The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus will undoubtedly receive press because of the tragic circumstances- lead actor Heath Ledger died before the film could be completed and other stars finally ended up taking his role to complete it. The film itself is alright but it depends on the audience's sensibilities and preferences. It is definitely a delight to look at, but Terry Gilliam's films have always polarized the audiences. Johnny Depp, Colin Farell and Jude Law fill in for Ledger but ultimately this is a Gilliam show.

I had never heard of this film until I saw it as a "Coming Attractions" tacked onto another DVD I rented.This fantasy definitely shows the directorial hand of Terry Gwilliam in the acting as well as the sets. That makes it difficult to summarize, so I'm thankful so many others already have...and in detail, too. There's a bit of Faust...and a whole lotta Monty Python in the mix.The entire cast is a good one, doing justice to their roles, and the acting frenetic and fast-paced. It's good to see Verne Troyer in something besides his Mini-Me role. The sets are pure Monty Pythonesque...indeed the entire story is like a dream—not necessarily a bad one, though occasionally clutching at the borders of the nightmarish—definitely one which seems to make sense at the time but upon wakening, can't be described with any coherency. Since Heath Ledger died during filming and was replaced by Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell, and Jude Law, that line of demarcation is sadly easy to note…about a third into the film. The way the replacement is done is clever and the audience will accept it easily, however.All in all, an entertaining film, clever, frenetic, whimsical, though bordering on indescribable in the graphics of its plot. It's a pity it didn't get more publicity and exposure.Be warned...this is a film which needs to be seen several times to thoroughly understand and enjoy it all. The costumes, the subplots, the dialogue...there's simply too much to savor for one viewing.This DVD was viewed as a rental and no remuneration was involved in the writing of this review.

"The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" tells the story about a theatrical carnival wagon passing through the city of London luring the curious and the obdurate to be a part of their world. Christopher Plummer is the titular character as dispirited, whiskered old sage claiming to be a thousand years old. He has young daughter named Valentina (Lily Cole) who's a young sprite at 16 and like a flower she's blossoming out. He is also joined by a young assistant named Anton (Andrew Garfield) who happens to be smitten by his daughter. Joining the traveling theatre is the feisty, diminutive multi- talented Percy (Verne Troyer). Hidden esoterically in the wagon is a colourful world filled with vibrant landscapes and for each guest, a nasty moral decision.Like you would expect from all Terry Gilliam films, the imagery is magical, the pacing is enthralling and the outcome is entertaining. And granted this movie is a convoluted mess, but a mess with a meaning encrypted behind the fantasy images, which might disturb some, but not me. If anyone who can give send-offs better it has be Gilliam. Though ironic at the time the deceased character depicted here dies as a way to metaphorically say goodbye to one of Hollywood's great that left us too young and too soon. Haunting image of sheer irony hangs on as we see the late Heath Ledger dead from choking on a noose located at the Thames Bridge. If that won't get a lump into your throats I don't know what will. His character Tony may look dead, but that might be an illusion, he may have had a generous side to him, but even that might even be superficial. We do know that he's been brain-washed. Ledger plays his role with charm and inventiveness and looked like a man who's heart was clearly not leaving this Earth too soon. I'm sure if was here with us today Ledger would look back and laugh all the theme- park ironies this movie makes up. But whether you liked or hated him, no one can deny that Mr. Ledger had a sly sense of humour and was never afraid to take risks. When Tony decides to be a part of Parnassus' theatrical gang, things start to heat up a bit which has been dormant for the last few centuries. When the Devil himself who know goes by the name Mr. Nick (Tom Waits, the only man who's played both God and the Devil in cinematic history "Wristcutters: A Love Story" from 2006), arrives on the scenes chaos is not too far behind. Let's just say that the good Doctor has made a deal with the Devil in that whoever can conjure five human souls to the the side of the Imaginarium will get the soul of the Doctor's pride and joy, Valentina. Tony seems to have the talent for gathering people into his dimension, and this is where Gilliam's magic stats to run amok. Though the atmosphere looks high-budgeted, but that's a misnomer. Even though Gilliam's surreal visuals are overwhelming, they do kind of remind you of the animation that was used prominently during the Monty Python days. When it came time for the Imaginarium sequences to start filming, Ledger sadly passed away and it left Gilliam to contemplate on some revisions to the script. Every time Tony steps the Doctor's Imaginarium, he changes through each appearance. An early scenario indicates that through every passage, Tony becomes a physically different person and the three Tonys played by Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell and Jude Law showed their enthusiasm for playing such a role very poignantly. If Gilliam had his way he would have turned this awesome trio into pallbearers, but through each sequence they respectfully picked up what Ledger left off. If that's not a proper burial, I don't know what is. Although Ledger left us, but the film lives on and it kind of reminds me of the more recent films that Gilliam has been making; clunky, half-baked ideas, and over-saturated with visual eye-candy to give your pupils diabetes. I will say this though at least Verne Troyer is not utilized as an Austin Powers prop and here he's actually showcasing great acting to actually be taken seriously (no Mini Me here). The intention of this movie is that Gilliam is trying to prove that even in our modern life where reality is top priority, "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" proves that we can still embody imagination like our ancestors did more frequently in the past. Gilliam truly directed this film with heart and rightfully so. This movie truly states that it's all right to shut down our reality and let our imaginations take over even if it's just for two hours. (In memory of Heath Ledger (1979-2008)

Let me start off by saying that I came into watching this film with a biased opinion. I love this cast hardcore. I mean come on, Heath Ledger straight out of Dogtown clean of the white makeup that caked his face and made him an icon in the DC universe. Andrew Garfield,(whom I must say is my favorite in the film) being goofy as hell and showing us the natural ways of his foreshadowed Peter Parker. Even the somewhat confusing roles of Mr. Depp, Law, and Ferrell all have their moments. No disrespect to Verne Troyer, but I do have a slight fear of little people lol. Anyways, the meshing of their characters put a band-aid on the critical mindfuck that was the plot. It was very enjoyable, and understandable, but you really have to strap in your seat belt and thinking cap to see the movie for the pure dopesauce that it's worth. Forget the flaws and questions you might have, and open up your IMAGINATION. You will love this movie just like me, and if you haven't done so already, you will start speaking with quite the English accent out of respect. Loved it.