The Brothers Grimm were the authors of such fairy tales as “Little Red Riding Hood,” and “Hansel and Gretel.” But these stories weren’t the cute Disney films seen today. Instead, they were bleak, cautionary tales served to warn children about the dangers of the world.

Director Terry Gilliam (“Brazil,” “Twelve Monkeys”) has now tackled the challenge of telling a fantastical story recounting the brothers’ encounters with their own legends.

The film begins on a tale from the Grimm brothers’ youth. Their sister is deathly ill and the young Jacob Grimm (Heath Ledger) is sent into town to sell goods in order to afford a doctor. He returns with useless magic beans and receives a hearty beating from his brother Will (Matt Damon).

Sixteen years later Will and Jacob are fraudulent exorcists forced by the French government to discover the whereabouts of nine missing children in a small German town.

Of course, the town is under siege from real enchantment. Enlisting the aid of a guide, the mysterious Angelika (Lena Headey), the Grimm brothers descend into a fairy tale forest.

Both lead actors give solid performances which are amazingly opposite of their typical roles. Ledger is particularly memorable as Jacob. Still scared by his childhood, Ledger’s Jacob is nervous and fidgety. He’s a far cry from the typical fairy tale hero, but his character arc suits the story remarkably well.

Damon’s Will represents the adult sensibilities of the duo, and as such, isn’t nearly as interesting as Ledger, though his reactions to the situation are amusing.

Gilliam’s Monty Python humor also works in the film, especially through the Grimms’ French parole officer, Cavaldi (Peter Stormare), whose mannerisms remind one of a certain Frenchman in Gilliam’s “Monty Python and the Holy Grail.”

However, with the exception of Cavaldi, the Napoleonic French serve as annoying distractions who constantly resurface throughout the narrative. Far too sadistic and far too incompetent, the French only succeed in wasting away screen time from the narrative’s true antagonists.

Gilliam’s fairy tale morality is also a bit troubling. Unlike “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” the children are innocents who are inevitably betrayed by their curiosity and trust. Through these developments, “The Brothers Grimm” proves to be pretty intense. While not exactly gory, Gilliam’s disturbing flare makes this a film one probably shouldn’t bring children to.

Gilliam’s somewhat troubled tale is successful. The pacing of film is bogged down by the bubbling interference of French authorities, but doing so highlights the many conflicts that underscore the narrative. From the battle between the world of children and the world of adults to the war between Christians and Pagans, these conflicts serve to shape the mindset of the Brothers Grimm, resulting in the fairy tales we know today.