Not the Messiah (He's a Very Naughty Boy) Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

Not the Messiah (He's a Very Naughty Boy) Blu-ray Movie Review

Look on the bright side and reunite with some old friends.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman May 15, 2010

Tonight, we have for you a premiere.

Not the Messiah is the wonderfully-realized follow-up to Spamalot, Performer Eric Idle's and Composer John Du Prez's successful retelling of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. A Comic Oratorio in five parts for chorus, orchestra, and soloists, Not the Messiah follows in the footsteps of Spamalot, recreating the classic Comedy Life of Brian in song and spectacle on the stage of London's Royal Albert Hall on October 23, 2009 in celebration of 40 years of Monty Python. Spoofing both Life of Brian and Handel's Messiah, Not the Messiah takes the acclaimed 1979 Comedy and the famed 18th century oratorio and reworks them into a tidy 90-minute extravaganza of lighthearted mayhem in classic Python style. Over the top, at times patently absurd, but always entirely hilarious, Not the Messiah never for a moment proves to be worth anything less than the price of admission, with engaging songs, whacky characters, and several other Monty Python celebrities -- Terry Gilliam, Michael Palin, and Terry Jones -- in tow. Not the Messiah is probably best enjoyed by longtime Python fans, but the spirit of the show, its fantastic music, and the many incessantly hilarious performances make it an engaging display of timeless comedy taken to a new level, sure to please anyone with even a passing familiarity of the troupe's side-splitting style.

Brian's life unfolds on stage.

Once upon a time, just before the calendar would suddenly transition to "A.D.," a boy named Brian (William Ferguson) was born and, as fate would have it, only a few doors down from Jesus. His mother was Mandy (Rosalind Plowright), and her conception of Brian wasn't really all that immaculate. Brian isn't the Chosen One, nor is he a hero to his race; his father isn't Heavenly, but he is a Roman. Brian was just born at the wrong place and at the wrong time, the close proximity to that famous manger leading to a bit of confusion as to just who this Brian fellow is. Most think he's the Messiah. Brian claims he's not. That doesn't stop his life from becoming a circus of public scrutiny, and even though he finds himself in the spotlight, he flees from his home and joins The People's Front of Judea, an anti-Roman resistance group led by a man named Reg (Christopher Purves). His career and love life are both helped along by Judith of Judea (Shannon Mercer), but eventually, Brian's fate catches up with him. He must convince the world that he's not the Messiah. If he can, he can go about his work of ridding the region of Romans. If he can't, well, maybe he should just accept his lot in life and have a look on the bright side of things.

Fans familiar with Life of Brian are sure to enjoy Not the Messiah, even if this rendition proves to be little more than a sweeping generalization of the story built around exposition-through-song. It's a far cry from the movie to be sure and somewhat difficult to grasp with anything less than a basic understanding of Brian's story as depicted in the film, particularly considering that Not the Messiah's style necessitates an absence of more refined character development in favor of simply singing the story -- amidst what is nothing less than an uproarious exhibition of inanity that's more akin to a sideshow than a serious stage production -- into fruition. Nevertheless, it works; Not the Messiah earns plenty of genuine laughs through its breezy tone and sometimes impromptu feel, the latter in particular an element captured by Eric Idle's impeccable sense of timing and uncanny delivery of his lines. He proves again to be a first-class entertainer, flanked in Not the Messiah by his standout quartet of soloists and several Python alums, the latter of whom take smaller parts and jazz them up to ridiculous levels, but hey, this is Monty Python, and ridiculous is par for the course for Britain's most famous comedic troupe.

Not the Messiah's music doesn't quite steal the show, but then again, Eric Idle and company prove a hard act to beat. Most every song delivers a toe-tapping good time while briskly moving Brian's story -- from his not-so-immaculate conception all the way through to his arrival on the cross -- along, but they're all overshadowed by a brilliant rendition of "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life," the song made famous 30 years prior in Life of Brian; then again, what would a Brian retelling be without its signature song? Not a production content to settle on a singular musical theme and style, Not the Messiah comes packed with an eclectic selection of tunes, covering a wide swath of genres and just as many, it seems, whacky elements along the way. Whether the out-of-left-field "I Want To Be A Girl" or the not-so-sheepishly performed "And There Were Shepherds," and from the humanity-really-is-this-gullible "You're the One" to the crucifixion-as-a-mockery "A Fair Day's Work," there's no shortage of songs that simultaneously tell a story, comment on man, deliver boundless humor, and engender a desire to get up and sing along. Combining elements of several diverse musical styles from several different eras, Not the Messiah proves about as unconventional as anything out there. When a story set 2,000 years ago about a regular Joe named Brian who's been mistaken for Jesus can have "Bob Dylan" show up without an image of Eric Idle gleefully leaping over a shark being the first thing that springs to mind, well, somebody's obviously doing something right.

Technically, Not the Messiah's home video production is a rousing success. Not only does its Blu-ray presentation look good and sound great (more on that below), but the camerawork seen throughout covers the entire Not the Messiah spectacle, giving the viewer a front row seat -- amongst others -- for the duration. The video presentation provides a myriad of perspectives, showcasing the requisite close-ups of relevant performers while simultaneously capturing the raucous atmosphere inside Royal Albert Hall. With hundreds of performers, an excitable and involved audience, engaging music, and rapid-fire pacing, there's never a moment for home viewers to catch their breaths, and if there's a readily-identifiable problem with Not the Messiah, that might be it. There's so much going on and with nary a break to be found that a single viewing just won't be enough for casual fans to take it all in. Those more familiar with Monty Python and Life of Brian will fall head over heals for Not the Messiah, but others may find the show too fast and too unstructured to truly appreciate all it has to offer. No doubt Not the Messiah looks and sounds great, but there's not a lot under the hood in terms of character development and plot coherence. The show relies on spectacle and seems to work on the assumption that its audience knows ahead of time how Brian's story is going to play out. For veteran Life of Brian fans, enjoy. Newcomers, look on the bright side; now's the perfect time to watch Life of Brian for the first time. Just make sure to follow it up with Not the Messiah; both are well worth the time, now and again.

