The motto of Second City is Something Wonderful Right Away, and maybe Terry Gilliam has the words displayed on his mirror when he shaves every morning. He has never faltered. The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus could be seen as a sideshow version of his own life, with him playing the role of the pitchman who lures you into his fantasies. That they may seem extravagant and overheated, all smoke and mirrors, is, after all, in their very nature.
The story in Gilliam s fevered film is all over the map, as usual, but this time there s a reason. His wild inventions in character, costumes and CGI effects are accounted for by a plot that requires revolving worlds. Elements of this plot were made necessary by the death of Heath Ledger halfway into the filming, but the plot itself I think was in place from the first.