Line #86 Film/TheBrothersGrimm


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6	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/brothers_grimm.jpg]]
7	[[caption-width-right:300:And you thought they were just preservationists...]]
8
9	''The Brothers Grimm'' (2005) is a fantasy-comedy film by Creator/TerryGilliam, starring Creator/MattDamon and Creator/HeathLedger as Wilhelm and Jakob Grimm, a pair of con artists who claim to be able to exorcise hostile spirits. In addition, they write fanciful tales of their exploits, which viewers may recognize as early drafts of familiar Grimm fairy tales.
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11	A wrench is thrown in their familiar plans when, passing through a small town in [[UsefulNotes/{{Germany}} French-occupied Germany]], they are charged with solving a mystery there. While the townsfolk believe supernatural forces are at work, their employer believes the disappearances to be the work of con artists like the Grimms themselves. What the brothers find is far darker than any con they have ever pulled off, and unraveling the curse will require true bravery rather than their usual theatrics.
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13	Also stars Creator/MonicaBellucci, Creator/LenaHeadey and Creator/JonathanPryce. Has practically nothing to do with the ''real'' [[Creator/TheBrothersGrimm Brothers Grimm]] or the Cinerama film ''Film/TheWonderfulWorldOfTheBrothersGrimm'', which stars Creator/LaurenceHarvey and Creator/RussTamblyn.
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15	----
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17	!!''The Brothers Grimm'' provides examples of:
18
19	* ActionGirl: Angelika who, for most of the movie, is better suited for fighting monsters than the brothers.
20	* AgentMulder: Jakob, who does recognize that they might be dealing with something real faster than his brother.
21	* AgentScully:
22	** Will takes a long time to be convinced that the supernatural is real.
23	** General Delatombe is actually a [[TakeThat parody]] of this trope. He clearly thinks of himself as a rational, down-to-earth man and tries to act like one, but over time, it becomes glaringly obvious that in reality, he is [[AxCrazy flat-out insane]]. Ironically, the very fact that he refuses to acknowledge the existence of supernatural even in face of obvious evidence (like magical wind putting out the forest fire and scattering his troops or tree root trying to ensnare his leg) and is totally fixated on killing the Grimm brothers in spite of all weird stuff happening around him is what indicates that he is not right in his head.
24	* AgeWithoutYouth: A central plot point. The queen gained immortality to protect herself from plague, but she [[DidntThinkThisThrough forgot that eternal life does not necessarily entail eternal youth]]. Thus, she ended up indefinitely prolonged, but still aging. So now, she tries to kidnap twelve young girls and use them as a sacrifice in a ritual to revitalize herself, a project the aforementioned Grimms are eager to stop. When Jakob finds out and warns Will that the Queen is still alive and in the tower:
25	-->'''Will''': ''(incredulous)'' What, for five hundred years?\
26	'''Jakob''': Yeah, but they haven't been kind, I can tell you that, Will!
27	* AintTooProudToBeg: [[InvokedTrope Invoked]] in the climax by Will, who begs Delatombe (on his own insistence, no less) for mercy... only to use distraction thus caused to suddenly throw a burning crucifix at him. And then exploit resulting opening to quickly [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice stab him with a broken pole]].
28	* AndIMustScream: On one side of the coin, there's the results of the face stealing, namely children with blanks for faces. On the other, [[spoiler:it appears that the Sorceress will be trapped in the shards of her broken mirror until she gets herself out (unlikely) or someone gets her out (really unlikely). Oh, and she's immortal, so even dying of old age isn't an option]].
29	* AntiVillain: [[spoiler:The Woodsman, Angelika's missing father, is BrainwashedAndCrazy by the Queen]].
30	* ArsonMurderAndJaywalking:
31	-->'''Cavaldi''': Grimmy, you are to have to stand trial for subterfuge, theft... and buggery!\
32	'''Will''': ...[[ITakeOffenseToThatLastOne I'm sorry?]]
33	* AxCrazy: General Delatombe is a downplayed example, but still, he seems to get ''too much'' joy from hurting and killing others and nothing -- not even freaky stuff happening right in front of his eyes -- can draw away his attention from brutally murdering someone.