Not the Messiah (He's a Very Naughty Boy) Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Not the Messiah graces Blu-ray with a good, but not impeccable, 1080p, 1.78:1-framed transfer. Generally, the image is sharp and nicely detailed. While several elements demonstrate incredible texturing at the most subtle of levels -- the pattern on Eric Idle's bow tie, for instance -- there's a general flatness to the image that, combined with so many dark background crevices and black clothing, doesn't provide many opportunities for the finest of details to jump off the screen. Close-ups generally fare the best; fine stitches in clothing, sweat collecting on brows, or textures on instruments and microphones look fine, but otherwise, this one has something of a stable yet bland appearance that gets the job done but never really excites the visual senses. Blacks are often deep and rich, though occasionally dotted with moderate amounts of noise. Coloring is limited to stage lighting, Rosalind Plowright's blue dress, some scattered wooden instruments and chairs, and a few assorted costumes that appear on stage every now and then. Otherwise, there's little beyond blacks and shades of blues and grays. Flesh tones are accurate, accentuated only by the multicolored lighting that illuminates the stage throughout the production. Not the Messiah trudges along with a transfer that's not overtly problematic (aside from some slight background blocking in a couple of shots, color gradations aren't always smooth, and the aforementioned noise) but instead one that's simply reflective of the production's generally dull appearance which translates to a flat but effectively watchable 1080p transfer.

Not the Messiah (He's a Very Naughty Boy) Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Dazzling. Magnificent. Stunning. These are just a few adjectives that get to the heart of Not the Messiah's DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. A marvelous presentation to be sure, Sony's latest winning soundtrack places the listener in the midst of Royal Albert Hall, capturing each nuance and every heavier element with precision and the utmost clarity. There's a constant sense of total immersion into the production; the lossless soundtrack creates an impenetrable 360-degree sound field that brings the music, dialogue, and audience participation to glorious life, where every note, round of applause, and syllable sound crisp and impeccably real. On several occasions, the soundstage becomes drenched in applause. Loud, yes, but never lacking even in the least a distinct clarity and sense of realism, the applause proves one of many elements that allows the listener to enjoy a practically lifelike experience over and over again. Spoken words from the cast nicely reverberate about the hall's cavernous walls and ceiling, bouncing about the listening area with a clarity and ease rarely found to this level of perfection for a home-listening experience. From part one on, the orchestral performances dominate the soundstage; seemingly every instrument is clear and distinguishable even as they all come together to create a singularity of sound that never lacks at any level, whether the sharpest of highs or the deepest of lows. Though not the absolute final song in the production, the show winds down with a rendition of "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" that's nothing short of sheer sonic bliss. An exhilarating effort that boasts so much power yet also delivers equal amounts of clarity and precision, concert soundtracks just don't get any better than Not the Messiah's mesmerizing DTS presentation.

Not the Messiah (He's a Very Naughty Boy) Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Not the Messiah descends onto Blu-ray with a rather paltry collection of extras. The Road to Albert Hall (1080p, 31:02) is the best of the lot, the piece a solid overview of the process of bringing Life of Brian to the stage over the course of the week leading up to the premiere. Along with a plethora of behind-the-scenes rehearsal footage, this supplement features the cast speaking on Not the Messiah's similarities to Handel's Messiah, the fine-tuning of the music, the background of the production, the assemblage of the soloists, the show's style ("it's like Handel, only funnier," says William Ferguson), the spirit and lasting legacy of the Monty Python veterans, the music, the show's appeal, and much more. This is a solid piece that fans of the production will enjoy a great deal. Showtime! (1080p, 3:07) takes a brief look at several backstage moments, including those leading up to, during, and after the show. The Bright Side... (1080p, 2:57) takes a short but closer look at the classic tune, constructed around rehearsal footage, interview snippets with Eric Idle, and clips of the song from the show. Sing Alongs (1080p) allows would-be chorus members to sing alongside the stars of the show for several songs, karaoke style. Available songs include "What Have the Romans Ever Done For Us?" (2:22), "The People's Front of Judea" (2:37), "You're the One" (4:03), "Amourdeus" (1:30), "Take Us Home" (3:35), and "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" (4:18). Also included is MovieIQ connectivity; BD-Live functionality; and 1080p trailers for Rent: Filmed Live on Broadway, Across the Universe, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, and Nine.

Not the Messiah (He's a Very Naughty Boy) Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Ridiculous" best describes Not the Messiah, but when "ridiculous" is done so well and with an abundance of wit, professionalism, and showmanship, even the "ridiculous" can become something magical. Monty Python's Life of Brain lives anew in Not the Messiah, which is certainly not a replacement for the classic 1979 Comedy, but instead a wonderfully-realized companion piece that film lovers and longtime Python fans will cherish as nothing less than an uproarious send-up of what is oft considered the troupe's best picture. The songs are, generally, marvelous and wonderfully performed, and the highly professional structure surrounding the show only accentuates the sheer absurdity of the production, a style, it seems, only Monty Python could pull off. Sony's Blu-ray release of Not the Messiah features a steady 1080p picture quality, an impeccable lossless soundtrack, and a decent, if not a bit too short, assortment of extra goodies. Does it even need a recommendation? Python fans, get ready to buy; for others, pick up The Life of Brian, enjoy, and rent or buy Not the Messiah afterward.