The Adventures of Baron Munchausen

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The Adventures of Baron Munchausen

PG

1989

2h 6m

Fantasy

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60 Reviews

82%

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25,000+ Ratings

During the "Age of Reason" of the late 18th century, the Turkish army lays siege to a European city where a theater production about the extraordinary heroics of famed German aristocrat Baron Münchhausen is underway. A man steps forward to object that the performance is full of inaccuracies, claiming that he is the real Baron Münchhausen (John Neville). When the Turkish army approaches with gunfire, the baron undertakes his latest adventure with his promise to defend the city.

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Critics Consensus

Bursting with Terry Gilliam's typically imaginative flourishes, this story of a possibly deranged Baron recounting his storied life is a flamboyant and witty visual treat.

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Budd Wilkins

Slant Magazine

Jan 9, 2023

An artist of uncommon visual eccentricity and conceptual audacity, Terry Gilliam is among cinema’s most dedicated fantasists.

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Sheila Benson

Los Angeles Times

Nov 15, 2013

The sheer volume and invention of Gilliam's visual largess sets him apart, and his wit operates for the most part at a dangerously sophisticated level.

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Carrie Rickey

Philadelphia Inquirer

Nov 15, 2013

3/4

One of the most voluptuously beautiful films ever imagined, Munchausen naturally assumes that surrealism is preferable, that through make-believe we find the way to true beliefs.

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Bianca Garner

Filmotomy

Oct 3, 2024

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen remains a marvelous visual treat that has aged really well.

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Jason Best

Movie Talk

Sep 26, 2023

Against the odds, Gilliam succeeded in creating a positively gargantuan epic teeming with invention and wit.

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James Kendrick

Q Network Film Desk

Mar 27, 2023

2.5/4

Sacrifices were made at virtually every turn, meaning that The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, for all its grandeur and beauty and imagination, is a severely compromised work … and it shows.

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Moreno B

@RT16424564 Jun 2, 2026

I discovered this film in my forties, thanks to my son who became curious about one of my Baron comics from the 1980s. A gem, with a stellar cast, a fun plot that also touches on very serious themes (war, life, death, love) and a "surprising" ending. The icing on the cake is the beautiful special effects.

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Ben W

@Username618 Apr 25, 2026

Remember quite enjoying.

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Lez B

@Ozzy6669 Dec 20, 2025

Just watched this movie again. I grew up watching it on video as a kid and it’s amazing still better than anything released in a decade.

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Stephen C

@bob25009 Jul 13, 2025

Success in 2 hours and 6 minutes. In loving memory of my dear old friend Robin Williams (1951-2014).

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Brandon W

@RT17928052 Apr 15, 2025

An visual feast with a soundtrack that compells me to watch through the end credits. I first saw this imaginative movie in theaters as a child and it has been my hands down favourite movie ever since, despite me having a more science fiction bend to my preferences. The Baron's refusal to not do what is right just because it is not practical propels him and his new friend on an adventure that will take him through the world, and off of it. His eagerness to embrace the extraordinary powers this brilliant story, and I look forward to my niece and then my nephew being old enough to enjoy it with me.

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Jacob B

@RT48293763 Mar 7, 2025

Any time that I get to spend witnessing what comes out of the mind of Terry Gilliam is time well spent! This may not be as technically and emotionally mature as his masterpiece “The Fisher King”, but “Baron” has more awe, imagination, kindness and humor than almost any film claiming to be fantasy or escapism today.

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Terry Gilliam

Director

John Neville

Baron Munchausen

Eric Idle

Desmond

Sarah Polley

Sally Salt

Oliver Reed

Vulcan

Charles McKeown

Rupert

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The Adventures of Baron Munchausen: Official Clip - The Execution

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The Adventures of Baron Munchausen: Official Clip - Victory!

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The Adventures of Baron Munchausen: Official Clip - The Cannonball Ride

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The Adventures of Baron Munchausen: Official Clip - Launch of the Underwear Balloon

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The Adventures of Baron Munchausen: Official Clip - Taking the Sultan's Treasure

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Synopsis

During the "Age of Reason" of the late 18th century, the Turkish army lays siege to a European city where a theater production about the extraordinary heroics of famed German aristocrat Baron Münchhausen is underway. A man steps forward to object that the performance is full of inaccuracies, claiming that he is the real Baron Münchhausen (John Neville). When the Turkish army approaches with gunfire, the baron undertakes his latest adventure with his promise to defend the city.

Director: Terry Gilliam
Producer: Thomas Schühly
Distributor: Criterion Collection, Columbia Pictures
Production Co: Allied Filmmakers, Columbia Pictures Corporation
Rating: PG
Genre: Fantasy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 10, 1989, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 16, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $8.6M
Runtime: 2h 6m
Sound Mix: Surround, Stereo

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