This is one of my all time favorite movies because of it´s atmosphere that´s seems to be borrowed from a different universe. The film is so absurd, hilarious, astonishing, disgusting and all over chaotic it´s just BEST FANTASY MOVIE OF ALL TIME

The effects and the idea are brilliant but the plot is a bit of a borefest and the movie drags on and on and on. This is not a great ending to Heath Ledgers acting career but lets hope The Dark Knight is the one he is really remembered for. In a nutshell, dissapointing.

If there is something to be said about Terry Gilliam, it's that he doesn't give a damn about trying to please his audience, and I love that about him. Depending on who you speak with, a director can be someone who must make a film that people would want to see or tell a story that they want to make. The former seems to be the most commonly accepted way of film making as large sums of money are at stake and it would be very risky to do so. Terry Gilliam's approach is one that I love and feel is a breath of fresh air in that he tells some very interesting stories. He has a way of capturing that sense of discovery and wonder that you (hopefully) got when you were a kid discovering something new. This movie to me is one of his ultimate expressions of this. The movie, in a nutshell, is about the immortal Doctor Parnassus (Christopher Plummer) and his duels of faith (not religious, but in the virtues of humanity) with the devil (played by an awesome Tom Waits). It involves many flashbacks from when Parnassus was young and details how he become who he is, all the while showing the daily trials and tribulations he and his traveling carnival face as they travel about London. The story is very complex and does require attention to be paid to what is being said, and their morality cannot be judged based on the characters actions as easily as some films. Things are pretty much not what they may seem at all times, and things twist and warp as the story develops further, leaving you sometimes confused. The writing is amazing, with many well written and delivered lines by the cast. They all deliver equally good performances and though I have a hard time finding a favorite, I would have to say Verne Troyer as Anton (who is someone to be watched in the future) and Tom Waits as the Devil where some of my favorites. Heath Ledger gives an excellent performance and as much as I liked him in the Dark Knight, I feel that his performance in Imaginarium is a bit more subtle, but still very interesting. That being said, The Imaginarium is definitely a favorite of mine, but I may be biased as I like Terry Gilliam's style as a director, as well as his choice of actors/actresses. He pours a lot of heart into his movies and as self indulgent as some people say his movies are, I would rather watch his movies more than any other director.… Expand

Visually very appealing, a joy to watch with brilliant production design and cinematography. Wonderful to see the great Christopher Plummer back on the big screen, with a superb supporting cast. An excellant fantasy night at the cinema, I found myself very drawn in. One forgets that the appearances by Depp, Farrel, and Law are because of the loss of Heath Ledger... it all seems to be a natural transition within the story.… Expand

Great movie, not the best, sometimes you will feel a bit over whelmed by the fact that the movie can get over complicated, sometimes you will even find parts stupid because you don't understand a single thing. All around you will find a movie that can be funny here and there, has a great love story (but it is not the main part of the movie so it won't get in the way and people that love romance movies will love this as well, so its pretty much hitting 2 birds with 1 rock. I reccomend you watch this if you like movies that are more than just people killing each other.… Expand

Worth a look, but not complete satisfying: the narrative doesn't feel complete, but some of the scenes are fantastical and interesting enough to stand in the own right. Gilliam's eye for visuals hasn't weakened.

This was an appalling film and felt much more like Gilliam's constipated sparkly turd. An awful mess. I understand that Gilliam and his friends like to buck the trend in traditional movie making but this went nowhere fast. It felt like a drunken stupor with copious amounts of creative vomit -- just get it out there and maybe the audience won't notice it's my puke! Also, those who "don't get it or were bored (like myself) just don't understand Gilliam's genius." Bullshit! Gilliam can be genius but Parnassus was not. Watch his other films, you'll have a lot more enjoyable time with Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.… Expand

Good Movie.

A thought provoking and interesting film. Its not Brazil or Time Bandits (Gilliam's best), it is not for kids, but it is a visually and conceptually fascinating film. The plot device introduced to allow for Ledger's character to be played by Depp et. al. is very clever and it works. I truly enjoyed the film.

