Monty Python Live (Mostly) (2014)

Monty Python Live (Mostly): Directed by Eric Idle, Aubrey Powell. With John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones. The reunion of the Monty Python team on stage for the first time in over thirty years, and for the last time ever.

“The mere existence of a Python reunion after all this time is worth celebrating, and I canu0026#39;t say it wasnu0026#39;t cool to see the surviving members side-by-side on that stage, but the ensuing performance left a lot to be desired. Despite all efforts to imply the opposite, this largely felt like a troupe of rusty old-timers stammering their way through the material of their youth, minus the power, sincerity and resounding cultural relevance of their heyday. I snickered with some regularity, but that was mostly due to long-term appreciation rather than of-the-moment admiration. The whole show felt too polished and jazzy, a billion-dollar spit shine that stood at-odds with the quaint, elbow-greased character Iu0026#39;d grown to know and love. Dozens of forced, sharply unfunny dance sets padded out each costume change – of which there were many – and seemed to annoy even the cast members, who varied in mood from ecstatic (Terry Gilliam) to barely-bothered (John Cleese). The show wheeled out all the right skits, but the funniest bits were when the actors would flub a line and go off-script to needle each other. Disappointing.”