After making the wonderful Time Bandits (1981) and Brazil (1985), former Monty Python member Terry Gilliam made this epic 126-minute fantasy which cost over $50 million to produce. It ended up losing a lot of money but is incredible to look at and made with impressive detail.
John Neville plays the fabled 18th-century adventurer and liar who goes backwards and forwards in time with a ten-year-old girl called Sally (Sarah Polley) and has a select group of followers with superpowers.
Oliver Reed is great as Vulcan, king of the underworld, with a new ICBM missile.
The film also stars Eric Idle, Brazil star Jonathan Pryce, Uma Thurman as Venus (in her first film acting job), Sting (who was Gilliam’s real-life neighbour at the time), an uncredited (and unpaid) Robin Williams as King of the moon, and Jack Purvis (from Time Bandits).
Hieronymus Karl Frederick Baron von Munchausen
John Neville
Desmond/Berthold
Eric Idle
Sally Salt
Sarah Polley
Vulcan
Oliver Reed
Rupert/Adolphus
Charles McKeown
Bill/Albrecht
Winston Dennis
Jeremy/Gustavus
Jack Purvis
Queen Ariadne/Violet
Valentina Cortese
The Right Ordinary Horatio Jackson
Jonathan Pryce
Henry Salt
Bill Paterson
Sultan
Peter Jeffrey
Venus/Rose
Uma Thurman
Daisy
Alison Steadman
Functionary
Ray Cooper
Commander
Don Henderson
King of the Moon
Robin Williams
Heroic Officer
Sting
Colonel
Andrew MacLachlan
Dr Death
José Lifante
Director
Terry Gilliam
