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Common sense suggests that no good can come of auctioning off your wife ina drunken fit, but Thomas Hardy's classic novel The Mayor ofCasterbridge turns this dark story, set in rural England in themid-1800s, into a compelling, compulsive ride. The discarded wife (JulietAubrey) returns after 19 years with her daughter (Jodhi May) in tow,only to discover that her former husband, Michael Henchard (Ciarán Hinds)has risen as a merchant and a politician. But though he welcomes her backand arranges to renew their bond without public shame, Henchard's prideand fear remain intractable; the struggle for love and happiness collideswith shame and secrets as Hardy's complex tale unfolds. While the 1978miniseries with Alan Bates is much less abridged and gives a fullerimmersion into the novel and life at the time, the swiftness of thistwo-part adaptation makes it more immediately emotionally engaging, andthe superb, compact performances by the entire cast (including PollyWalker and James Purefoy) give this version a potent punch. --BretFetzer ... Read more

Reviews (12)

An Extraordinary 19th Century 'Soap Opera'
Based on the fabulous 1886 Thomas Hardy novel, The MAYOR OF CASTERBRIDGE has been incredibly put to life with wonderful actors, costumes, and scenery. I can't even compare it to our modern day soap operas except for all the outrageous things that happen to the protagonist, Michael Henchard. Henchard is aptly portrayed by the brilliant Ciaran Hinds (who was wonderful in "Persuasion" and "Jane Eyre"). These things happen during an alcoholic situation or one of his manic-depressive states. Just when I start feeling sorry of Henchard, he does something that makes me so mad at him! The handsome James Purefoy plays Donald Farfrae, the Scottish farm manager turned merchant. Jodhi May, portraying the lovely, engaging Elizabeth Jane, is the one who stole my heart. She is very convincing as the forgiving and sweet daughter of Henchard. When her beautiful eyes fill with tears, mine do also!
This epic tale spans two decades; great scenes of the ruthless Dorset landscape perceptibly augment the great story. I was transported back in time during this wonderful, sentimental film. I will be watching this one again!

Great Adaptation
I've seen this movie 3 times on A&E, and I loved it. The Mayor of Casterbidge is about a man named Michael Henchard, who sold his wife and baby daughter to a sailor at a county fair after he had had too much to drink. He regets this the next morning, and swears not to "drink anything stronger than tea" for the next 21 years. 19 years later his wife and her daughter come searching for him, and find him the mayor and respected citizen of a town called Casterbridge. The rest of the story is filled with complications, secrets and everything in between. This is the story of the rise and fall of Michael Henchard. All of the main charactures are wonderfully played by Ciaran Hinds, Jodhi May, James Purefoy, Juliet Aubry and Polly Walker, the supporting cast is great as well. The script stays close to the book, the story is beautiful and bitter sweet, and the sceenery is breathtaking. All in all this is a great movie, and I highly recomend it!

Why is this the best movie that I have ever seen?
When I saw Alan Bates act Michael Henchard, I thought that I would never see acting any better than his, but I guess it was the role that I was identifying with, for Ciaran Hinds is the perfect Michael Henchard. He was wonderful as Bois de Guilbert in IVANHOE. He was indeed the rugged Captain Wentworth in PERSUASION and many have claimed him to be the very best Rochester in JANE EYRE. I think that Mr. Hinds performance in this movie goes a long way to make it the best movie that I have ever seen.

Michael Henchard was a rugged selfmade man striving to follow his own star though that star is always the star of fate.
All that holds him back is the all encompassing past which wills him to destruction. He cannot escape himself or his fate.
To me he was Hardy's greatest creation. He is everyone.

Nearly every role that Ciaran Hinds has played has these same
dimensions and he handles each of them to near perfection which makes him my favorite actor and possibly the best actor of our time.

How can anyone love a character that would sell his wife and daughter even in a drunken state? Thomas Hardy and Ciaran Hinds
make us love this horrible man even as we love ourselves, and we
pray for his redemption. I think that Hardy himself wavered between redeeming Henchard or not.

It was not just Thomas Hardy and Ciaran Hinds that made this
incomparable movie. This is Mr. David Thacker's movie, and for a director with such a short list of credits, it is all the more astounding! He did it mainly with excellent casting. Jodhi May was great as Elizabeth Jane. Juliet Aubrey fantastic as the mother,James Purefoy wonderful as Donald Farfrae,and Polly Walker is the perfect Lucinda. He did it by pacing the movie a little faster than Hardy's literary gait. He made this movie happen by an unrelenting revelation of the time and of the nature of the land. Frame by frame, utterance by utterance, gesture by gesture,this movie marks excellence. There are many excellent people that made this happen that are not at the top of the credits, but we see their names over and over in great productions. We salute these great contributors, too, and selfishly wish them many more great successes.

Another excellent adaptation by A&E!!
"I don't see why men who've got wives they don't want, shouldn't get rid of them...I'd sell mine this minute if anybody'd buy her."

When Michael Henchard (Ciaran Hinds) offers to sell his wife and baby girl, Elizabeth Jane, to a passing sailor for 5 guineas at the Weydon fair one evening, the viewing audience gasps at the horrendous audacity of any man who would treat his wife and child in such a fashion! Susan Henchard (Juliet Aubrey) is so humiliated and embarrassed by her drunken husband's behavior (combined with his history of bad temper), that she agrees to the sale, becoming from then on the wife of the sailor Newson. She takes off her wedding band and sets it in front of Henchard with a sad, lost look in her eyes while Henchard greedily grabs the 5 guineas off the table and stuffs them in his pocket. When he awakens the next morning to find them gone and realizes what he has done, he swears an oath to God he will not touch alcohol for the space of 21 years, but when his "wife & daughter" come to find him 19 years later, will they find him changed...?

A&E did an excellent job on this Thomas Hardy adaptation; it is accurate to the original story (although I did feel some moments and scenes were cut too short to allow the full effect to seep in), but I still feel it is well done on the whole. The acting is superb with Ciaran Hinds dominating in his role as the tyrannical Michael Henchard; also excellent is Jodhi May as the sweet Elizabeth Jane (Mirah in Daniel Deronda), Polly Walker as Lucetta (Jane Fairfax in Gwenyth's Emma), and James Purefoy as the Scotsman Donald Farfrae. Although her part is shorter, I also thought Juliet Aubrey as Susan Henchard did a fantastic job. An excellent film, well worth the time invested!

A Superb and Riveting Period Drama!
This is a lavish 2003 production by A&E which stays true to the characterization and flow of the story in Hardy's novel. The 5 major characters in this drama will hold your attention throughout as you watch how their lives intertwine and the tragedies unfold.

The story centers on Michael Henchard, Mayor of Casterbridge. Henchard has a dark and shameful secret which occurs nearly 20 years before when he is then just a poor hay trusser. One day, when drunk, he sells his wife (Susan) and baby daughter (Elizabeth-Jane) to a stranger. When he regains sobriety, he tries to locate his family but they have gone abroad with the stranger. Regretting his action, Henchard vows to refrain from alcohol. He turns over a new leaf, settles in a new town (Casterbrige) and later becomes a wealthy tradesman and Mayor. Then one day, Susan returns to him with the now grown Elizabeth-Jane ("EJ", played by Jodie May), who may or may not be Henchard's real daughter. They reconcile and he "remarries" Susan, both agreeing to keep their past relationship a secret. There is relative domestic bliss in Henchard's life until the appearance of 2 other characters.