34	* BadBoss: Delatombe inspires little loyalty in his people and shoots several of them for trying to run away once they've seen proof that he was wrong about the cause of things.
35	* {{Beethoven Was an Alien Spy}}: The brothers find genuine inspirations for their fanciful tales during the events of the movie.
36	* BigSisterInstinct: Angelika's sisters were aomong those taken, with that playing a large role in her involvement in the story.
37	* TheBlank: In the Gingerbread Man sequence, Sasha briefly loses her facial features, after the Queen's crow covers her in mud.
38	* BoomerangComeback: Jakob throws the magic axe at the general's aide-de-camp and miss... only to have him killed by the return.
39	* BoundAndGagged: Happens to Angelika.
40	* BringMyBrownPants:
41	-->'''Brunst:''' ''(after seeing Sasha get eaten by a mud creature)'' I... I do believe I've soiled myself.\
42	'''Hidlick:''' Oh, good... I thought it was me.
43	* CassandraTruth: When the brothers find genuine monsters in the woods, the French General doesn't believe them anymore.
44	* CheeseEatingSurrenderMonkeys: Inverted, as the film takes place during the Napoleonic Wars, in the recently-conquered Kingdom of Westphalia. On the DVD commentary, Creator/TerryGilliam said he felt it was important to remind people that, once upon a time, it was the ''French'' who occupied ''Germany'', and not the other way around.
45	* ChekhovsGun: The mirror armors that the Grimms wear only for show end up saving Cavaldi's life, who [[PocketProtector wears one under his clothes]] when Delatombe shoots him. Also Will's fake flaming crucifix, which allows him to [[EyeScream distract]] Delatombe long enough to disarm and kill him.
46	* TheComicallySerious: Will, once he becomes convinced that the forest's magic is real:
47	-->'''Will''': It's this way, Mother Toad showed me!\
48	'''Jakob''': What?\
49	'''Will''': ''(dead serious)'' Trust the toad!
50	* CreepyCrows: The Mirror Queen's minions.
51	* DancePartyEnding: An early-19th century peasant version. [[spoiler:After the defeat of the evil queen, the whole village throws an impromptu festival in celebration, complete with traditional dancing, and the protagonists all join in.]]
52	* DecapitationPresentation: General Delatombe cheerfully announces that he has ''"confessions"'' to the Grimm Brothers' con game. Cue one of his aides [[spoiler:lifting the lids of two barrels, under which are the heads of Bunst and Hidlick.]]
53	* DisappearedDad: Angelika's father was killed by wolves. [[spoiler:Actually he's the Woodsman and he can turn into a wolf.]]
54	* {{Doomsayer}}: The old village woman resembling a stereotypical witch.
55	* DontGoInTheWoods: It turns out that the Mirror Queen lives in a tower in the woods. Also, two of the missing girls are kidnapped in the woods.
56	* EvilTowerOfOminousness: It's kind of required here. So they put one in the middle of a spooky forest. Jakob must get in to rescue his lady love.
57	* FaceStealer: The mud man, who [[FacialHorror steals Sasha's facial features]], rendering her TheBlank. Soon thereafter, it consumes her entirely, inexplicably turning into the Gingerbread Man.
58	* FairestOfThemAll: Aaaand, cue the [[VainSorceress evil sorceress]].
59	* FatAndSkinny: The brothers assistants, Hidlick and Bunst.
60	* ForeignCussWord: Double, even. At some point, the French soldiers say "Merde!", then realise they are pretending to be German, and promptly correct themselves to "Scheisse!"[[note]]Yes, both of them mean "Shit!"[[/note]]
61	* FrenchJerk: General Delatombe is a smug, self-confident, utterly ruthless jerk.
62	* FunnyForeigner: Cavaldi is a very hammy guy.
63	* GodSaveUsFromTheQueen: The main villain in the movie is an evil queen who used to rule the surrounding lands and now tries to sacrifice innocent children in order to regain her youth.
