The Adventures of Baron Munchausen

PG

Released Mar 10, 1989

2 hr. 6 min.

Fantasy

List

90%

60 Reviews

Tomatometer

82%

25,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

During the "Age of Reason" of the late 18th century, the Turkish army lays siege to a European city where a theater production about the extraordinary heroics of famed German aristocrat Baron Münchhausen is underway. A man steps forward to object that the performance is full of inaccuracies, claiming that he is the real Baron Münchhausen (John Neville). When the Turkish army approaches with gunfire, the baron undertakes his latest adventure with his promise to defend the city.

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Critics Consensus

Bursting with Terry Gilliam's typically imaginative flourishes, this story of a possibly deranged Baron recounting his storied life is a flamboyant and witty visual treat.

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Taylor W

An underrated fantasy classic! I will definitely show it to my kids!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/15/24

Full Review

Danilo S

A Classic! Very fun for all ages (I used to watch is as a kid/teenager) and I have fun all the times I watch it again now.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/07/24

Full Review

Blu B

A Classic Adventure Fantasy. Like other Gilliam films this is really well made all around. The only issue like those as well is sometimes it can go a bit too off the rails for moments which holds it back slightly on a sharp storytelling level for creative fun which can be a bit much at times. If you've seen a Gilliam flick than you know what your in for. It's a lot of fun. Anyone who is a fan of really quirky films, Gilliam, fantasy adventures, or any actors in this will like this.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/23/24

Full Review

D N

One of my favorite movies of all time. Every Time I watch it I feel i am a kid again full of stars in my eyes. In this mad world it's a luxury.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/18/23

Full Review

Stu F

Anyone who cannot appreciate the fantastic imagination of this movie, or derides it for any production or aesthetic shortcomings is a self absorbed ninny. This picture overflows with funny skits.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

12/14/23

Full Review

Tom S

A truly wonderful magical experience! One of Terry Gilliam's best films!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/24/23

Full Review

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Terry Gilliam

Director

John Neville

Baron Munchausen

Eric Idle

Desmond

Sarah Polley

Sally Salt

Oliver Reed

Vulcan

Charles McKeown

Rupert

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The Adventures of Baron Munchausen: Official Clip - Sea Monster Attack

2:13

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen: Official Clip - The Execution

2:06

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen: Official Clip - Victory!

2:13

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen: Official Clip - The Sky Waltz

2:06

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen: Official Clip - The Cannonball Ride

2:12

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen: Official Clip - Launch of the Underwear Balloon

2:12

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen: Official Clip - Taking the Sultan's Treasure

2:12

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen: Official Clip - Berthold Runs to Austria

2:03

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Budd Wilkins

Slant Magazine

An artist of uncommon visual eccentricity and conceptual audacity, Terry Gilliam is among cinema’s most dedicated fantasists.

Jan 9, 2023

Full Review

Sheila Benson

Los Angeles Times

The sheer volume and invention of Gilliam's visual largess sets him apart, and his wit operates for the most part at a dangerously sophisticated level.

Nov 15, 2013

Full Review

Carrie Rickey

Philadelphia Inquirer

One of the most voluptuously beautiful films ever imagined, Munchausen naturally assumes that surrealism is preferable, that through make-believe we find the way to true beliefs.

Rated: 3/4

Nov 15, 2013

Full Review

Jason Best

Movie Talk

Against the odds, Gilliam succeeded in creating a positively gargantuan epic teeming with invention and wit.

Sep 26, 2023

Full Review

James Kendrick

Q Network Film Desk

Sacrifices were made at virtually every turn, meaning that The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, for all its grandeur and beauty and imagination, is a severely compromised work … and it shows.

Rated: 2.5/4

Mar 27, 2023

Full Review

Chris Barsanti

PopMatters

Stranger than Terry Gilliam’s 1990s hits and less aggressive than his later work, this glorious fantasy was the last time his talents fully flowered.

Jan 19, 2023

Full Review

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Synopsis

During the "Age of Reason" of the late 18th century, the Turkish army lays siege to a European city where a theater production about the extraordinary heroics of famed German aristocrat Baron Münchhausen is underway. A man steps forward to object that the performance is full of inaccuracies, claiming that he is the real Baron Münchhausen (John Neville). When the Turkish army approaches with gunfire, the baron undertakes his latest adventure with his promise to defend the city.

Director: Terry Gilliam
Executive Producer: Jake Eberts
Distributor: Criterion Collection, Columbia Pictures
Production Co: Allied Filmmakers, Columbia Pictures Corporation
Rating: PG
Genre: Fantasy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 10, 1989, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 16, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $8.6M
Sound Mix: Surround, Stereo

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