The first is Donald Farfrae, a young and handsome Scotsman (played by James Purefoy) whom Henchard persuades to assist him in his wheat and corn business. When Farfrae becomes more popular than Henchard and proves to be cleverer in managing the business, Henchard becomes jealous, fires him and begins to treat him as an enemy. The problem is that at that time, Farfrae is already subtly courting EJ. The second character to rock the boat is a beautiful woman, Lucetta (played by Polly Walker) who is Henchard's secret lover before the return of Susan.

The acting by all the actors is phenomenal. Ciaran Hinds is perfect in the title role. James Purefoy, with his dreamy eyes and sensuous lips is a heavensent as the handsome, gentle and well-meaning Farfrae. But the best performance is by Jodie May who plays the sweet, uncomplaining (and quietly suffering) EJ most sensitively. She is my favourite character in the story.

Many scenes will stay in the viewer's mind. To me, these are the 3 most unforgetable scenes:

1) EJ and Farfrae meeting in a barn while it is raining heavily outside. After they have talked a little, Farfrae tells EJ that she has dust(husks?) all over her dress. EJ tries to wipe them off, but Farfrae (in that delicious Scottish accent of his) tells her that "blowing is best" (so as not to ruin the dress). He then gets real close to her to blow the dust away. So gently he does it, blowing around EJ and close to her neck. It is a most romantic scene. Throughout you see that EJ is shy about it but there is an unmistakably delighted expression on her face.

2) When Henchard chooses to reveal a terrible secret to EJ, causing her heart to break. As she cries bitterly, you realize all the more what a wonderful actress Jodie May is. Her tears are genuine, large drops that literally rain down from her eyes.

3) The scene involving Lucetta in her red dress, and two human effigies. I cannot forget how Lucetta collapses to the floor in hearsickness when she catches sight of the effigies from her window, and her anguished cries of "Oh, I shall die. I shall die." I find this scene most sad and harrowing.

To sum it up, this is a most superior and sumptuous period drama and I highly recommend it. The storyline is meaningful and the performances absolutely unforgetable. ... Read more

Reviews (18)

A true pleaser
I didn't see this movie when it first ran on television, but recently bought the DVD and saw it for the first time. For a made for tv production, it was very well done, with an excellent and stellar cast. Ted Danson does a wonderful job as the title character, inflecting his character with the proper touch of wonder, disbelief, incredulity, and disgust at the different lands and things he sees during his travels.

I have to admit I wasn't sure what I would think when I first started to watch. I had read the book many years ago, when I was in school, and didn't recall a lot of it. However, as the story progressed, I was happy to see that the more I saw, the more I remembered of what I had read, and that the movie seemed to follow the important parts of the book. The thing I had most remembered were the talking horses, and wondered how well they would do that, but it was done well, so I have no complaints on that score.

As I said, the actors all did a remarkably good job, and the special effects were decent, making Gulliver appear to be both huge in the land of the little people, and then small himself in the land of the giants.

First rate family entertainment, and well worth seeing. Do yourself a favor and get it for your collection.

Wonderful production
I didn't know what I was going to see when I sat down to watch this movie. I had read the book many years ago when I was in high school, and didn't remember a lot of it, but certain things had stuck in my mind, and I was curious to see how they would go about matching the things I had in my imagination on the screen.

Well, I'm glad to say that what I saw was a very good adaptation of a novel into a splendidly made movie. From the acting, the scenery to the special effects, this was a well made production, especially considering that it was made as a television mini series when it was released.

Ted Danson does an excellent job of portraying Gulliver, from his wonder at some of the sights he comes upon to his ultimate revulsion of his own kind as he nears the end of his journeys. A lot of time and commitment were spent on ensuring that we are swept along with Gulliver on his travels so that we can understand his feelings.

I could go on naming the actors and actresses and how well they portrayed their parts, but I dont' want to get too redundant. If you want to see a well made movie that tells a good story without a ton of violence or a lot of swearing, then I highly recommend you pick up this movie. The price is right on it too.

Charming!
* Although video versions of Jonathan Swift's classic satire GULLIVER'S
TRAVELS have been done before, most prominently the prewar Fleischer animated
version, NBC felt the need to do a TV miniseries on the story. The result
turned out to be surprisingly interesting.

The producers did try, with little success, to impose a "personal interest"
story on top of Swift's non-stop satire, with Dr. Lemuel Gulliver (Ted
Danson) held in a lunatic asylum in reaction to the wild stories he told of
his journey, with his wife (Mary Steenbergen) trying to rescue him. That is
all neither here nor there, because it really doesn't either add much or get
in the way of the real story. Similarly, the fact that Danson's Lemuel
Gulliver isn't all that inspired isn't a problem, because even in Swift's
original he was little more than a narrator anyway.

All that said, however, this video production actually remains more true to
Swift's vision than other productions, in particular including (if in a brief
fashion) Gulliver's later voyages, such as to the floating city of Laputa.
The story is presented much as Jonathan Swift intended it -- as a scathing
and somewhat sanctimonious condemnation of human venality -- but it is still
entirely charming.

Much of this was due to excellent special effects. For example, Dr. Gulliver
reaches around the dome of a building in miniature Lilliput, and pigeons the
size of insects flutter away from his fingertips. Hwowever, short
appearances by well-known faces such as Omar Sharif and Geraldine Chaplin
(appearing lovely in Indian-style sari as the wife of the Rajah of Laputa,
complaining about the dullness of the learned and enjoying Gulliver's company
as an "ordinary unintelligent male") and the wit of Swift's story (the
intellectuals of Laputa are batted by their servants to bring their attention
back to reality when needed) also help carry it very well.

I keep wondering if anyone ever decided to come up with a new printing of
GULLIVER'S TRAVELS that uses the picture-pretty imagery from the NBC
production as illustrations. GULLIVER'S TRAVELS is a great book but a old
one, and such marvelous illustrations would help make it more accessible to a
modern audience. [Update of review from 1996.]

I know I usually give 4 stars as my best...
But this Hallmark TV production was so exceptional, I felt five was the least this sucker deserved.

This was the first of an extended series of high-toned TV movies produced by Robert Halmi Sr. for NBC and ABC that had production values previously unseen on television. In art direction and general feel, this production of the Jonathan Swift classic resembled "Amadeus" more than it resembled "The Winds Of War" or "Mother, Can I Sleep With Danger?".

And considering the choice for the titular lead, comic actor and former model Ted Danson, it could have been a real disaster. It wasn't! The man acquits himself nicely as the somewhat incredulous Lemuel Gulliver, the hero of a satirical tale told by the very cynical Jonathan Swift, Britain's answer to Voltaire.

The story features very fanciful alllusions to pettiness, classic paranoia of the delusions of grandeur variety, pomposity, a favorite target of Swift's, and superciliousness. There's the tiny Lilliputians, their opposites, the Brondignagians, the equine Houiynihms, (who, I seem to remember, were supposed to resemble giraffes as well,) and many other fantastic characters, all rendered beautifully in this, the first of a distinguished list of first rate classical adaptations shown on NBC in the late 90s.

