When I was eight years old, this film was re-released with - of all things - "How The West Was Won"! At the time HTWWW was my favorite movie but I remembered adoring "Wonderful World of The Brothers Grimm" when I saw it as a second feature. I must have had a cast iron keister, because the nearly six hour playing time of the two movies never bothered me, and I remember going to see it more than once during that release.
Over the years, this film has stayed with me - especially the fairytale segments. I remembered that I adored the sets and costumes, loved the dance numbers and thought the movie was enchanting. How The West Was Won went to TV soon after this release, but "WWOTBG" never did (at least not in my area). In fact, I have often thought about this film but was never able to indulge myself in the nostalgia of reviewing it - until recently.
TCM finally played it over the holidays last year and I recorded it on DVR; due to a busy life, I am only now getting down to watching it again. All I can say is my how tastes change with age! The costumes and sets are still lovely and the music score is pretty good. I was especially moved this time by the Christmas song in the "Cobbler And The Elves" segment as well as the Gypsy music in the "Dancing Princess". When I saw the film in theaters it was not in Cinerama format. TCM showed it in a letterbox version, so the entire picture is represented, but the film has a distorted appearance which is sometimes difficult to watch. The movie boasts an excellent cast, but the directing is uneven, the plot is slow and the special effects are fine for the era in which this movie was made but might bore younger viewers who are used to more sophisticated technology.
I started watching the film yesterday, but I'm finding it so laborious that I am having to watch it in segments; I want to finish it to see what it is about this flick that my 8-year-old self found intriguing. The fairytale segments are still fun, but the biopic portion is downright boring. Some if the historical inaccuracies are glaring - I think at one point our heroes take a steam boat to visit a church in another city but steam boats weren't around during the Napoleonic era. Neuschwanstein Castle was built in the 1870's. The romance between Barbara Eden and Wilhelm Grimm is downright cringe-worthy.
I am sure if I could see this in a theater and in Cinerama, my opinion might be altered, but on a TV screen this film can't hold my interest. This makes me sad because I have fond memories of this film but for me it does not stand the test of time. Kids may like it but it might be a bit long and slow for today's youngsters who are used to lots of flash, explosions and action.
Over the years, this film has stayed with me - especially the fairytale segments. I remembered that I adored the sets and costumes, loved the dance numbers and thought the movie was enchanting. How The West Was Won went to TV soon after this release, but "WWOTBG" never did (at least not in my area). In fact, I have often thought about this film but was never able to indulge myself in the nostalgia of reviewing it - until recently.
TCM finally played it over the holidays last year and I recorded it on DVR; due to a busy life, I am only now getting down to watching it again. All I can say is my how tastes change with age! The costumes and sets are still lovely and the music score is pretty good. I was especially moved this time by the Christmas song in the "Cobbler And The Elves" segment as well as the Gypsy music in the "Dancing Princess". When I saw the film in theaters it was not in Cinerama format. TCM showed it in a letterbox version, so the entire picture is represented, but the film has a distorted appearance which is sometimes difficult to watch. The movie boasts an excellent cast, but the directing is uneven, the plot is slow and the special effects are fine for the era in which this movie was made but might bore younger viewers who are used to more sophisticated technology.
I started watching the film yesterday, but I'm finding it so laborious that I am having to watch it in segments; I want to finish it to see what it is about this flick that my 8-year-old self found intriguing. The fairytale segments are still fun, but the biopic portion is downright boring. Some if the historical inaccuracies are glaring - I think at one point our heroes take a steam boat to visit a church in another city but steam boats weren't around during the Napoleonic era. Neuschwanstein Castle was built in the 1870's. The romance between Barbara Eden and Wilhelm Grimm is downright cringe-worthy.
I am sure if I could see this in a theater and in Cinerama, my opinion might be altered, but on a TV screen this film can't hold my interest. This makes me sad because I have fond memories of this film but for me it does not stand the test of time. Kids may like it but it might be a bit long and slow for today's youngsters who are used to lots of flash, explosions and action.