The Brothers Grimm

The Brothers Grimm travel through Napoleonic Europe at a time when paranoia and superstition pervade society. Preying upon the fears of villagers, they stage elaborate hoaxes in an effort to win themselves fame and fortune by saving the townsfolk from evil spirits. Jacob (Heath Ledger) is the serious scholar who believes in fantasy and magic. Wilhelm (Matt Damon) is the womanizer who believes there is a "rational explanation" for everything. It is not until children start disappearing in a gloomy forest that the brothers (cowardly ninnies in reality) must find the courage to battle a real demonic witch.

Though not a biography of the real Grimms, the clever premise suggests the inspiration behind the legendary fairytales they penned in order to preserve Germanic myth. One can easily recognize elements from "Little Red Riding Hood", "The Frog Prince", "Rapunzel", "Sleeping Beauty" and "Snow White". Yet, their dark fables did not often have happy endings and were, indeed, grim.

Terry Gilliam, then, would seem the ideal director for a film such as this. But the end result has no focus, as Gilliam can't decide whether The Brothers Grimm is a horror, comedy, fantasy, love story, or action-adventure. Ehren Kruger's screenplay tries to weave together so many elements that it becomes an assault on the senses, without the true terror Kruger employed so successfully in The Ring.

Shot in the summer of 2003, primarily on a soundstage in Prague, the film is so dimly lit it seems as if you are watching it through a pair of sunglasses.

Lena Headey, who looks like a young Catherine Bach, plays the love interest with little aplomb or impact. Swedish actor Peter Stormare, as one of the Grimms' goofy antagonists, is so annoying he ruins every scene he's in. Though usually likeable, Ledger and Damon have little chemistry as a comedic duo and are stuck with inane dialogue -- the film is such a dismal production it will be a low point in both their careers.

Excruciatingly long, The Brothers Grimm solidifies 2005 as one of the worst in movie production. And to think Hollywood executives are wondering why audiences are staying home... Rating: 3 out of 10.