DVD reviews

"The Adventures of Baron

Munchausen" (Sony, $20; Blu-ray, $29)

Terry Gilliam might stand as modern Hollywood's most jinxed filmmaker, having waged epic battles against studio executives and blind fate to make films such as this, "Brazil" and "The Brothers Grimm." Gilliam had to drastically alter the approach to his current fantasy, "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus," using Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell to take over Heath Ledger's character after the actor died midway through production. "Baron Munchausen" stars John Neville, Uma Thurman, Eric Idle and Sarah Polley in a wild fantasy about an adventurer's impossible travels. In a 20th-anniversary edition, the movie is accompanied by commentary by Gilliam and a making-of documentary about the film, whose budget ballooned amid production troubles.

DAVID GERMAIN, ASSOCIATED PRESS

"Terry Jones' Medieval Lives"

(BBC, $30)

Monty Python's Terry Jones continues his rampage through history with this eight-part series that aired on the History Channel in 2004. You'll never look at knights in shining armor, damsels in distress or pious monks the same way again. This two-disc set includes a bonus feature, "Gladiators: The Brutal Truth."

BRUCE DANCIS, SACRAMENTO BEE

"Fortysomething" (Acorn, $40)

Sometimes American TV has successfully transferred British sitcoms to the colonies, as in the rebirth of "Till Death Do Us Part" as "All in the Family." But it's not always good for British TV to be inspired by the typical American sitcom. Ultimately, that's what makes ITV's "Fortysomething" a bit wince-inducing in places, but it ends up being mildly entertaining anyway. The show stars Hugh Laurie, who went on to greater fame as the star of "House." In "Fortysomething," a doctor named Paul Slippery (Laurie) is married to Estelle (Anna Chancellor) and has three sons. Paul begins to hear his wife's thoughts, à la "What Women Want," and is hypnotized into clucking like a chicken whenever he's around attractive women. It's a distinctly different side of Laurie than we're used to on "House." He and the rest of the cast almost make you forget that you don't believe very much of the plot.

DAVID WIEGAND, SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE