Adventures of Baron Munchausen, The | 4K UHD+Blu-ray

It’s a bold claim to make for a director who has tackled such huge, futuristic sci-fi concepts as he did in Twelve Monkeys and Brazil, but The Adventures of Baron Munchausen may just be Terry Gilliam’s most ambitious work of art. A sprawling fantasy epic initially grounded in the battlefields of the late 18th century Ottoman Empire, this classic German tale takes viewers to the Moon, the realms of the Roman gods, and parts beyond as the Baron searches for his lost compatriots to aid him in his fight against the mighty Turks.

Realized throughout with Gilliam’s trademark love of elaborate sets, practical effects, and dark humor, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen feels like it truly takes place on an entirely different plane of existence. Great Shakespearian actor John Neville is a grounding force in the lead, supported by Eric Idle, Oliver Reed, Robin Williams, Uma Thurman, and Jonathan Pryce to bring life and energy into every scene.

Time Bandits may be a more focused narrative, and Brazil may have had a bigger impact on cinematic storytelling as a whole, but The Adventures of Baron Munchausen is a truly impressive vision realized. The variety, scope, and intricacy of each scene and each idea as it plays out on this voyage of the surreal has to be seen to be believed.

Special Features (via criterion.com)

• New 4K digital restoration, approved by writer-director Terry Gilliam, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack
• One 4K UHD disc of the film presented in Dolby Vision HDR and two Blu-rays with the film and special features
• Audio commentary featuring Gilliam and his coscreenwriter, Charles McKeown
• Documentary on the making of the film
• New video essay by critic and filmmaker David Cairns about the history of the Baron Munchausen character
• Behind-the-scenes footage of the film’s special effects, narrated by Gilliam
• Deleted scenes with commentary by Gilliam
• Storyboards for unfilmed scenes, narrated by Gilliam and McKeown
• Original marketing materials including a trailer and electronic-press-kit featurettes, as well as preview cards and advertising proposals read by Gilliam
• Miracle of Flight (1974), an animated short film by Gilliam
• Episode of The South Bank Show from 1991 on Gilliam
• English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• PLUS: An essay by critic and author Michael Koresky