stick to the TV shows

Rating: Null/10 (2 October 2004)

I have always been a great fan of Monty Python which is without a doubt the greatest TV comedy troupe of all time. But I have never thought that their style of humor was ever enough to carry a feature-length movie and watching the re-release of "Life of Brian" only confirms that for me.
Monty Python's Flying Circus worked best in the short, often hysterically funny, skit form. The TV episodes would often have a very general theme but usually careened from one topic to another without necessarily any connection. But on the big screen they have to do an entire story either about King Arthur or about Brian of Nazareth and I don't think that they ever really sustain the humor in either show. Certainly there are some inspired parts---the Roman centurions desperately trying not to laugh at a lisping Pontius Pilate. Only they then overkill that joke by having Pilate then speak to a crowd of Jews later in the movie. It was funny the first time, not funny the second time. The bits dealing with the all-talk, no-action People's Front of Judea were good as well. But the rest of the movie doesn't really work for me, or I should say they certainly don't measure up to the best parts of the TV series.
I was finally able to spot George Harrison's cameo in the movie. George considered the Pythons to be the spiritual heirs of the Beatles and Python Eric Idle later helped make a very funny mockumentary of the Beatles called "The Rutles" which George also participated in. What would been terrific to see would've been some sort of joint effort between Monty Python and the Beatles (as it was, Ringo was the only Beatle to have a brief appearance on a Python episode).
"Life of Brian" gets credit for being the first and only movie to satirize Christianity and I think Christians who are offended take it way too seriously. But if you want to watch truly great film satires, watch the Marx Brothers' terrific "Duck Soup" and Stanley Kubrick's "Dr. Strangelove". Both are extremely funny and relevant.