64	* GoodParents: What Angelika's father was when he was still alive. [[spoiler:When the brainwashing wears off, his first concern is their safety, followed by [[PapaWolf retribution for their endangerment]].]]
65	* {{Grimmification}}: Well, ''yeah''... since the fairytales, that implied to inspire the brothers, are based around the kidnapping of young girls in order to restore the beauty of an evil queen.
66	* HappilyEverAfter: Exact words used in the closing text... [[spoiler:but since the Mirror Queen turns out to still be alive in those shards, it then admits, "[[TheEndOrIsIt ... well, maybe not.]]"]]
67	* HeelFaceTurn: After witnessing supernatural events firsthand with the Grimms, Cavaldi starts siding with the Grimms, [[spoiler:ultimately choosing not to kill them upon the general's orders.]]
68	* HellishHorse: [[NightmareFuel The spiderweb horse]].
69	* HorrorStruck: William and Jacob made their fame setting up fake apparitions and ghosts and getting paid for "exorcizing" them. Personality-wise, William is the more rational of the duo, while Jacob is the bookish MrImagination. When they go to the village, William discovers just how real magic can be.
70	* HotWitch: The Mirror Queen, alas the [[BigBad]]
71	* HyperCompetentSidekick: For all of their stupidity, Hidlick and Bunst do a lot more of the work for the MonsterProtectionRacket than the Grimm's (something they lampshade) putting on length, complicated performances as mounters involving complex costumes before the brothers ever arrive in town, and helping a lot with the pulleys and other gadgets they use. The brothers, in contrast, just show up for a few hours, looking pretty and pretending to shoot something. [[DudeWheresMyRespect the fact that they only get paid 1/10th of the profits leaves Bunst and Hidlick fairly peeved]].
72	* HypocriticalHumor: Cavaldi's reaction to his courage being questioned.
73	--> '''Cavaldi:''' The Great Cavaldi never panics.
74	--> He Sees a small fluffy cat nuzzle his leg.
75	--> '''Cavaldi:''' AHHHHHHHHHH!
76	* JustAStupidAccent: Cavaldi and General Delatombe. They are Italian and French respectively, in case you didn't know.
77	* KilledMidSentence: [[spoiler:When [[PapaWolf the Woodsman]] throws the Queen's Magic Mirror out of the window, she screams "Who's the fairest of them -- !"]] If you listen carefully, the result will be "Who's the fairest of them all!?!?!?!?" instead.
78	* LadyLooksLikeADude: Sasha is a girl, but is mistaken by a boy by the brothers until her father indignantly snaps that the "strapping young lad is my daughter!" See SweetPollyOliver.
79	* LoveMakesYouEvil: The Woodsman says he's in love with the Queen when asked. [[spoiler:He's not, it's brainwashing.]]
80	* MonsterProtectionRacket: The brothers (along with Hidlick and Bunst) at first, using legerdemain and stage tricks to simulate monster attacks. Later on, they use those same tricks to fight real supernatural menaces.
81	* NotSoHarmlessVillain: Delatombe's manservant is a foppish figure, but he is able to effectively fight against Jacob in the climax.
82	* OnceDoneNeverForgotten: Will has never let Jakob forget how he [[Literature/JackAndTheBeanstalk sold the family cow for allegedly magic beans]] instead of medicine for their sister as a boy, and he uses it to call out his brother's AgentMulder tendencies.
83	* OurWerewolvesAreDifferent: A giant wolf is seen roaming the forest around the village. The animal is actually [[spoiler:the Woodsman, Angelika's father]].
84	* PapaWolf: It happens [[RedemptionEqualsDeath too late to save him]] but [[spoiler:soon after the spell on the Woodsman breaks:]]
85	-->[[spoiler:''"Angelika... (turns to the Queen's mirror) [[YouKilledMyFather You killed my daughters!!]] (grabs large piece of mirror) [[PrepareToDie YOU MUST DIE!!!]]"'']]
86	* PocketProtector: [[spoiler:The flashy, mirror armor that the Grimms wear as part of their con saves Cavaldi's life.]]