The cast list is unbelieavble...people who had NEVER been on TV before, like Peter O'Toole, Omar Sharif, James Fox, Isabelle Huppert, Geraldine Chaplin (hello!), Shashi Kapoor and John Gielgud were sprinkled all through it. The sets are incredible and acting superb. If either this or the later "The Odyssey" had been released as feature films, they would have garnered significant praise for production values and acting, as well as fidelity to their sources, (despite some serious key scene omissions,) and probably would have generated respectable box office.

Special effects, cinematography and scene direction made this a good bellwether for a raft of films unlike any TV had ever seen since the fifties, when top quality productions of plays by well known playwrights peppered prime time schedules.

The general take on the story treats the main character, Lemuel Gulliver, as someone just about everybody, including his wife, for a while, thinks is certifiably insane, as he keeps rambling on about the fantastic lands and people he has supposedly seen. Most of the "real world" story, in fact, takes place in either an asylum, where he has been committed, or a courtroom, where his case is being heard.

It's obvious to the viewer, too, that Lemuel has dreamt all of this, because these places couldn't possibly exist. However, a real curve ball is thrown in the end when a truly diminutive sheep is found and provided as evidence that at least proves Lilliput existed.

Mary Steenbergen went on after this, ( a lot of the actors were recycled in future productions of this type by Halmi,) to portray the wife of Noah in a gawd-awful NBC production of "Noah's Ark", a production that mated the story of Lot and Sodom & Gomorah, (sans Abraham,) with the story of the flood. There was a ridiculous dream sequence inserted in this disaster that showed that Halmi's production crew was getting a WEE bit too satisfied with itself as Steenbergen, especially, spoke bubbleheaded lines that seemed WAY out of place for the setting of the story.

She should have stuck with 18th century satires! :-)

Excellent film adaptation true to a great Novel
I admit to being skeptical, but tried this DVD based upon other reviews. I've seen a number of film adaptations of Swift's intelligent & scathing 18th c. satire which routinely treat the story as a children's adventure novel. Ted Danson is a wonder; his acting is superb; the script is excellent. On the whole, don't be misled to think this a fluff production by star-studded cast; many are amazing. The novel is treated with respect & the ideas area conveyed with integrity. A must for adults & children. My daughter who is 12 was pulled in & kept interested by the great acting & scenery - to learn & watch the story. This is the stuff that great novels & films are all about. ... Read more

Reviews (35)

Stunning and shocking!
A wealthy Victorian family is teeming with sexual restraint. Enter, a poor naturalist who falls in love with the beautiful daughter of the head of the household. She appears to be afraid of sex, yet she has secrets that her new husband cannot even begin to imagine. The governess, exquisitely and masterfully portrayed by Kristen Scott Thomas, barely conceals her powerful attraction to the naturalist. He attempts to ignore her, despite his wife's lack of sexual interest in her husband. However, Thomas's character has a keen intelligence and gift for studying nature, which was at its zenith during the Victorian period. The two naturalists are drawn together by their interests. As the story evolves, Thomas attempts to reveal the reality of the family that supports the naturalist. In doing so, she is at once subversive and mysterious. Yet there is no doubt that the naturalist must know the world in which he resides. Like the Age of Innocense, the tension is almost unbearable, but unlike that film, Angels and Insects unveils the bizarre nature of human beings when desires are forced "underground." In "Insects," the insects appear to be the only living things that are normal. This beautifully atmospheric and Victorian drenched film will shock some viewers. But it will also enlighten those who think that the good old days were "good." There is a butterfly scene that is magnificient.

Bugged Out in the English Countryside
The title of Philip Haas' latest movie underscores the contradictions of late Victorian English society as seen through the eyes of British novelist A. S. Byatt. The film adaptation of Byatt's novella (MORPHO EUGENIA )is a mysterious and engaging tale, full of visual elaboration and color. Mark Rylance plays William Adamson, a low-born British scientist who has returned from collecting specimens in the Amazon to the ostensible comfort of the English countryside. Staying at the home of Sir Harald Alabaster (Jeremy Kemp), a patron, clergyman, and part-time entomologist, he falls in love with Sir Harald's daughter, Eugenia Alabaster (Patsy Kensit). Eugenia's female presence is both sexy and intense, while her behavior is both enigmatic and often perplexing to our scientific hero. The early drama in this film is augmented by tension between Adamson and Eugenia's brother Edgar (Douglas Henshall). Edgar can be a nasty drunk. He's snotty, contemptuous and otherwise out of control as he does his best to badger and humiliate his soon to be brother-in-law, the humble and reserved specimen scientist. Edgar doesn't want this interloper to become part of his family and we're led to believe that his contempt stems from the contempt that one class bears for another. The real reason for Edgar's foaming-at-the mouth antics is the big surprise of the movie and you'll have to see the movie to find out why some critics have used the word "decadent" to describe the film. But it won't spoil anyone's enjoyment to say that the marriage of Adamson to Eugenia doesn't work out. When it doesn't, the focus shifts to another love interest in this drama of a decaying aristocracy. Kristin Scott Thomas plays Matty Compton, a poor relative of the wealthy Alabasters. She provides the cushion for Adamson's fall when he discovers that Eugenia's got a serious problem. Matty Compton's a woman with all the answers, practical, intelligent, ahead of her time. This film is laden with symbolism but you don't have to have your doctorate in English Lit to appreciate it. The work of Charles Darwin has shattered the prevalent world-view (angels and God determining our fate) and science has left mankind feeling like an unimportant creature on the long ladder of evolution. Thus, ants and butterflies are the prevailing metaphors for existence in this film, and who hasn't at one time or another thought of their friends or acquaintances in this way? The costuming also contributes a great deal to the symbolism. Even if you're not a dressmaker or fashion maven, you're bound to get a kick out of the bold and ingenious costume schemes. The natural world photography is mesmerizing and the sexual scenes are sensuous and explicit, though not plentiful. There's much to like in this movie: great cinematography, good script, terrific acting.

High caliber drama!
Mature drama set in Victorian England . An impoverished naturalist called Ryanlance is taken by Kemp's family . This fascinating story runs when Ryanlance falls in love with the Patsy Kensit and eventually marries her . Morpho Eugenia is the key ; while the investigator is studying the social order of the insects , the people who surrounds him become gradually eccentric.
The film is built following a clear metaphor . The presence of inner demons and hidden emotions will involve the high tension drama . Kristin Scott Thomas plays an interesting and challenging role ; she represents the alter ego of Raylance ; besides she shows us once more why she is one of the top actress in the world.
Superbly acting ; top notch art direction ; fascinating enlightment and a perfect script.
And remember the key word: insect.
Do you need any other advise to acquire this cinema jewel?

STUNNING SCREENPLAY AND AMBIENCE CARRY AN INVISIBLE PLOT
A glossy period piece supposedly about Victorian era values and society that achieves its stunning beauty through sumptuous costumes, jungle dances that carry the primal oomph of beasts, and the strict house rules of an 'old money' British house.

The film starts very promisingly with its relaxed but vivid cinematography, but about 30 minutes into the film, very little has happened. The beat picks up a bit at the end when emotions get caught up in crosshairs of a triangular romance, but by then it's probably too late.

So there is precious little to expect from the script department, although anglophiles may find some linguistic cookies to savour.