Starts well, but by the end has managed to under-utilize the Devil & over-utilize the Russian mob. As visually compelling as the last Willy Wonka, but way less emotionally affecting than the average Doctor Who. As for Heath, etc? A goatee is not acting; not that any of this is the actor's fault. There just isnt a script, and there are no consistent rules in the world of the Imaginarium. Too bad; the Brothers Grimm, while much hackier, was better.… Expand

It would be interesting to hear the director of this movie - Terry Gilliam - explain why he signed a petition "demanding" the release of convicted child rapist, bail jumper and fugitive Roman Polanski.

A wonderful film of poignant morality. A perfect send off for Heath Ledger.

The effects were definitely cool, but I wouldn't recommend seeing this movie. It was rather disappointing. The story just didn't hold together. The relationships weren't clear or interesting between the characters. It seemed as if the entire back story was just left out. Visually appealing, but the effects didn't serve to further the plot, which always frustrates me. And the overall message, while hinting at the occult, was downright depressing.… Expand

Strange, but often more in a w.t.f. way rather than a mesmerizing way. Even the climax of five souls felt rushed, overly simplistic, and ultimately unsatisfying. Perhaps if I saw it again I'd find a treasure trove of clever societal based metaphors, but honestly... the movie isn't that entertaining to warrant it.

Ugly and repulsive film.

Very imaginative, creative, and fun! Good casting - Almost seamless substitution of Johnn Depp, Colin Farrell, and Jude Law after Heath Ledger's death mid shooting.

Terry Gilliam, The mind behind the erratic and genius Fear and Loathing Las Vegas and Brazil, had his creative work cut out for him, when one of his stars and backbones passes away suddenly and quietly right in the middle of shooting of his latest film, The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus. Though with the passing of Heath Ledger, it gave Gilliam a chance to explore a different approach to explain the fanciful story that he had created, built entirely around a man and a bet. Like most of Gilliam… Expand

I was chagrined to find that through a mix-up in times, I arrived at the movie theater a half hour late. It took a a bit of time to sort out the characters and plot, but this was eventually accomplished. Still, as the movie continued to develop, I became increasingly grateful that I had arrived late. The premise was excellent, the execution was poor. The movie was was similar to having a bad dream - confusing, fragmented, incoherent and worst of all - boring. This is the only movie I've ever given a 0. Save your money and give it a miss.… Expand

The fact that Terry Gilliam even finished this film merits a 10 alone. No Don Quiote this time. Gilliam instead melds Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell into the role Heath Ledger left unfinished perfectly, completing a totally entertaining film filled with magical and fantastical images with a story as close to Monty Python as he's ever done. A beautiful film and worthy tribute to Heath Ledger.… Expand

This movie is underrated by this site, as if Terry Gilliam's films normally make more sense. As if life normally makes more sense. Personally I prefer movies that are unique and flawed over perfect boring movies any day. Can't wait to see it again.

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus will always be remember for being Heath Ledger's last film, because of his timely death three different actor finish it for him and you can tell in the film the craft and dedication to finish it. Even only it had a better understanding of the plot. The movie begins of an old man named Dr. Parnassus (Christopher Lee) who has a daughter and a midget as a best friend and a street performer. They have an act where they go in the streets and make people pay to go through a mirror where it shows their true self's. We quickly learn through Parnassus that he made a deal with the devil to gain immortality but any first born child to turn 16 was to be offered to him. The girl, Valentina is about to be 16 in a couple of days. Parnassus is trying his best to see if he can stop the devil played by Tom Waits. One day while driving they find a man trying to hang him self which is played by Heath Ledger. They rescue him and he happens to lose his memory. Parnassus thinks it's a trick from the Devil, maybe to do another deal to save his daughter. They use him as a performer in their act. If I keep going with the plot, this review will last forever. The plot is so damn unfocused that I wanted to scream out loud. The movie has so many ideas packed into one. There's a love story involved with Valentina and one of the street performers named Anton. Then there's Heath Ledger's character that has his own back story and when that comes into the light it's even more confusion. The narrative left me frustrated and confuse, I couldn't get into it. The movie is very well acted and I have no complaints about that. Every single actor is being true to their character and they do it very well. I liked how Colin Farrell, Jude Law, and Johnny Depp were there to fill in the shoes of Ledger. The special effects were very good and convincing but like I said before if only the narrative was more properly structured. The movie is worth to watch because of Ledger he was captivating.… Expand

Following the unfortunate death of Heath Ledger, the gifted actor gained prominent recognition as he received an Academy Award for his performance in The Dark Knight. Although Ledger acquired much-deserved fame, it astonishes me that his final movie, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus gained little attention derived from North American audiences. With its lack of consideration, the American audiences missed out on a film that adequately gives Ledger a final farewell.

Terry Gilliam's The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is fantasy film about a traveling theater troupe's attempt to win a bet wagered against the Devil. To do so, they must acquire its audience members to enter a mirror where they will decide between the pleasures of the world or the marvels of their imagination. To set it straight, Terry Gilliam's crafted premise is simply imaginative. The idea of exploring an individual's imagination is well-detailed and has the potential to make Charles Kaufman and Tim Burton go back to the drawing boards. To craft this world, the film employs CGI; While the CGI is at times hackneyed, it was sufficient enough to complement the premise. The design and idea of the film as a whole is inventively original, and is the film's strongest point.

While the film may seem fascinating, the main appeal it possesses is its title of being Heath Ledger's last performance. Fans of the actor will be satisfied with this performance as he portrays his character cunningly and with realism. Although it may not be on par with his performance as the Joker, he does display the talent of a matured actor. Due to his death before the film was completed, cameo performances by Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Ferrell are employed within the film. Gilliam does a sufficient job in justifying the alteration in the character as fans of any of the actors will be pleasantly surprised.

Although Parnassus succeeds with its splendor and acting, it is not without its flaws. There are some minor problems present within the plot that can be overlooked. The film's introduction of the trope is a tad extensive, as the main character is not presented until half an hour into the film. Additionally, as stated above, the CGI is not top-notch but is sufficient enough to capture thought. Lastly, the major flaw that I found was many of the parts of the film felt empty. The best characteristic of the film is its magic, but sadly it is only really prominent in the final hour of the film, when entering the mirror was a common instance. The first hour dwelt on plot development between the Devil and Parnassus; It is an important part of the film, but it did not have the necessity of an extended focus. The first half of the film is above average and is where I felt the most bareness. Even with this fact, it is not enough to bring down the film as a whole.

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is an imaginative film that should be highly considered for a rental. The audience will find itself in a plethora of interest, as the the world crafted by Gilliam is highly appealing. Although it has some flaws, it is a honorable goodbye to a highly underrated actor.… Expand

Though this is Heath Ledger's last movie officially, It was confusing to the point of wondering if i should watch it again for it to make more sense. The movie was hard to keep up with but I do not know if thats what the point was or not. It makes you think when you look at it and thats good for a movie to do.

Wow!... I had to watch it three times to got the idea from thiz movie (substantively, It is very very rare there was movie that I could not understand straightaway). If you have not seen it and would like to watch it, my suggestion is you better read the synopsis first. Thiz is ultimate Gilliam movie! Terry Gilliam, we knew him as a visionary and also peculiar Director at the same time. His previous movies including the sensational TWELVE MONKEYS (1995) and FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS (1998). Even on thiz time, Gilliam arranged all scenes on awkward perspectives. He did not seem to care if the audience will understood or not, he just kept put all his scenes and told it boldly without proper explanations, moreover some of the dialogues were extremely poetic. A long time ago, Dr. Parnassus (Christopher Plummer) who was the man behind the travelling show, bargained with Mr. Nick (Tom Waits) for his immortality with youth to married the girl he liked. On the exchange, he must giveaway his daughter, Valentina (Lily Cole) on the age of sixteen. Now the time is near, how he saves back her soul from the devil. Lily Cole performance was surprisingly adorable and represented all the emotions very well. The most interesting part was thiz movie starred by the late Heath Ledger. By the time of his tragic death, thiz movie was not finished yet. So Gilliam creatively replaced Ledger character with three other actors all at once (Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrel). In the end actually, I like thiz movie, bcoz Gilliam is brave enough to keep his unique characteristic and makes all directions are unpredictable. But I also had a doubt about his survival on the coming years. How talented Director like him did not break the box office yet? Or maybe he is not interested to do it so. Like Ledger character said, The Imaginarium does not cost a thing, weare not here for the money?!


