Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #927 in DVD
• Released on: 2004-06-14
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Box set, PAL, Special Edition
• Original language: English, Dutch, Hindi
• Number of discs: 2
• Running time: 86 minutes

Amazon.com
Could this be the funniest movie ever made? By any rational measure of comedy, this medieval romp from the Monty Python troupe certainly belongs on the short list of candidates. According to Leonard Maltin's Movie & Video Guide, it's "recommended for fans only," but we say hogwash to that--you could be a complete newcomer to the Python phenomenon and still find this send-up of the Arthurian legend to be wet-your-pants hilarious. It's basically a series of sketches woven together as King Arthur's quest for the Holy Grail, with Graham Chapman as the King, Terry Gilliam as his simpleton sidekick Patsy, and the rest of the Python gang filling out a variety of outrageous roles. The comedy highlights are too numerous to mention, but once you've seen Arthur's outrageously bloody encounter with the ominous Black Knight (John Cleese), you'll know that nothing's sacred in the Python school of comedy. From holy hand grenades to killer bunnies to the absurdity of the three-headed knights who say "Ni--!," this is the kind of movie that will strike you as fantastically funny or just plain silly, but why stop there? It's all over the map, and the pace lags a bit here and there, but for every throwaway gag the Pythons have invented, there's a bit of subtle business or grand-scale insanity that's utterly inspired. The sum of this madness is a movie that's beloved by anyone with a pulse and an irreverent sense of humor. If this movie doesn't make you laugh, you're almost certainly dead. --Jeff Shannon

DVD Description
King Arthur (Graham Chapman) and his Knights of the Round Table (John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin) on the trail of the elusive Holy Grail, encountering many nasty and long-winded characters (John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin) on the way. Who can forget the quest for a shrubbery to placate the fearsome Knights who say 'Ni', the fearless, and limbless, Black Knight, the mysterious wizard Tim and the horrific White Rabbit, with the big pointy teeth.

Special Features
Disc 1:

• Subtitles for people who don't like the film (from Shakespeare's Henry IV Part II)
  
• On-screen screenplay - follow while you watch!
  
• Commentaries by Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones, plus general back-biting from John Cleese, Eric Idle and Michael Palin
  
• Exciting Follow the Killer Rabbit feature
  
• Special feature for the hard of hearing!
  
• Extra 24 seconds of nearly-new footage!

Disc 2:

• Three mindless singalongs!
  
• Michael Palin and Terry Jones in The Quest for the Holy Grail Locations featurette
  
• Monty Python and the Holy Grail in Lego!
  
• Educational film: How to use your Coconuts
  
• On Location with the Pythons - 18-min BBC location report (1974)
  
• Interactive cast directory - how many roles did each Python play?
  
• Many of Terry Gilliam's original sketches
  
• Behind-the-scenes photos
  
• A Load of Rubbish - surprise package of mystery items!
  
• Unused Locations - see how the Director's recce used up the budget!
  
• Unused ideas
  
• Theatrical trailers and weblinks

DVD Technical Information:

• Running Time: 86 minutes
  
• Language: English
  
• Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround/Dolby Surround
  
• Subtitles: English
  
• Aspect Ratio: Letter Box - 1.85:1
  
• Disc Type: DVD9

Customer Reviews

This is a national treasure and should be treated as such!
I'm not going to lie to you; you HAVE to be in a good mood the first time you watch this film. I have never come across another film that's as entertaining, creative, nonsensical and just plain silly as this. There is never a dull moment, from the moose business in the credits at the beginning to the totally stupid, but perfect end.

The thing with this film is that everyone has seen it and it's become part of our general culture. Bits of it just crop up everywhere, especially in computer games.

The first time I watched this there were some bits I really loved like the Trojan Rabbit, Robin's minstrels, Sir-Not-Appearing-in-this-Film, the moose thing, the Camelot song, the burn the witch scene, and of course, Terry Gilliam's animations. However, it all really grew on me and I love it now and can quote everything along with the best, and most annoying, of them!

Buy this! It is genius and the actors are brilliant. Long live Monty Python! This film is a national treasure and should be treated as such! Amen.

Death awaits you all, with nasty, big, pointy teeth
The accepted wisdom on this film is that it is the second-best of the Monty Python films, after "The Life of Brian". That is in fact, not true. While "Brian" had many things that "Grail" lacks, such as a linear storyline, and it shows two fingers to the religious establishment; it also lacks the sheer madcap humour of this film.

The film basically consists of a series of sketches and set pieces arranged in a roughly chronological order. There are superb performances from all the actors, with John Cleese's wonderful turn as Sir Lancelot and Michael Palin in the role of Sir Galahad being the outstanding ones.

The sheer number of hilarious scenes in this film simply beggars belief. Every scene is a masterpiece of comedy, even the much-maligned final scene. Not even "The Life of Brian" can make that claim, brilliant though it is.

The bottom line is that generations of people in Britain and around the world have enjoyed Monty Python for most of their lives. This is true because of the towering comic genius of the six men involved. This film is, quite simply, Monty Python at their best.

Buy it or the knights will get you.
A top movie which even if you watch it now does not look dated. The monty python comedy was way ahead of its time and it shows in this film. In this film you see the usual team playing a variety of different roles (both male and female) which makes this stand out. No-one is a by-stander in the movie it is definately a team effort. If you have watched the TV series and thought it wasn't for you, try this as I feel this film is for more of a main stream audience. If you enjoy The Python then you will love this.