Yet, the direction is so immaculate that the film could be coursework in film schools. The screenplay epitomizes passionate symbolism and draws the viewer with the precision of a bee hive, gradually but surely, as the film progresses. The women are doted on by servants like a queen bee. A bunch of moths overpower our female protagonist in a private moment, much like the flares of her passion. A scene in which two scholars are studying a colony of red ants that invade a colony of black is followed by a fox hunt -- the well-to-do in their red jackets, the servants in black.

If you're not expecting any fireworks from a riveting plot, but want to enjoy a fascinatingly put together work of very classy cinema, I highly recommend this visual feast. But it's not for everyone.

Tender performance by Mark Rylance. James Bond in 2008?
Nice, tender performance by Mark Rylance, whom I have already seen in Intimacy (2001). While watching this film Angels & Insects, I wondered if Mark Rylance could possibly be in the running to be the next James Bond. He might have to wait until 2008 when Pierce Brosnan passes the torch. If Mark Rylance is a contender, he would be 48 in 2008. Remember Roger Moore started playing James Bond at 46 and until 58. ... Read more

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By the late 1970s, Monty Python's resident animator and occasional performer, Terry Gilliam, was ready to direct a feature film on his own (he codirected Monty Python and the Holy Grail two years earlier). Returning to the medieval muck and monstrosities that served as a backdrop for Holy Grail, Gilliam chose a darker satire for this erratic but funny outing. The result was a witty, modernist fable about an unprepared hero (Michael Palin) pushed through a heroic journey by uncontrollable forces of destiny, propelling him into a duel with a fearsome, man-eating dragon called Jabberwock. Raunchy, irreverent, and borderline cynical, Jabberwocky reveals a lot of Gilliam's flaws as a first-time solo filmmaker, but it also serves as a map of his obsessions and extravagant sense of art direction--elements of his artistry that certainly flourished in subsequent works. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (28)

Unsteady "Jabberwocky"
Anyone who has read Lewis Carroll's classic children's tales will remember "Jabberwocky," the screwball poem about a young man slaying the fearsome Jabberwock. While there are some likable moments in "Jabberwocky," it never really pulls itself together.

Dennis Cooper (Michael Palin) is disinherited by his about-to-die father, penniless, and inexplicably in love with the obese, potato-crunching, none-too-pleasant Griselda Fishfinger. So Dennis heads off to the city, only to learn that the fearsome Jabberwock, a horrendous monster that devours everything except the head and bones of its victims, is attacking the city.

King Bruno (Max Wall) has promised his romantic-minded daughter's hand to the one who slays the Jabberwock, and the princess duly falls in love with the hapless Dennis. So somehow this "beamish boy" ends up being sent out against the Jabberwock in a horrific wasteland.

It's hard to tell what the vision behind "Jabberwocky" was, but it came across as a limp spinoff of "Monty Python and the Holy Grail." It has the same grimy, icky medieval look, klunky knights and abundance of filthy beggars, but it doesn't manage to be similarly hilarious. Is it a farce? A dark fairy-tale? The evil twin of "Holy Grail"? I was never really sure, and sometimes I wasn't sure if Gilliam was either. He flipflops through all three.

The Jabberwock is pretty good; though nobody could say it looks real, it's entertaining. The jokes are often either stretched out to the breaking point, or repeated over and over (like the urination joke). And while the tale of Dennis is engaging, there's no twist or offbeat quirk to make it really engaging. It proceeds and ends just as you'd expect it to.

Michael Palin is the saving grace of the movie. He's wonderfully bewildered as events spin out of his control, especially when the princess greets him stark naked. Max Wall gives a pleasantly offbeat performance as King Bruno,

So take up your vorpal blade, head off through the Tulgey Wood, and burble your way over to one of Gilliam's more cohesive works. This isn't one of them, unless you're a die-hard fan of Palin.

Should NOT be rated PG!
I saw this at a store one time and was intrigued because it shared the name of a classic Lewis Carroll poem, which I have memorized. The Monty Python name worried me (you know how British humor is), but it was rated PG. I asked my mom if we could buy it or buy it when I would be getting my tonsils out. Boy, am I glad we didn't buy it!

So we rented it, although I was the only one who watched it- really, half watched it.

The first scene was violent, and all throughout was potty humor and a glimpse or two of a male backside without clothes. Oh, well, I thought.
About halfway through the movie there was one particular scene. It showed the full nude back (from head to ankles) of a woman. She then started to turn around. No, I thought, they wouldn't show nudity in a PG movie. I could see her full nude side. I then put my hands about two feet away from my eyes, blocking the screen, but what I could still see was that she was continuing to turn, which meant that there was full frontal nudity of a woman. It wasn't long before she was dressed again, but I didn't care. I turned it off and didn't even watch the rest.
So you've probably figured by now I'm a prude, but I know I'm not the only one who will be offended so I thought I'd warn you.

What is it?
I'm a great fan of the Pythons, and this was the first "independent" film of theirs that I've seen. Overall, I enjoyed it, but I also found it confusing. It has some wonderfully funny moments, but it also has some serious moments. It is a comedy, and it is dark, but it is not a dark comedy. It's as if the movie can't decide which to be. The result is that you want to care about the characters, but you also want bad things to happen to them, because it would be funny. This is confusing, and ulimately annoying.

Sub-Python, and also not Python
When I went to see this in the late 1970s, I assumed it was another Python spin-off. After all, any film containing Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam and Michale Palin has to be at least half-Python. But as a comedy, the film left me strangely dissatisfied.

It is only now, browsing the DVD packaging some 25 years later, that I realise why I was so disappointed. The problem is that the writers were Terry Gilliam and (mainly) Charles Alverson. Much as I like Gilliam's animations, I have to admit that he was, at best, a minor contributor to Python's classic sketches. I hadn't heard of Alverson before, but according to the amazon site, he is largely the compiler of out-of-print joke books.

Whereas 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail' contains many sketches (e.g. the autonomous collective peasants scene and the witch scene), there is nothing here that could stand on its own as a sketch. There are many amusing moments in 'Jabberwocky', but nothing that builds up, through Python's relentless pursuit of the logic of the ridiculous, into a self-contained sketch. Where the script tries to imitate the Python style -- e.g. the king's decision to kill the herald -- it often falls flat, or at best elicits a mild chuckle.

Watch this for its atmosphere, for the much-improved sound quality, for the strength of the supporting cast (e.g. John Bird and Graham Crowden in minor roles) and for its pointers to Gilliam's future directorial career. Just don't expect the humour to be at Python's level.

