Movie Review: Monty Python and the Holy Grail

Monty Python is a legend in the world of sketch comedy, their movies gave them yet another avenue to make audiences laugh. Monty Python and the Holy Grail follows the adventures of Arthur, King of the Britons, who is seeking brave knights to join him in his quest to find the Holy Grail, the story taking liberties with history and reality along the way.

Classic bits include the knights galloping on foot to the sound of coconuts clapping together simulating riding horses; The French taunter in the castle screaming insults such as “Your mother was a hamster and your father smelled of elderberries!”; The knights run into the dreaded knights who say “Ni!”, demanding a a shrubbery for their safe passing and threatening the knights with a herring; Tim the enchanter warning of the deadly rabbit attack, requiring the use of Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch to defeat the rabbit; and The Bridge of Death where the knights flub their answers to an old man’s deadly quiz, resulting in imminent death.

The Python satire is at its best here, with silliness abounding, the knights encountering crazy improbable situations, numerous accents, outlandish costumes and obstacles, all merely for your enjoyment. I remember sitting in the theatre watching Monty Python for the first time watching this movie and roaring with laughter. The movie holds up and is still as funny as it was when I first saw it in 1975. If you haven’t seen this comedy classic you owe it to yourself to put it on your must see list. Watch and enjoy.

1975. Directed by Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones, written by Monty Python. Starring John Cleese, Michael Palin, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Graham Chapman, and Terry Gilliam.

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