Andrew
While many people continue to directly compare it to Life of Brian, they do not notice that it is done in the oratorio style, which they nail.While I did not find a lot of it completely hilarious, there were plenty of great toe-tapping numbers that uplift the spirit and still gives you a huge smile. The soloists all seemed to have a great connection with each other and even managed to joke with the director from time to time. The BBC symphonic orchestra managed to nail everything, although with such a well-known orchestra, I'd expect nothing less.Just to help jog everyone's memory, an oratorio is an extended musical composition that lacks action, scenery, costumes. So while yes, this is Life of Brian, they go at it in a completely different approach.If you can only think of Monty Python in the terms they drew up when they first came out, you will find this thing a huge waste of time. However, if you can accept that they like to do different things and you enjoy some mighty fine musical numbers, than this is definitely going to be a show you love.I just wish they didn't choose to do it just once. I'd love to get to see this show live.
Vincent
This is a complete waste of time.The new material is not even slightly funny and the operatic style kills the humour of the old material. The singing is good but not really suited to comedy. The music is good but again this is supposed to be comedy so that isn't very important.There are some odd cameos that fail to be funny.It ends with the crowd-pleasers like a concert.If you like Monty Python then watch the film, if you don't like them this won't convert you.The only positive is that watching this has convinced me to re-watch The Life of Brian just to clear this rubbish from my mind.
Craig Brown
Nothing prepared me for this show, i have been a python fan for as long as i can remember. On arrival to the Albert hall casually waiting to go in Eric idle walks passed and gives me a hug to my amazement. Back to the show, musically amazing the feeling when liberty bell bellowed through the hall from a 200 piece orchestra it brought a tear to my eye. The show was amazing, scripted perfectly with new songs and jokes but still keeping faith with the life of Brian. Cameos from the pythons make it almost the full Monty and the jokes and banter still there after 400 years. The show is amazing and really worth watching, i was honoured to be there live but even watching back on DVD its still amazing. Loved every minute of it and shows that Monty Python is still as fresh as ever
Jay Harris
I will try to be kind. This is a filmed concert. It is Monty Python & the 40th anniversary of there film LIFE OF BRIAN.The Monty Python group has always been very irreverent, BUT always funny.The famed composer Handel composed an oratorio based on The Messiah. The music as most of us know is one of the very best classical compositions.The motion picture THE LIFE OF BRIAN was a comic gem. Somehow I did not laugh, I did smile a few times & throughly enjoy the singing by the chorus & the 4 singers. Some of the lyrics were very clever & a few times bawdy, I was captured by the singing & did not outwardly laugh. It was directed by Aubrey Powell & co-written by Eric Idle & John DuPrez. This was filmed at the famed Albert Hall in London. See this for the music & vocals.Ratings: *** (out of 4) 84 points (out of 100) IMDb 7 (out of 10)
AD
