Hugely ambitious but often failing to live up to those ambitions, Terry Gilliam's long-awaited "The Brothers Grimm" emerges as a folkloric adventure that intermittently entertains. "Grimm" ranges from 18th century slapstick to pure fairy tale and from Monty Python absurdity to a semi-serious meditation on the collision between rationalist convictions and mystical beliefs. Not helping matters at the boxoffice, the movie strands its two young stars, Matt Damon and Heath Ledger, in quaint, off-putting period costumes and confusion about their roles.

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