Fierce Creatures (1997)

From the makers of wickedly-dark British crime satire “A Fish Called Wanda” – one of my favorites – comes “Fierce Creatures,” a surprisingly tame comedy despite the title. The entire cast of “Wanda” returns for this not-quite sequel, behind and in front of the camera. John Cleese plays the button-down ex-cop suddenly put in charge of a financially strapped zoo, purchased by a Murdoch-type corporate clown (Kevin Kline) with an obnoxious sex-obsessed son (Kline, again). As Wanda, sorry Willa, Jamie Lee Curtis is the smart, go-getter stuck in the middle, falling for Cleese, but tied to Kline’s weasel. It’s all the same, with gags repeated from not just “Wanda,” but Monty Python as well. (“It’s just a flesh wound!”) I constantly felt reminded of a far-better film I could easily re-watch, and a comedy troupe that will never be topped. Fierce? No. C+

Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

Watching "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" for the third time in one week, maybe a few dozen times over all, it makes one want to repeal every "A+" I've given to 99 percent of the films I've ever reviewed. Essentially, this film is a gift from God, or maybe the Dark One from downstairs.

The perfect comedy (OK, the original "The Producers" is my ultimate favorite comedy, but still), "Holy Grail" is the Python's crowning achievement of absolute absurd humor. Forget plot details or character round ups, the film's title says it all. From the opening scene of King Arthur and Patsy not riding on horses as they gallop toward a castle, it's an absolute hysterical satire that rips England's and all WASP's eternal love affair with themselves.

The Pythons, with Michael Palin and Graham Chapman as the stand outs, wreck havoc all that is holy, and they deserve halos and wings for it. It's not for everyone's taste, either you love Python, or you don't. I feel sorry for anyone who doesn't. (My wife hates it, but I still love her.)

A favorite scene? I can't say. I change my mind every time I watch it, but the king/gay son/dumb guards wedding fiasco, complete with a mass murdering John Cleese, leaves me in tears every time. An absolute classic, if it's possible to wear out a DVD, I'll do it to this one. Oh, and the irrelevant animation by Terry Gilliam -- it's still not topped as far as imagination and giddy fun. A+