| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
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Petr Ratimec | ... | Young Will |
| Barbora Lukesová | ... | Mother Grimm (as Barbara Lukesova) | |
| Anna Rust | ... | Sister Grimm | |
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Jeremy Robson | ... | Young Jacob |
| Matt Damon | ... | Wilhelm Grimm | |
| Heath Ledger | ... | Jacob Grimm | |
| Radim Kalvoda | ... | Gendarme | |
| Martin Hofmann | ... | Gendarme | |
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Josef Pepa Nos | ... | German War Veteran |
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Harry Gilliam | ... | Stable Boy |
| Miroslav Táborský | ... | Old Miller | |
| Roger Ashton-Griffiths | ... | Mayor | |
| Marika Sarah Procházková | ... | Miller's Daughter (as Marika Prochazkova) | |
| Mackenzie Crook | ... | Hidlick | |
| Richard Ridings | ... | Bunst | |
Widely known for their valiant acts of supernatural bravado, the bogus ghost-busters, Wilhelm and Jacob, or the Brothers Grimm, try their best to banish all sorts of evil in early-19th-century French-occupied Germany. For the right amount of money, the intrepid charlatans pretend to rid superstitious villages of its local ghouls or witches, until disturbing rumours about missing children in the small village of Marbaden start to spread like wildfire. Now--exposed by the French governor and Napoleon's general, Delatombe--the shameless duo of alleged paranormal fighters will have to prove their worth, and, for the first time in their entire career, do battle with a genuine malevolent force. However, can the utterly unprepared boys confront the real deal? Above all, can the Brothers Grimm clear their name? Written by Nick Riganas
In 1811, in a French occupied Germany, the crooks Brothers Grimm pretend to fight against evil witches and monsters to make money. However, they are arrested by Cavaldi (Peter Stormare) and General Delatombe (Jonathan Pryce), but they have a chance to redeem themselves in the village of Marbaden, where ten young girls have vanished. Will (Matt Damon) and Jacob (Heath Ledger) are guided by the local Angelika (Lena Headey) through an enchanted forest where they face the evil Mirror Queen (Monica Bellucci) that depends on the sacrifice of twelve girls in the eclipse to stay beautiful and young.
"The Brothers Grimm" is an underrated dark fable, homage to the authors of a great number of fairy tales, the Brothers Grimm. The first point that calls the attention of this make-believe story is the magnificent cinematography and special effects. The story is original, funny and full of action, but not recommended for children, since it is too dark and Gothic. The personalities of Will and Jacob are not well-defined, since they begin the story as despicable con-men and end like heroes. The screenplay could have developed them further. Lena Headey and Monica Bellucci are extremely beautiful, as usual, and they have good performances. I am a fan of Terry Gilliam and in my opinion the evaluation of his direction in this movie is unfair in many reviews. The high-quality and wonderful pack of the Brazilian DVD released by Europa Distributor deserves a note in my review, being one of the most beautiful I have ever seen. My vote is eight.
Title (Brazil): "Os Irmãos Grimm" ("The Grimm Brothers")