Visit My Blog on JONNY'S MOVEE: http://jonnyfendi.blogspot.com… Expand

It seems rediculously unfinished, with an outrageous plot and quirky visuals which do look appealing, but ultimately confuse you. This is one of Terry Gilliam's worst films, and even the usually terrific Heath Ledger (tragically in his last performance) is a disappointment.

This movie lacks focus and development, and all the characters in this film were all clueless of what was going on, and they couldn't think rationally most of the time. Watching this movie was like staring at a wall for 123 minutes, completely pointless and a total waste of time, nothing but a meaningless daydream that good old Terry Gilliam had.

Terry Gilliam always delivers the film that he wants to make rather than something that is instantly appealing or even commercially viable. For each Time Bandits or Brazil there is a Brothers Grimm, but even his least successful productions are superior to the continuous stream of turgid super hero tie-ins and remakes that have filled cinemas in recent years. Parnassus has an excellent cast who act their socks off. It's hard to single any one of them out, although it is a pleasure to see Christopher Plummer centre stage, and the combination of the "Tony" actors (Ledger, Depp, Farrell, and Law) shine through. The plot is arguably a little simple, but with the way it weaves between imaginary worlds and fascinating characters this is probably for the best. And what richly painted worlds and characters they are, with the irony that the most fascinating element is the Imaginarium itself - a Victorian era anachronism touring the back streets of modern London. The special effects are truly special due to the level of art that has gone into them rather than just the capabilities of a team of programmers. Modern SFX have become such a continuous drive of "bigger and better with more pixels" that many directors have lost sight of the fact that they are meant to be "special". Look, a bigger explosion, with more colours! Or a bigger robot, a bigger spaceship, a bigger, more impossible car chase.It has reached a point where SFX have reached saturation - completely ridiculous things are now mundane. Parnassus SFX focus on the detail, the minutiae, the art. And much of it is big, but that's not what makes it clever. What makes if clever is the fact that Gilliam decided that a "magic" mirror just needed a piece of plastic with a hole cut in it. Sometimes it's knowing when not to.....… Expand

What you expect from the trailer is exactly what you get: a visually appealing, old-fashioned and stylish film about a magic world that can be accessed through a mirror. While the first half of the film takes you through the discovering of this world and the nature of the different characters, the second part is full of dark/epic elements. It's up to you to decide if the devil finally got to destroy Parnassus' life.… Collapse

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is a visually stunning film even by Terry Gilliam's incredibly high standards, and is packed full of oddball energy and interesting ideas about dreams, imagination and reality. Christopher Plummer and Lily Cole impress, as does Tom Waits' mischievous villain, but Heath Ledger under-performs in his final screen appearance, and his "apples and pears" accent is nearly as bad as Dick Van Dyke's in Mary Poppins (though not quite as awful as Don Cheadle's in the Ocean's films). The film hinges on a number of fantastical trips into the titular imaginarium, and these largely work, with Ledger's character Tony played by a different actor for each sequence (a clever last-minute story change to accommodate Ledger's tragic and untimely death). The best imaginarium sequence is the one with Jude Law as Tony because of its sheer surrealism and Law's utterly batty performance. The film never even comes close to coming together as a whole however, and occasionally the convoluted plot becomes incomprehensible. Somehow Gilliam's zaniness keeps the film watchable throughout, and while you may not always know what exactly is going on, you'll feel like you've been on the ride of your life. Parnassus will certainly bemuse some viewers, frustrate others and amaze yet more (divisiveness is what Gilliam does best), and I'm really not sure which of those camps I belong in, as I feel confused, annoyed and mesmerised at various points, often changing my opinion of the film from scene to scene. It's more an oddity, a strangely captivating collage of elements rather than a complete package, but The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is an undeniably unique and memorable viewing experience.… Expand