Director(s) – Henry Levin (Journey to the Center of the Earth, Murderer’s Row) and George Pal (Black Sabbath: Time Machine, 7 Faces of Dr. Lao)
Starring – Laurence Harvey (Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Dial M for Murder), Claire Bloom (Clash of the Titans, The Haunting), and Karlheinz Bohm (Combat!, The Magical World of Disney)
Release Date – 1962
Rating – 3/5
Blu Release – 3/5
The Brother’s Grimm or Grimm’s Fairy Tales is a huge part of pop culture and many of the tales they collected went on to become hits the world over. Many consider the two to be controversial but their collections of stories are among some of the most important in literary history. When I was younger I remember catching bits and pieces of The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm while my grandmother was watching television. I spent a lot of time at her home as a child and it was here that I was able to see some of my favorite films for the first time. However, this was one of those films that I was not interested in. It just didn’t look like something a kid would enjoy so I found other things to occupy my time.
Fast forward to a few months ago when I received the press release for the Warner Archive Collection release of the film. I was going to skip on it but decided to check out the trailer. I’m glad I did because the film looked pretty fucking good. I responded to the press release and before long I received the review copy. After watching the fucked up Thriller: A Cruel Picture I decided to ground myself with something a little more lighter.
**Spoiler Alert** The film follows the two Grimm brothers, Wilhelm and Jacob, who are known for their writings. However, they both struggle with the ladies and often come up short on their knowledge of the opposite sex. A local man of power contacts the two to write about his life and we are then taken into three of their tales. **Spoiler Alert**
The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm is not the kind of film you would expect to be reviewed on the site but I couldn’t help myself. The trailer looked fun and the film was just that. I know the keyboard warriors are going to have a field day in the comments but I wanted to review this one so here I am.
The acting in this one is fun. The film has so many amazing performances and some memorable characters that make the film what it is. There is no weak links with the cast and every does their part. Honestly, if I was to take the time to recognize everyone that did an amazing job I would be here all day. The story for this one is a lot of fun and works great as an anthology of sorts. I loved the premise with the two brothers working on something for a duke or nobleman before transitioning to the actual stories being told. It was a lot of fun but with a film that is over 2 hours long I found myself wishing it would hurry up. A lot of the scenes are bloated and could use some heavy trimming. This would help the pacing and flow of the film substantially.
Finally, this is not a bloody flick. However, if you are into a beautifully shot film with great characters and an amazing story then this one is for you. Overall, The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm is not going to be for the crowd that frequents the site but general movie goers will love this whimsical and well put together film. I enjoyed it and the blu isn’t half bad either. We get a little more than your typical Warner Archive Collection but there is still room for additional materials.
Special Features:
Disc One
Announcement Trailer
Letterbox Trailer
Radio Interviews
The Epic Art of the Brothers Grimm
The Wonderful Career of George Pal
Disc Two
Cinerama Announcement Trailer
Smilebox Theatrical Trailer
Rescuing a Fantasy Classic Documentary
A Salute to William Forman
Slideshow
