The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

Synopsis: Set in the present day, director Terry Gilliam's fantastical morality tale follows the traveling show of the mysterious Dr. Parnassus (Christopher Plummer) -- a man who once won a bet with the Devil himself, and possesses the unique ability to guide the imagination of others. Many centuries ago, Dr. Parnassus won immortality in a bet that found the malevolent Mr. Nick (Tom Waits) coming up short. While few would be foolish enough to try their luck against the powers of darkness a second time, Dr. Parnassus did precisely that -- this time trading his mortality for youth on the understanding that his firstborn would become the property of Mr. Nick when the child reaches his or her 16th birthday.

Rating: PG-13

Run Time: 2 Hours 3 Minutes

Director: Terry Gilliam

Dvd Extra's: Go deep into Terry Gilliam's Imaginative World, Get a behind the scenese look at the visual effects and see Heath Ledger's interview and wardrobe test, Deleted Scenes, Introduction & commentary by director Terry Gilliam, 5 additional behind the scenes featurettes, Languages: Englis & Spanish.

Hidden Features: After the credits, Tony's mobile ring tone can clearly be heard

Nudity Factor: None

Of Note: After the death of Heath Ledger, production was shut down for a few months. Then it was re-started when Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell agreed to complete Ledger's role. The film's fantasy premise, and some clever rewrites, let the actors play a man whose appearance changes as he travels between imaginary worlds.

Trailer: Trailer (wmv)

Review by: Jason James Rating:

This is the last work of Heath Ledger and I can sum it up with one word "weird". The story follows a traveling circus performance group that has some secrets. The leader of the group Doctor Parnassus once bested the devil and won immortality. This ended up not being enough for the good doctor and he once again made a deal with the devil to be young again but this time he had to promise to give the devil his first born on there 16th birthday. As the group is traveling the 16th birthday of his daughter is fast approaching and the devil has come around to remind the doctor of there pact. Though the devil is at work and offers another pact for the good doctor to save his daughter. This is shot in a way that old world magical fantasy meets a modern world. This is what makes the film weird. It does have some funny moments and some moments that really grab out but for the most part you have to be on something to really appreciate this film. I am sure it will become a cult sensation. I am not a big fan of directors trying to blend modern art with film. I do have to say that the director did get the best out of the actors and I really like all the performances. I also appreciate that several top actors stepped in to make sure this project got finished with the passing of Heath Ledger. The greatness of this movie gets lost in the fantasy blending, almost trippy style that encompasses much of the film making this an average film. That does not mean it is terrible by any means just limits the audience that is going to appreciate it.