Religious satire at its finest, not its most controversial

Rating: 7/10 (27 June 2008)

Watching Monty Python's "Life of Brian" is not blasphemy. In 1979, that might have been more reasonable. Let's just say that the penalty in today's society would be crucifixion and that back then it would have been something worse.
"Life of Brian" doesn't directly insult Judeo-Christian history, it just takes it extremely not seriously. The result is a satire not of specific religions, but of religious characteristics that apply to most of the world's religions: people being quick to believe, notions of what is sin, etc. It plays off a western sensibility, but it doesn't directly criticize Judeo-Christian religious practice. The incredible Monty Python cast delivers this in their typical sketch humor manner, though this film has much more continuity than 1975's "Holy Grail."
Brian Cohen was born the same day as Jesus, but Jesus is separated from the film early on, so the film becomes about how Brian finds himself looking for something to believe in and eventual finds people strangely believing he is the messiah. He is a true protagonist in that the ridiculousness happens to him instead of the other way around. It is the rest of the cast in their multiple roles that surround his story with humor.
The array of comedic characters are not nearly as diverse and memorable as "Holy Grail" and for that matter the film is not nearly as memorable or funny. The comedic elements are the same, but they are much more potent in "Grail." However, the plot line is much smoother, with the sketches fitting into the plot line instead of bouncing all over the place.
"Brian" is good as a satire, better than it is at being a comedy. While the film will still has the distinct look and feel of a Monty Python work, it doesn't go from hilarious scene to hilarious scene as one might expect if they've only seen "Grail." There's a lot of clever humor, but "Brian" is not nearly as out of the box as you'd like. But in terms of offensive, only if you take all discussion of religious ideas and history very seriously as the Monty Python crew quite literally turn the sacred into the profane.