I'd pay full price to see this at the movies.
I normally don't see movies or check out videos because I don't really find anything that I really want to see. Everything is a a variation of a tired theme. Jabberwocky is anything but that. I really liked the fact that it wasn't predictable, there was a story to it, and I could laugh at it. Don't expect "Holy Grail" or "Meaning of Life" slapstick. The humor is often more subtle, punctuated by the really absurd moments. Although there is certainly social commentary in there, you can also see the movie as a movie for its own sake, which is the sign of a truly great film. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Michael Caine was robbed of an Oscar. He gives his finest performance ina decade as big-talking small-time agent Ray Say, a paunchy, pale life of the party hiding his desperation under gold chains and cool bravura. When he hears the almost magical voice of Jane Horrocks's meek little LV (short for Little Voice) fill her bedroom with the rich voice of Judy Garland, he sees his ticket to the big time. Little Voice is ostensibly LV's story, and in fact the original play was written for Horrocks, whose amazing vocal impressions of Garland, Shirley Bassey, and Marilyn Monroe (among others) form the centerpiece performance of the film. But as directed by Mark Herman (Brassed Off), the story of this mousy girl who shuts herself in from a bellowing world is just as overwhelmed by the bombastic characters as LV herself. Brenda Blethyn babbles a blue streak as LV's overbearing mother, Mari, an aging widow who escapes her unhappiness in carousing and becomes almost pathologically jealous when Ray's attentions turn from her to LV. As Ray puts his dreams on the line for LV's showcase, he reveals his true self: a venal man who spits and barks out his bottled-up anger in an astoundingly bile-filled delivery of Roy Orbison's "It's Over." The showstopping moment once again overwhelms LV's tale, but Caine's performance is so astounding it seems a fair trade. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (81)

Funny, charming film with talented Jane Horrocks
Charming film about L.V. (Little Voice), a meek-voiced, shy British woman who enjoys singing the music of Judy Garland, Marilyn Monroe and others. Her mother, a sex-crazed record store owner, and the agent Ray Say (a terrific Michael Caine)both attempt to manipulate her into stardom. This is an interesting, charming, and funny movie which takes some interesting turns along the way. Jane Horrocks, as the title character, is terrific, and sings her own songs beautifully. She is incredibly talented, and the movie is a charmer. Look for a nice performance by Ewan McGregor as L.V.'s wanna-be beau.

Wow!
I'm so glad I rented this DVD! This is such an endearing, charming little film. Part of it is a very sweet (but not too sweet, if you know what I mean) love story between two very likeable characters, and part of it is the story of two rather shabby, not-so-nice characters who are still very interesting and believable--thanks in no small part to the strong performances of Michael Caine and Brenda Blethyn. Jane Horrocks's singing is wonderful and the centerpiece scene of LV's triumphant performance really sparkles--I'm glad the sound quality on the DVD is so good. The only slight negative to the film is that, as an American, I sometimes couldn't understand what LV's mother Mari was saying since her Northern English Cockney accent was so thick. This was also true of the more minor characters of Mr. Boo and George. Fortunately, on DVD you can turn on the subtitles feature for a quick "translation" into English! I liked this movie so much I watched it twice in a row on the spur of the moment--it's only about an hour and half long. To top it off, the ending is quite inspiring in an understated way and I plan on buying the DVD and making it a permanent part of my collection.

Jane Horrocks is remarkable
Jane Horrocks is a British comedian who amongst her many talents is a great mimic of female vocal artists. This film was originally a stage play based around her.

The plot of the film is simple. Jane plays Little Voice a young woman who lacks self confidence and whose life has been destroyed by an overbearing and grotesque mother. The mother continually belittles her daughter who is so lacking in any social sills that she sits in her room each night playing old 50's and 60's records owned by her father. It would seem that the father was also destroyed by the mother. She sings along to these records and is able to mimic such greats as Billie Holiday, Judy Garland and Marilyn Munro. (Okay Marilyn Munro was not a great but you know what I mean)

Michael Caine plays a seedy music entrepreneur who is limping along in obscurity heading career wise somewhere worse than obscurity. He has a brief drunken fling with Little Voice's mother and hears her voice coming from her room. He immediately sees her as an unexploited talent that might just bring him back into the game.

The film centres on a concert organised by Caine and its aftermath. Broadly the film is a morality tale in which the mother and Caine get what is coming to them and Little Voice is able to achieve something more than fame and that is normality.

The film is both good and bad. Horrocks at its centre is brilliant and it is her talent that is responsible for everything good about it. Her performance scenes are breathtaking made more remarkable by the use of her own voice. It is the other characters and the rest of the film that is the drag. The morality tale is rather telescoped and the character of the mother a repellent and grotesque rather than being real. The end a little bit of an anti-climax. One would imagine that this stems from the difficulty of converting the play to a film.

Never the less the performance of Horrocks is so strong and the premise so clever that the film is worth looking at despite its faults.

Caine, Horrocks, Blethyn, McGregor --
As others have said, with this cast you can't go far wrong. This is a modest movie in many ways -- it takes place almost entirely in about three settings, and these people live in a very confined world. But it's still not confined enough for L.V., who longs only to live in song and memory. The movie features two different forces working to pull LV out of her shell. Ray and her mother try to exploit L.V.'s gift for their own benefit, not caring if they hurt her or, ultimately, each other. Bill, on the other hand, is almost as shy as L.V.; because he understands her and only gently tries to get to know her, he actually makes some headway. (I still think one of the most romantic moments I've ever seen in a movie is the scene where he offers to answer the telephone for her, so she won't have to talk to a stranger.)

This movie is more than a simple comedy -- by the end, it has become emotionally wrenching, as L.V., her mother and Ray each hit their breaking point. But Bill's presence in L.V.'s life -- and, more importantly, the confidence she has gained through his friendship -- assure us that L.V. is headed for better things. Sometimes the tone is uneven; Ray's vicious attack on L.V.'s mom near the end makes the cut-downs in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" look tame, and coming after so much gentle humor, the final spiraling-out-of-control is jarring. But these scenes are so brilliantly acted that it's worth it.

Even if the rest of the movie were not as good and as memorable as it is, "Little Voice" would be worth seeing just for Horrocks' amazing vocal performance. It's almost unbelievable how brilliantly she sings in so many different styles, and after her big finale, I found myself singing "Get Happy" for weeks.

Horrified - IF I COULD IT'd be NO STARS
You know, I'm usully not a freak out when it comes to outrage on a movie when they abuse someone in the sake of comedy, but this one I just have to. I just watched this awful show on television. It is listed as a comedy and I don't see anything funny about it! An outright abusive, unloving ... of a mother and her gold digger boyfriend abuse and force an obviously troubled psychologically young girl into singing for their own ends instead of getting the girl into therapy! This show is awful. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The thrill of forbidden passion electrifies the air when young dentistJulia Ormand, the wounded victim of a rough divorce, falls for sad, soulfulconvict Tim Roth, a patient in her part-time prison duties. Her impulsiveembrace of a man who seduces her with whispered confessions and little lovebites (how better to flirt with a dentist?) and the rush of their affair raisesunsettling questions: what exactly are his motives, and what crime is he inprison for? Captives can't decide whether it’s a tale of obsessive loveor a film noir thriller with an erotic twist, and it finally falls back onmundane complications. But delicate Ormand is a beauty with adeer-in-the-headlights look, and Roth steals the film with his simmering and tragic eyes.--Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Brilliant acting by Roth and Ormond
I stumbled upon this video very late one night about two weeks ago, quite by accident. I was drawn in immediately and held absolutely spellbound by the performances of both Tim Roth and Julia Ormond. Since then, I have purchased the video and rewatched it more times than I can count, each time loving the movie more. This is a love story against all odds, a tender, heart-wrenching, passionate love story, of two people drawn together by lonliness, need, and desire. I agree with one reviewer who said this was one of the most erotically charged films ever seen. I have never seen Roth portray this kind of character and, I must say, I have become an avid fan and only hope he will take on more roles of this nature. His performance was riveting, i.e., tender, sensitive, poignant, and very human. I certainly don't mean to downplay Ormond's performance, it was superb as well. The chemistry between the actors was incredibly real, both of whom conveyed so much feeling through their eyes, facial expressions and body language. Since discovering this gem, I have read a lot of the reviews, and I totally disagree with one movie critic who said Roth was miscast in the part. The fact that he does not look like Brad Pitt makes it even more believeable for me. Roth may not be handsome in the classic sense, but he has a unique look, very sexy, intense, charismatic and sensual. This movie touches me deeply, I only wish that the ending had not been so rushed. I would love to see this movie make it to DVD.

