The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

2009

122 mins

Poster for The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

Directed by Terry Gilliam
64%
60%
15+
Adventure
Fantasy

This wacky fantasy (from the wild imagination of filmmaking giant and former Monty Python Terry Gilliam) is about Dr Parnassus... More

This wacky fantasy (from the wild imagination of filmmaking giant and former Monty Python Terry Gilliam) is about Dr Parnassus and his extraordinary 'Imaginarium' - a travelling show where members of the audience get an opportunity to choose between light and joy or darkness and gloom. It's also about the Doctor's quest to get his daughter paired off to a nice man before the Devil (Tom Waits!) claims her.

Terry Gilliam's film is already infamous for the tragic death of Heath Ledger, who passed away during filming. Gilliam hatched a plan: he got Ledger's friends Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell and Jude Law to came on board and play the same character in different versions. They donated their fee for appearing in the film to Ledger's daughter, Matilda.

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The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus | Ratings & Reviews

64_%195 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes® rating
60_%295,926 reviews
Audience score rating
15+Age suitability
Children & Media rating

"Many Ledger fans certainly will turn out just to see his final performance. But it's genuinely interesting to see how, under duress, Gilliam contrived to work the other actors into the role."

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Variety

"Gilliam’s plotting is typically ramshackle, but the fantasy visions are wondrous. Top job of rescuing Heath Ledger’s cruelly curtailed contribution, too."

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Total Film

"After two hours of captivating eye-candy and spot-the-cameo moments, it's hard to figure out the point of the whole thing."

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Otago Daily Times

"The first big question about Terry Gilliam's "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" involves how the filmmaker managed to complete the film when his star Heath Ledger died in the middle of shooting. The answer is with great imagination and skill. The second big question is whether Gilliam has produced something to rank with his great fantasies "Time Bandits" and "Brazil," and the answer is sadly no."

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Hollywood Reporter

"A hard to fathom storyline and obvious CGI effects detract from an otherwise big-hearted final film for Heath Ledger."

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FilmInk

"There are thrilling flashes of Gilliam getting back to top form here. A scrappy movie with more ideas than it can control, but one born out of a passion and determination that are wholly infectious."

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