The Mumbo Jumbo, available on DVD (Britain only- many American DVD players donot support region-free play) is a very silly, very British film. For those of you who may be fans of Monty Python, Black Adder, Are you Being Served? etc etc... check it out. The rest of you may find the humor and tone a bit lost on you.

The film itself features several well-known Brits, including Joss Ackland, John Inman, Brian Blessed, and Sylvester McCoy. And of course, Richard. All of whom you'll find pictures of within these pages (but naturally mostly of Richard...) with the decided exception of Mr. McCoy, because well, being a Dr. Who fan... I can't stand him.

The story revolves around Thomas Doubting, whose name is indicative of his condition...he's going nowhere fast. That's when he happens upon a strange homeless man with a shopping cart. (Who, in perfect American English accent asks Thomas to "Give us the wrench". The accent is willing but the idioms are weak...) There he receives a small, heart-shaped amulet and a newspaper ad for a missing princess- with a hefty reward for finding her. Thomas heads to the island of Sinmouth, and finds it's strange and quirky residents who believe him to be "the mumbo jumbo", a magical creature summoned by them to restore their town to it's former glory.

Meanwhile, the princess- who is naturally being held captive by a baddie- in this case Lucifer Bounder (Brian Blessed) the owner of a thriving manure plant on the outskirts of town, hears about the Mumbo Jumbo through Bounder's assistant Archie (Richard).

Though Thomas takes little seriously for a while, he eventually comes to believe that he IS the mumbo jumbo and sets out to save the town (and incidentally, the world, as it turns out) and the princess in the process.

A very cute little movie, in my opinion.

A further note to O'Brien fans... while in most of his film appearances, Richard seems to manage to be the best-dressed cast member... don't expect that here. His character is a foul-looking, disease-ridden henchman. As illustrated at right. So if you watch O'Brien roles for style and glamour, cross this one off your list.

However.

If you (like me) really love watching him take things WAAAAAAAY over the top (there are many times in the film when it seems he and Brian Blessed are competing -fiercely- to see who can be more outrageous) and mugging for the camera, check this one out, you won't be disappointed.

Below you'll find a few options to peruse.

AN IMAGE GALLERY
A SELECTION OF SOUNDS