Strong Stuff
Wow, I just saw this movie and knew beforehand I'd love it. Why? Tim Roth. I would watch Tim Roth reading "Barney's Christmas Adventure". I don't care what he does, he's an excellent and riveting actor -watching him is like being drawn towards a graviational field . There are few actors with this much soul.
I've always puzzled over the so-called "Beautiful men" who are supposed to have all this sex appeal -they leave me cold. They're all too pretty for my tastes. They look like mannequins.
Roth is so uniquely "Roth" -there's no one else like him- and this gives him a powerful charisma. He's perfect in roles which require him to show off his natural raw energy and earthiness and this role as the tender yet passionate convict is perfect for him. Julia Ormand is also great and convincing as the woman rather stunned by her attraction to someone so unlikely. So much is conveyed between these two by facial expression. A beautifully nuanced performance by both actors, which makes the physicality of their later embrace so much more erotic than anything I've seen in film for a long, long time.
Very sexy in a gorgeous, sensuous way with delicious subtleties -right down to the tattoos on Roth's arm.

Captivating Even If Disturbing
I never saw Tim Roth come off so sexy as this -- just loved it (especially the parts nearer the beginning when he is first talking to her across the tables in prison visitors room and then in diners). J.O. is beautiful and captivating on her own --very believable and much too vulnerable. I'm amazed to read other reviews here that saw Roth's character as being so sincere and in love. I did not see him that way. I saw him as short of being truly in love with her -- that he cared for her, probably, but deeply in love? I never got that. He was all too willing to put her in too much danger for one thing. Call me old-fashioned, but in my opinion a man that really cares for a woman wants to protect her. If that component is missing, give him three bright red flags!

It's a good watch though. I found it frightening to see how J.O.'s character kept falling for everything about him, hook line and sinker, ignoring *huge* red flags. Example: She told her best friend early in her romance with Roth's character that she didn't want to ask Roth what he was doing time for, feeling it was invasive. My gosh, whatever happened to the idea of expecting that a man should honor the need for a woman to feel *safe* with him? If he is worth his salt, he won't mind you checking him out and will be glad you did -- because, if he really cares about you, he is going to respect a woman's need to learn important things about him -- especially convicts and people met through personal ads. I mean really! When she finally breaks her resolve and looks it up, she learns he is in for murder -- of his wife.

She is quick to notice that court documents say it was a crime of passion because his wife had been cheating on him. Oh good, she seems to think to herself, "Jusitifiable homicide." HELLO-OOO-OO? Is anybody out there? I don't care what his wife did, violence and murdering her was NOT okay, and NEVER the answer and does NOT make him out to be a "deep, soulful, sensitive and passionate" lover of most women's dreams. It makes him *dangerous*. I'm not saying he can't reform and I'm not saying she can't forgive that about him when he does, but this movie did not touch that. It was as if it was just like OKAY that he murdered his wife. Pleeeeeez.

Now, this does not make it a bad movie. In fact it makes it a very realistic movie, sadly, because a lot of us women keep falling for men who hurt us, and big-time. One shudders to think of how many women in America were beaten by their husbands or lovers this very hour today. To me this is not so much a movie about a tragic love affair as it is about some of the all-too-common vulnerabilities of a lot of women. Women with these vulnerabilities are women-at-risk.

Roth was charismatic, sexy and captivating but I did not see him as a truly loving lover. I don't care how sensual and "deep" he is, when it's not true love it just ain't a love story. Too many things about the character he played showed that he did not (and was no doubt incapable of) truly loving her. It did not torment him what he was putting her through. I never saw him try to resist his desire for her so that she would not be put at risk. Simple caring was missing.

Anyhow, I do think this movie is a fascinating character study -- both watching the film and reading the reviews of it. I suggest getting "True Romance" with Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette, who play it like genuine and romantic love in addition to this film so that you can watch a 5-star movie ("True Romance") even while you are in the mood for this genre of film. And besides, TR is one of my favorite movies of all time and never got the marketing that would have clearly taken it to the top of the heap. It's star-studded with so many "favorite" scenes in it that I like to mention it whenever I can and it's on-topic. If you can only get one movie? Get "True Romance" instead!

Captives
I have seen Julia Ormond in some good movies and she is a great actress. This is not one of them. Senseless subject. The audio is bad, or the language is not what I am used with, so I understood only half of what they said in the movie. Stay away from this one!

Spellbound
I, like other reviewers happened to stumble across this film. I could not believe how sexual Tim Roth was. I was a little confused by the ending, I'm assuming they continued their relationship. I'm purchasing the DVD today. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

A visual feast for the senses and soul
I was so enthralled by the beauty of this film that I had to go back and see it again the next night. I might add that I almost never see movies twice. Visually stunning black and white cinematography toned a deep blue-tone, lent a rich sense of dreamlike antiquity to the film. Shot on location in northern France, full of medieval icons and stone buildings, surrounded by peasant farms and fields the film touched on many local customs and lore : gypsies with houses in trees, a dark-tressed virgin mary-possibly an older connection to Ceres or an earth-mother goddess, early midwivery, and, perhaps most importantly the desire for a direct connection to God, which conflicts with the Church-as-middle-man role. The story was a deeply moving and inspiring tale of a pure desire to touch divinity.

A Profound depiction of medieval life
There are not enough words to describe the utter beauty of Anchoress. The imagery and symbolism is intellectually and visually satsifying; one could watch this film over and over again without boredom. The silence, which so permeates this film, allows for a certain contemplation for the viewer; the dialogue is fabulous, and is not thrown around in an uncareful manner - it is placed where it is needed, conveying perfect and correct meaning. Overall, Anchoress offers the most expressive and possibly most accurate depiction of medieval life (even though us 21st century folks don't know what that would truthfully be) on film. I could not imagine Anchoress being in color - it would take away from the grainy feeling of the black and white, which is such a key part to the imagery I believe; the black and white even adds more to the medieval feel. Moreover, the story of Anchoress is equally important. Christine, the young anchoress (Natalie Morse) could teach us a lesson or two - she finds God in her food, in the dirt, in a beautiful (yet very primitive looking) Virgin statue, in a small cell, and underground; Christine discovers God. . . she does not allow God to be dogmatically pushed on her (as seen in her discussions with the Priest). I could watch Anchoress over and over. . . honestly. As a medieval history buff and as one interested in the lives and practices of medieval anchoresses, I highly recommend this film to others with the same interests. Also, to anyone who appreciates visually stunning film, Anchoress will fill your mind with awe.

