Starring Milos Kopecky, Rudolf Jelinek, Jana Brejchova, Karel Hoger, Eduard Kohout
Directed by Karel Zeman
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
After encountering an astronaut on the moon, the famed Baron Munchausen takes him back to Earth where they have adventures together and compete for the attentions of a beautiful princess.
Zeman once again utilizes live-action, animation, and intricate design to bring a famous fantasy story to life, adapting the stories of Munchausen, which, per Wikipedia, were reportedly based on a real German nobleman's propensity for relating tall tales. Most of the film is lensed in black and white, but Zeman experiments quite a bit with color, tinting most of the scenes, and adding imagery like orange billowing smoke. Kopecky cuts a fine figure as Munchausen, mustachioed in full uniform, but I found him to be not quite as dynamic in the role as I had imagined, although a definite highlight is his riding of a cannon ball over a battlefield, a direct reference to the character's literary origins. There's also a great naval vessel conveyed by winged horses, all manner of sea creatures including a giant whale, and vibrant battle scenes with Munchausen typically taking on a whole army single-handed. It's a fine tribute masterfully directed by Zeman, and well-executed by his team of craftsmen, but I found Kopecky and the rest of the cast somewhat limited in their ability and opportunities to perform.
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