natural and legal laws to create the desired result i.e. one less warty woman in the village, and how the mish-mash of Celtic tribes were suddenly forced to become a diplomacy ("Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government. Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical aquatic ceremony!"). It always reminds me of Blackadder - how so many great jokes were wasted by bad timing or bad judgement on the audience's vocabulary.

And for those who can't keep up with historical jokes, there's the Black Knight, Tim, and Zoot to keep you occupied. They sure as hell make me laugh.

So if you like daft humour, go for it! But promise to check out the subtle jokes as well. It's worth the effort, and you'll learn a little about history too.

Being brought up on Python going to see this movie on its original release was one of the highlights of my movie going childhood. For many years I thought 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail' was the funniest movie ever made. Now over twenty five years later repetition and familiarity may not have ruined the movie completely but they have spoiled my enjoyment somewhat. Even so it's still a comedy classic and I envy anyone who is watching it for the first time. Python (Cleese, Chapman, Palin, Jones, Idle and Gilliam) were on top form throughout, and apart from one or two less successful bits it's hilarious stuff, and arguably their most consistent movie. (I still think their TV work was their best, the non-linear sketch format suiting their style more than extended pieces). Python bores can quote this verbatim but don't let them put you off. This is one wacked out romp full of fun and surprises, and still has more laughs than 90% of today's so-called comedies. Highly recommended.

I do know, however, that Monty Python and the Holy Grail is one of the funniest movies ever made. Let's face it, if the Python hadn't showed up in 1969, someone would have created them by now, or the world would be a much sadder place. Alongside Life of Brian, which is the sextet's masterpiece, Holy Grail is an excellent start if you want to get addicted to their surreal humor.

As suggested in the title, the film deals with the Arthurian stories, freely reinterpreted by the Python ensemble: after recruiting his knights, including Sir Lancelot (John Cleese), Sir Robin (Eric Idle), Sir Bedevere (Terry Jones) and Sir Galahad (Michael Palin), King Arthur (Graham Chapman) embarks on a mission from God (also Chapman, voice only though): to seek and find the Holy Grail. No need to say, the journey is going to be perilous, but also hilarious, our heroes doing their "best" to screw everything up.

As in Life of Brian, there are so many good bits choosing just one or two feels reductive and disrespectful, given the material. It's pure comedy gold from start to finish, a non-stop gag marathon: from the mock Scandinavian subtitles in the opening credits to the argument about swallows, from the Killer Rabbit to the Black Knight and the jaw-dropping epilogue, you will keep grinning like never before (if you're unfamiliar with these comedians, that is). Actually, after some serious thinking I can select two particular sequences as particularly memorable: the Knights who say "Ni!" and the Bridge of Death. The rest of the film is ace too, but those two scenes are the ones I can't stop thinking of fondly whenever the movie is mentioned.

Oh, and let's not forget Terry Gilliam's vital contribution: he doesn't appear that much as an actor (his Bridgekeeper is absolute genius, though), but he compensates that with the remarkable animations used to depict part of this epic adventure. Speaking of epic, this picture has one of the most brilliant tag-lines in comedy history, if not film history in general.

Oh yes, the world wouldn't be quite the same without the Monty Python. Even the most miserable person on the planet will laugh like a lunatic after viewing any of their films.

P.S. Ni!

I loved the movie and I'm not going to go into any detail about the movie itself. Some people though are knocking the ending, but again still praising the rest of the movie, and I'd like to just say that the ending is just fine the way it is. Yes, they had planned to have some big storming the castle ending to the film which may or may not have been hilarious; but, they ran out of money on the film (look at the use of coconuts, a real budget would have meant real horses). The ending that all this is really just a fantasy (so to speak) about a fantasy saga actually is quite funny. Is does end abruptly, but even that is fine in the context of a wacky movie. Just enjoy it and don't harp on the fact that the ending doesn't fit the rest of the movie, it does if you let it.