Is It Worth the Watch?

It’s kind of a shock to realize a zany movie that came out when you were a teenager is now considered one of the great enduring cinema classics. That’s particularly true when said movie is a mocking and acerbic comedy, and at the time was brazenly defying accepted movie conventions.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail is the perfect example. Upon its release in 1975, no one over the age of 30 thought it was remotely funny. But younger audiences, like me, found it hilariously meaningful and kind of loved that our parents didn’t get it.

Now everyone gets it. It solidly rests on numerous lists as one of the greatest comedies ever produced. The team of Monty Python had been a hit with the groundbreaking sketch comedy series Monty Python’s Flying Circus on television, and had made a film that tanked at the box office (1971’s And Now For Something Completely Different), and so they went into this film with a Fuck it, what do we have to lose? attitude.

What came out was silly and hilarious anarchy, a satiric look at the legend of King Arthur, some assorted knights, and their quest for the cup Christ drank from. But, quite possibly, it isn’t really about any of those things.

I’ve seen this movie at least 25 times, the vast majority in various movie theaters, but I hadn’t watched it intently in years. It’s still as reliably and consistently funny, as smart, as relevant and as fresh as it was nearly fifty years ago. And I even caught a few new subtle bits I’d never noticed before. 

And if that isn’t the sign of a brilliant classic, I don’t know what is.

Is It Worth The Watch? 0h, god, yes! Every scene is more than just gut-bustingly funny, it’s inspired, quotable and unforgettable. Don’t miss this comic masterpiece.

1975

92 minutes

Starring – Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin

Director – Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones

Screenplay – Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin