Biggus....

Rating: 9/10 (30 November 2007)

I hadn't seen this movie in quite some time, yet it never ceases to amaze me! I rented it recently because my twin brother was having dental surgery (I drove him home and spent the night at his place in case he needed anything). I thought that this movie would help cheer him up. Both of us agree that it is one of our favorites.
Much has already been written about whether or not this movie makes fun of Jesus. I don't think it does, and I am among those who say that it really makes fun of religious fanaticism. Much has also been written about how this film was criticized by those who had never seen it and therefore could not, as Brian says, figure this out for themselves. A very telling scene is when Brian addresses the crowd and tells them that they are all different. They reply, in unison, "Yes, we are all different...tell us more!" But my favorite scene is still the classic Michael Palin as Pontious Pilate "Biggus Dickus" bit. I can watch this movie and just smile at it until this scene. It still cracks me up. As I said above, I hadn't seen it in awhile, yet during that scene I lost it. I laughed so hard that tears were coming out of my eyes. Yes, I know it's juvenile! But the way Palin plays it, speech impediment and all (yes, I know, how un-PC) is what makes it. You can see that when he gets in close to the soldier, he is straining not to laugh. And the actor playing the soldier, well, he ain't acting folks. He is truly cracking up.