Gorgeous and thought-provoking
What a joy it is to see "Anchoress" coming out on DVD -- and at a consumer-friendly price, no less. This artsy/indie film should appeal to lovers of unusually and visually beautiful films, and it should appeal both to Pagans and to Christian mystics, as it explores issues of the soul dear to both groups. The central character, the Anchoress of Shere, is reminiscent of Julian of Norwich, a more orthodox though no less spiritual historical figure from the 14th century. The Anchoress of Shere enters the stern life of a female mystic/recluse, in part because she has visions of the Blessed Mother, in part to escape the unwanted advances of her landlord. Trouble begins to brew when her visions of the Mother do not match the rigid orthodoxy of the parish priest. This movie asks important questions about the relationship between authentic spiritual experience and the dogmatic "party line" of organized religion; it also explores the tension between heavenly-oriented and earthly-oriented spiritualities. It also has a few things to say about gender politics. But beyond the philosophical tension in the story, this film (shot in a softly-focussed black and white) is cinematographically gorgeous, a pure delight to look at -- a visual hymn to the mysterious beauty of both heaven and earth.

Very Cool
I'm not saying much, because saying anything is already too much. Filmed in black/white, the poetic suggestions and use of imagery are simply spectacular. At the same time it's very subtle, evoking comparison with Bergmann, Lagerkvist and Popol Vuh. See the rough sculpture of the blessed virgin being carried across the field of rye and you will get drunk on the poetry that's in it. Oh, and the ending!!! It's wine....

A friend told us about it, we caught it the last night of its run and I thank GOD every day that we did not miss it.

Each scene framed like a renaissance graphite drawing.
In the oppressive atmosphere of the medieval times where midwives and herbalists were considered in league with the devil, one witnesses the transcendental journey of a young, spirited, and spiritual woman as she explores the feminine aspects of God, with Mary as her inspiration. The naturalistic concepts within the exploration of the feminine (Earth/Mother ideology) may offend some fundamentalists, but I interpret this as metaphorical. This film is worth seeing for the cinematography alone. It's unspeakably beautiful, shot in black and white, each scene framed like a renaissance graphite drawing. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Impressive Mini Series
This is a wonderful movie about an anchient chinese story. The Journey To The West is a book on a scholar that travels to a different world. The movie has great effects and the characters fill the standards of the book. If you love magic and adventure this movie is good. Also if you were interested in movies like: Merlin, 10th kingdom, and Arabian Nights this movie is just what your looking for.

The Goddess of Mercy
The Lost Empire / The Monkey King is a mini series that tells the story of Nicholas Orton (Thomas Gibson) who finds himself on a save-the-world mission. The plot itself is a bit difficult to follow - it is loosely inspired by 'Journey to the West'- the famous chinese epic. However in this version, it shows us what would happen if 'Journey to the West' had never existed. Demons are trying to destroy the book (for the simple reason of that's what evil demons do with their spare time) and the world is running backwards because of it, deleting all the things that 'Journey to the West' helped inspire (which includes buildings and clocks, strangely enough). So the Goddess of Mercy, Kwan Ying (Ling Bai) travels from her world to find the prophesied Scholar from Above - our own Nick Orton. He is 'above' because all of the mythological characters he later mets live in a copy of China in one of the (very, very, very large) unexcavated tombs, under the musuem. So with the help of Kwan Ying and the famous terracotta warriors that come to life, Nick finds himself inside the tomb/copy of mythological China, faced with the sacastic Monkey King (Russell Wong) who was been trapped inside a mountain by those same demons that are out to destroy 'Journey to the West'.
As you can see, the premise is quite confusing, so if you like to sit down and get a nice, logical plot, you might want to give this one a miss, as our heroes do a lot of wandering around and your not actually sure where they're going or why.
However, if you are a fan of other Hallmark fantasy mini-series (the Magical Legend of the Leprechauns, Merlin, Arabian Nights, the 10th Kingdom, the Voyage of the Unicorn) then this is the movie for you. Like the others it boasts great special effects, great set-designs and Kwan Ying and her consort Whitesnake wear the most beautiful outfits I've seen. The lovely Ling Bai is perfectly cast as the Goddess of Mercy, and the scenes that take place in the home of the gods are wonderful. Nick and his reluctant teacher the Monkey King are good too, and get some good one-liners, and their allies Pigsy and Friar Sand should appeal to kids. The romance between Nick and Kwan Ying is nothing new, but still enjoyable to watch, and the carefully choreographed martial-art sequences are amazing.
If you are a Chinese-historian or a purist of any kind, I advise you to steer clear, as I'm sure Confucius wasn't an annoying, back-stabbing traiter as he is portrayed here, but everyone else should just sit down and enjoy the ride without being picky.

Offensive...
is exactly how this movie is to be described. I would suggest that any Chinese/Asians living anywhere in the world to avoid this movie at all cost. "Journey to the West" is a very religious story about a Buddhist monk traveling to the West to obtain the true scriptures of Buddhism... along the way, he met diciples to protect him until he gets there.

As someone has already pointed out, Quan Yin is a Buddhishiva of compassion. Buddhists don't have romantic affairs, eat meat, or drink alcohol. It's like showing a Jewish Rabbi eating pork on Friday night. It's disrespectful and sickening. I can't believe people make this kind of crap and take what is a masterpiece and trample all over it. Isn't anything sacred anymore?

What a waste of time...
Recently there has been a surge of interest in "fantasy" type films. With the huge success of "Lord of the Rings," I belive, people are exploring other movies, similar in nature. Well, if you're an adult and you're getting reacquainted with the fantasy genre, this is one to MISS. Ignore it. Keep on walking. Its really just for kids, at best. The story is predictable and it repeats itself, hour past hour. The special effects are good enough for Saturnday morning t.v. but that's about it. I suggest you look at "Arabian Nights" instead.

Racist travesty of an epic story
"Journey to the West" is a literary masterpiece which has been loved in China for nearly half a millennium. In contrast, "The Lost Empire" is a piece of meretricious rubbish which will hopefully soon be consigned to oblivion. Its makers seem to assume, rightly or wrongly, that its audience will be unable to relate to a "foreign" story unless a white guy is inserted, however incongruously, into the action. As if this were not bad enough, the idea of the "hero" comducting a romantic affair with Kuan Yin must be deeply offensive to many people of Chinese extraction. Since Kuan Yin is someimes compared, in her role as compassionate mediator, to the Virgin Mary, one can only imagine the response had the situation been reversed. This is an example of film-making at its very worst. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This three-hour made-for-television epic based on the classic Chinese story Journey to the West is an engaging mix of fantasy and martial-arts adventure, and it features a veritable tsunami of special effects. The plot involves an American China scholar (played by Thomas Gibson) whose knowledge of Asian mythology becomes astoundingly useful when he is magically transported into other dimensions by terra cotta warriors who come to life. The American scholar soon finds himself face to face with a wisecracking Monkey King (Russell Wong), a mystical warrior whose martial-arts skills are matched only by his sarcastic one-liners. The mismatched heroes have only three days to find an ancient manuscript and thereby save the world from destruction, and they're assisted by the timely interventions of the Goddess of Mercy (played by Bai Ling). The rambling plot puts the characters into confrontations with tigers, dragons, and evil giants, and at times they're joined by such unorthodox allies as a human with the head of a pig. As his quest progresses, the scholar has to learn to think like a warrior, and there are innumerable obstacles put in his path. Even if the plot doesn't always seem terribly coherent, the computer-generated special effects are entertaining, and the film has no shortage of bizarre villains, flashy martial-arts scenes, and sardonic quips from the Monkey King.--Robert J. McNamara ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Impressive Mini Series
This is a wonderful movie about an anchient chinese story. The Journey To The West is a book on a scholar that travels to a different world. The movie has great effects and the characters fill the standards of the book. If you love magic and adventure this movie is good. Also if you were interested in movies like: Merlin, 10th kingdom, and Arabian Nights this movie is just what your looking for.

