Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

Monty Python Live (Mostly): One Down, Five to Go Blu-ray Movie Review

And now for something not all that different. . .

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman November 10, 2014

Trust those insouciant boys of Monty Python’s Flying Circus to make fun of their own impending mortality (not to mention the already achieved mortality of former member Graham Chapman) by subtitling their 2014 live show One Down, Five to Go. Chapman is still very much in evidence courtesy of both new animated fare by Python regular Terry Gilliam as well as a host of archival material, and the other members of the now legendary comedy troupe are very much alive and kicking, leading a large and appreciative audience (in London’s vast O2) through a series of recreations of some iconic skits, video elements which present some material from Monty Python’s Flying Circus’ heyday, and just for good measure some new material. There’s a certain wistfulness that suffuses this performance (actually culled from a string of ten performances held over the course of three or so weeks in July), as well as a reliance on a bit more blue material than tended to creep into the episodic television work (and probably even the films) of the Pythons, but as might be expected, it’s frequently laugh out loud hilarious and is a welcome reminder of just how innovative this team of comedians was and continues to be.

The Pythons were never known for conforming to traditional norms of comedy in general and skit writing in particular, and that’s once again certainly (literally) front and center as the evening kicks off with their extremely outré piece more or less about llamas (as with many Python offerings, trying to narrow down what any given bit is “really” about can be a bit of challenge). But right off the bat the home video audience is deprived of some of the punchlines due to some really incompetent camera direction. While the O2 audience is roaring with laughter over various elements that are being projected behind the Pythons (and a veritable cast of hundreds if not thousands), the camera stays resolutely —on the Pythons. If the joke is going to be projected, it would seem obvious to feature it on screen (for the home video audience, that is), doesn’t it?

While things become directorially a bit more certain after this initial misstep, there are a few signs of seams here and there as the night progresses, including in a reunion of The Four Yorkshireman, now (obviously) older if no wiser. Their “I can top that” series of increasingly improbable absurdities is cute, but tends to go on a bit too long. And in fact it’s the dropping of a curse word that generates the biggest laugh, as if to put an exclamation point on the fact that the writing might be just a bit tired.

Python fans will no doubt love some of the reboots of iconic skits as well as a number of tunes from various outings, including some of the feature films. The large cast is put to very good use in huge production numbers built around favorites like “The Lumberjack Song” and “Every Sperm is Sacred,” though those who are perhaps a bit uptight (probably not the standard Python demographic) may tire of the sexually themed humor after a while. (“Every Sperm is Sacred” comes replete with large phallic cannons that shoot confetti—or at least what one hopes is confetti—all over the audience.)

Billed as a putative farewell performance (or performances), Monty Python Live (Mostly) can’t help but bask in a certain wistful nostalgia for most of the evening. The guys are all in top form, though Gilliam seems incapable of being onstage without attempting to draw focus from his compatriots. That tendency is at least partially offset by some modernizing elements (one of Gilliam’s archival animations now features Vladimir Putin), including the use of some celebrity cameos (which will not be spoiled here).

Because the show plays more or less like a revue, there’s not the almost Freudian quality that many of the classic episodes of Monty Python’s Flying Circus employed, where a recurring motif or even a passing word could provide impetus for a series of segues. In fact watching some of the best episodes of the series could be almost like having a waking dream, where people or places changed on a whim, and yet somehow everything still kind of made sense in a mad sort of way. Here, it’s more of a simple assembly line of skits and musical numbers, something that seems rather resolutely traditional for such an anarchic troupe.

While it may be near impossible not to contrast the archival skits on display with some of the hyperbolic but not always hilarious material on stage, there’s no denying how wonderful it is to see these incredible artists performing together. Their camaraderie is almost palpable, and there’s certainly enough laugh out loud material here to overcome that lingering feeling that an era is coming to an end.

Monty Python Live (Mostly): One Down, Five to Go Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Monty Python Live (Mostly): One Down, Five to Go is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Eagle Vision (an imprint of Eagle Rock Entertainment) with an AVC encoded 1080i transfer in 1.78:1. Broadcast on television both in the UK and stateside, this offering is decently if not overwhelmingly sharp and detailed looking, though only close-ups really provide a wealth of fine detail. When the camera does get up close and personal to various participants, things like the craggy lines of Palin's face or the fuzzy ambience of a kangaroo costume (don't ask) offer excellent fine detail. Colors are very nicely saturated, with some of the luxe trappings of the stage show popping very well. Midrange and wide shots are a bit on the soft side at times. There are occasional slight issues with combing artifacts during some of the more manic elements like some of the choreography.

Monty Python Live (Mostly): One Down, Five to Go Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Monty Python Live (Mostly): One Down, Five to Go features nice sounding LPCM 2.0 and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mixes. The 5.1 mix significantly opens up the big production numbers, with a better accounting of the balance between the live orchestra (mostly keyboards, sadly, as is the case nowadays) and the ensemble. There's occasional good directionality when performers are widely splayed on the immense O2 stage. Dialogue comes through very clearly and the rapturous response of the audience sounds lifelike without ever overwhelming the actual action onstage.

Monty Python Live (Mostly): One Down, Five to Go Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• The Reunion - November 2013 (1080i; 1:13) is a brief look at a table read.


• The Announcement - November 2013 (1080i; 1:57) documents a press event and photo opportunity.


• The Production - November 2013 to June 2014 (1080i; 7:58) is probably the best of the supplements bunch, with some good (if too brief) looks at things like arranging the music.


• Backstage at the O2, London - July 2014 (1080i; 4:14) has some neat looks at some of the regularly unseen activity like people getting into costume and the offstage singers, who look like they're working in a phone booth out of Doctor Who.


• Highlights from the 10 Shows at the O2, London - July 2014 (1080i; 2:08) is actually more of a behind the scenes compilation, including things like Warwick Davis dropping by backstage to say hello.


• Green Screen Shoot - June 2014 (1080i; 5:23) has some giggle worthy stuff with the guys performing for taped segments.

Monty Python Live (Mostly): One Down, Five to Go Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Monty Python Live (Mostly): One Down, Five to Go is at times perhaps a bit more bittersweet than it should be, but it still delivers lots of laughs, at least for those who don't mind repeated references to so-called "naughty bits". The show is well assembled, offering peeks at many iconic skits from yesteryear with some recreations onstage and a few new elements as well. The surviving Pythons are all in fine form, and while this show pales in comparison to the television series and many of the films, it's still hugely enjoyable. Recommended.