A Comedy Legend; I Love It

Rating: 9/10 (23 February 2012)

I've noticed that Monty Python is one of the most polarizing franchises I've encountered. A lot of people I know either love it or hate it, with few falling somewhere in between. I consider myself a casual fan. I've seen some of the television series, and I absolutely love HOLY GRAIL. For the record, I've never seen LIFE OF BRIAN and I've only seen bits and pieces of MEANING OF LIFE (and it didn't grab me the same way HOLY GRAIL did). Honestly, the first time I saw this movie I didn't really care for it. Absurdist humor hadn't really been my thing at the time, but the movie grew on me. Next thing I knew, I was buying my own copy, watching it multiple times, and planning on seeking out the rest of the Monty Python films. What's the movie about? It's all right there in the title: the story of the Holy Grail as seen through the eyes of some of the funniest men to come out of Britain. King Arthur (Graham Chapman) is tasked by God to search the lands for the mystical Holy Grail. Aiding him in his quest are Sir Lancelot the Brave, Sir Bedevere, Sir Galahad the Pure, and Sir Robin the Not-Quite-So-Brave-as-Sir-Lancelot, and their quest will take them to the far reaches of the land where they will encounter beautiful maidens, dangerous evils, and, well, the French. The whole movie is as if a Monty Python sketch was extended to a feature runtime, but unlike an SNL skit receiving the same treatment, it works.
This movie is hilarious. That's all there is to it. I've watched it a half dozen times and it never gets old. It ages perfectly, too. It may have been made in the mid-70s, but the fact that it's meant to be a goofy low-budget comedy means that aging special effects don't mean a thing as long as it continues to make people laugh. Even people who haven't seen the movie have probably heard its dialogue quoted ad nauseam ("'Tis but a scratch!") or would recognize the Knights Who Say Ni! Skip around the lawn while clacking a couple of empty coconut shells and most people will get the joke, while the rest will probably just think you've lost your mind. MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL is a classic at the pinnacle of many top ten lists for favorite comedies. Terry Gilliam, John Cleese, Graham Chapman, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin are comedic geniuses. You've got to give them serious credit for being able to put together such a hilarious film while at the same time doing 99% of the speaking roles in the films themselves. There isn't a whole lot I can say about this movie short of showering it with love. Anyone who's a fan of the most absurd British humor will (or more likely already have) fallen in love with this movie. Beware the Black Beast of Aaaaauuuugggggghhh and don't go trusting seemingly innocent white rabbits.