The Goddess of Mercy
The Lost Empire / The Monkey King is a mini series that tells the story of Nicholas Orton (Thomas Gibson) who finds himself on a save-the-world mission. The plot itself is a bit difficult to follow - it is loosely inspired by 'Journey to the West'- the famous chinese epic. However in this version, it shows us what would happen if 'Journey to the West' had never existed. Demons are trying to destroy the book (for the simple reason of that's what evil demons do with their spare time) and the world is running backwards because of it, deleting all the things that 'Journey to the West' helped inspire (which includes buildings and clocks, strangely enough). So the Goddess of Mercy, Kwan Ying (Ling Bai) travels from her world to find the prophesied Scholar from Above - our own Nick Orton. He is 'above' because all of the mythological characters he later mets live in a copy of China in one of the (very, very, very large) unexcavated tombs, under the musuem. So with the help of Kwan Ying and the famous terracotta warriors that come to life, Nick finds himself inside the tomb/copy of mythological China, faced with the sacastic Monkey King (Russell Wong) who was been trapped inside a mountain by those same demons that are out to destroy 'Journey to the West'.
As you can see, the premise is quite confusing, so if you like to sit down and get a nice, logical plot, you might want to give this one a miss, as our heroes do a lot of wandering around and your not actually sure where they're going or why.
However, if you are a fan of other Hallmark fantasy mini-series (the Magical Legend of the Leprechauns, Merlin, Arabian Nights, the 10th Kingdom, the Voyage of the Unicorn) then this is the movie for you. Like the others it boasts great special effects, great set-designs and Kwan Ying and her consort Whitesnake wear the most beautiful outfits I've seen. The lovely Ling Bai is perfectly cast as the Goddess of Mercy, and the scenes that take place in the home of the gods are wonderful. Nick and his reluctant teacher the Monkey King are good too, and get some good one-liners, and their allies Pigsy and Friar Sand should appeal to kids. The romance between Nick and Kwan Ying is nothing new, but still enjoyable to watch, and the carefully choreographed martial-art sequences are amazing.
If you are a Chinese-historian or a purist of any kind, I advise you to steer clear, as I'm sure Confucius wasn't an annoying, back-stabbing traiter as he is portrayed here, but everyone else should just sit down and enjoy the ride without being picky.

Offensive...
is exactly how this movie is to be described. I would suggest that any Chinese/Asians living anywhere in the world to avoid this movie at all cost. "Journey to the West" is a very religious story about a Buddhist monk traveling to the West to obtain the true scriptures of Buddhism... along the way, he met diciples to protect him until he gets there.

As someone has already pointed out, Quan Yin is a Buddhishiva of compassion. Buddhists don't have romantic affairs, eat meat, or drink alcohol. It's like showing a Jewish Rabbi eating pork on Friday night. It's disrespectful and sickening. I can't believe people make this kind of crap and take what is a masterpiece and trample all over it. Isn't anything sacred anymore?

What a waste of time...
Recently there has been a surge of interest in "fantasy" type films. With the huge success of "Lord of the Rings," I belive, people are exploring other movies, similar in nature. Well, if you're an adult and you're getting reacquainted with the fantasy genre, this is one to MISS. Ignore it. Keep on walking. Its really just for kids, at best. The story is predictable and it repeats itself, hour past hour. The special effects are good enough for Saturnday morning t.v. but that's about it. I suggest you look at "Arabian Nights" instead.

Racist travesty of an epic story
"Journey to the West" is a literary masterpiece which has been loved in China for nearly half a millennium. In contrast, "The Lost Empire" is a piece of meretricious rubbish which will hopefully soon be consigned to oblivion. Its makers seem to assume, rightly or wrongly, that its audience will be unable to relate to a "foreign" story unless a white guy is inserted, however incongruously, into the action. As if this were not bad enough, the idea of the "hero" comducting a romantic affair with Kuan Yin must be deeply offensive to many people of Chinese extraction. Since Kuan Yin is someimes compared, in her role as compassionate mediator, to the Virgin Mary, one can only imagine the response had the situation been reversed. This is an example of film-making at its very worst. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

FUNNY FIGHTING FEMALE FATTIES
Love'em or hate 'em, idiosyncratic films that dabble with subversive notions and stories of fringe people make some viewers uncomfortable. You either get it or not. For those who do, there are rewards.

SECRET SOCIETY (First Run Features) is about Daisy (Charlotte Brittain), plump factory-worker wife adored by her unemployed husband. At work, Daisy's chubby lady boss grants favors to rotund female coworkers. One thing leads to another, soon Daisy's in a secret society of women sumo wrestlers. Suddenly, she must choose between keeping things as they are or risk becoming something exceptional. I was amazed and amused.

Charming Charlotte Brittain Is a Female Sumo Wrestler in UK
This British/German comedy film stars Charlotte Brittain as Daisy, who is a loving wife to Ken (Lee Ross), both living in Yorkshire. Daisy is a plump woman, but Ken loves her because of that, so he flatly says no when she says she would lose weight. They are an amiable husband and wife, but the only problem is that Ken, though a nice chap, is constantly unemployed.

So, Daisy works at a local factory, where she is recruited by the chief of the place Marlene (Annette Badland, "Little Voice"), to join the "secret society." But that society is actually nothing like Free Mason; it is about sumo wrestling. And through the traditional Japanese sports Daisy finds something new which has been missing in her life.

The greatest asset of the film is the heroine Charlotte Brittain, who showed a scene-stealing turn in another British film "Get Real." And she is extremely charming and endearing here; no wonder Ken loves her so much, and you will see her natural charms exude from the film. Her name should be remembered much more by the film fans.

Ken is portrayed by Lee Ross with deft comic skills, and Ross succeeds in showing this guy in the sympathetic light. However, Ken's hobby (which is UFO spotting ... yeah, England is the land of trainspotting, so why not?) and its consequent comedy part is not as effective as Daisy part. Ken believes that his beloved wife's body is taken over by ... er ... aliens, but that sub-plot sounds too contrived, and only doing harm to the central plot, which should have been more explored.

As a Japanese, I have to mention one part of the film; its sumo. It is obvious that they researched much about sumo, and the comment on sumo such as "shin (spirit)" "gi (skill)" "tai (body)" is accurately translated. And if you doubt the existence of female sumo wrestlers, please don't. There is female sumo in Japan, even though not as popular as males'. And they wear special clothes for the "dohyo" (ring) as the film shows.

But, sumo is in fact much more dynamic sports than the film shows. They rush, they bump to each other, and throw the bodies of the opponent more powerfully than the film shows. Of course, this is a minor point, but I guess the film makers could have made it more authentic just by giving a call to sumo association in Japan, which, incidentally, would tell them that sumo wrestlers don't bathe in lake. And as to the kimono, we don't wear it like that.

Finally, the film belongs to the charming Charlotte Brittain, and she is the main reason for you to watch. She makes the film engaging without giving it any patronizing tone.

P.S. The premise strongly reminds us of "Full Monty," but the director Imogen Kimmel, it is reported, had already made a short film "Secret Society" in 1994 (on which this feature film is based), so the similarity could be just accidental. Whatever the truth may be, the comparion is inevitable, but unnecessary. ... Read more