87	* {{Polyamory}}: Angelika, ever the pragmatist, decides there are more important things to do than to choose a brother for her LoveInterest. The story never advocates one over the other, and at the end of the film she [[{{OT3}} goes off with both of them]].
88	* PrecisionGuidedBoomerang: The Woodsman's axe, which he can also [[SummonToHand summon back to his hand]]. Justified, since it's enchanted.
89	* PrimalFear: The scene with the spiderweb horse.
90	* ProperlyParanoid: When the brothers first arrive, the townspeople are holed up inside their houses, sticking out guns and surround them initially. Considering the scope of the threat against them, it's somewhat justified (albeit ineffective against the queen).
91	* PublicDomainCharacter: Lots of them, referred to in oblique ways.
92	* RageAgainstTheReflection: Played with. The VainSorceress cast a spell of eternal life on herself, not realizing that it would not keep her young and beautiful forever. Fortunately for her, she has a magic mirror that shows her young and beautiful self, and can use her magic to make a man look only at the reflection. She almost seduces Jakob this way, but Will tosses a rock up from below (trying to signal to his brother) and cracks the mirror, breaking the spell. [[spoiler:The Queen is defeated in the climax by shattering the mirror completely, which shatters her as well]].
93	* RedemptionEqualsDeath: [[spoiler:The Woodsman -- who turns out to be Angelika's missing father -- is ditched by evil queen as soon as he's done preparing the ritual, but he manages to use his remaining strength to grab the magic mirror and [[TakingYouWithMe jump out of the window with it]], shattering it and finishing the queen off for good. [[TheEndOrIsIt Or maybe not]]]].
94	* ResignationsNotAccepted: Well... sort of.
95	-->'''Cavaldi:''' Generale, I wish to resign my...
96	-->'''Delatombe:''' ''[shoots him]'' Resignation accepted.
97	* SelfPlagiarism: The "hand forest" sequence was originally written for ''Film/TimeBandits'' and was almost used in ''Film/{{Brazil}}''.
98	* SwallowedWhole One of the village girls - by a [[HellishHorse horse]], of all things.
99	* SweetPollyOliver: Used to conceal the daughters of a local village from being kidnapped by an evil sorceress. It doesn't help.
100	* ThatPoorCat: Literally. It gets [[TurbineBlender ripped to shreds]] when [[CatScare Cavaldi kicks it into a shredder]] [[BlackComedy out of bad nerves]].
101	* TheEndOrIsIt: [[LampshadedTrope Lampshaded]]. After everything is said and done, the closing narration provides the viewer with your traditional fairy tale stuff about how our heroes lived happily ever after... [[spoiler:and then one of the queen's crows appear, carrying a shard of magic mirror, with the queen inside, apparently still alive and moving. Cue "...or maybe not"]].
102	* TortureTechnician: The Italian "torture artist", before his HeelFaceTurn.
103	* {{Troperiffic}}: Especially for FairyTale tropes.
104	* TrueLovesKiss: Jakob is happy to break the enchanted sleep by giving one of these to Angelika, the woman he's been pining for the entire movie. His brother Will, meanwhile...
105	-->'''Will Grimm:''' ''(Jakob goes into kiss him to wake him up -- but he wakes up by himself)'' Not. You.
106	* TwinThreesomeFantasy: Will sees a pair of twins during a party at an inn and invites one to dance, then ends up dancing and going to bed with both.
107	* VainSorceress: Whether alive or in limbo, The Mirror Queen's world is her reflection.
108	* TheVamp: The Mirror Queen again, as Will finds out the hard way.
109	* VoluntaryShapeshifting: [[spoiler:The Woodsman. [[TheBigBadWolf Into a wolf,]] [[Literature/LittleRedRidingHood of course.]]]]
110	* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: [[spoiler:Once the Woodsman has helped her complete the evil ritual, the queen -- seeing no further use of him and having found much younger and more handsome minion -- passes the magic brooch to Will and leaves her former servant to die. It comes to [[PapaWolf bite her]] [[HeelFaceTurn in the ass]] [[RedemptionEqualsDeath really quickly]]]].

Context Film / TheBrothersGrimm