[.ca] The Visitors

Clever, intelligent, sweet, not a movie for morons:
We watched this movie in French class. I may have been prejudiced before the first frame ran, as I absolutely adore Jean Reno, but I LOVE this movie. The sight gags and innuendos are priceless, and I have to say this is the first "time travel" movie that I actually liked. If you do not like this movie, it's because you don't get it!!

A French Comedic Classic, Finally in the US!:
Well, for quite awhile, this DVD was not available in the US, and even hard to find in its native France. It was a nice surprise to finally see it appear stateside, and hopefully, it's appearance will garner some more attention to French comedies. The story focuses around a nobleman who, along with his oafish servent, is transported forward in time to modern day France. In their new surroundings, they must deal with life in the modern world, as well as try to figure out how to return to their own time. Christian Clavier and Jean Reno do outstanding jobs as the misplaced main characters, and the movie moves at such a pace, that it offers plenty of laughs. Do yourself a favor and check this movie out if you're never seen it, you won't be disappointed.

French Version Much Better:
The original movie "Les Visiteurs" is so good, its a pity they had to spoil with the Americanized version - "Just Visiting" - which is at best an insult on the intelligence of the American viewing public. Although the original movie is in French with English subtitles, they have done a tremendous job with the subtitles - translating a kind of "medieval" French into a comparable type of old English (modern swearwords included). In fact, the job is done so well that we had a lot of laughs just by comparing the film's verbal antics to the translation. Even though I do not speak French myself, it is quite clear that a lot of effort had gone into this. Sometimes the conversations are fast and furious, so it's worthwhile to see the movie a second time. Even on the second pass, there was a lot to laugh at. The original was meant to be slapstick and the story is a total farce, but I thought it was well done, and very well executed. Even though this whole thing is intended as a joke, the reactions of the medieval guys are quite believable. Both versions star Jean Reno and Christian Clavier, but unfortunately that is not enough to save "Just Visiting", which I can at best award two stars. In contrast, the original effort is a blast and worth at least 4 stars. If you can, try to obtain the French version. It's worth the trouble!

A wonderful change of pace:
This movie (or, film, for you students of pretense) is a pleasant blend of history, satire, and fiction. Contrary to the opinons expressed in one of the previous reviews, I believe that Valerie Lemercier, as Frenegonde, is FAR superior to Christina Applegate. Ms. Applegate was beautiful as Kelley Bundy, but seems to lack the range and tongue-in-cheek humor of Ms. Lemercier. Marie-Anne Chazel (close friend of Christian Clavier) is great in her role as the bag lady who discovers the serf of her dreams. Jean Reno expertly plays the proud but confused knight, and demonstrates a flair for humor I had not previously seen - watch the scene where he tries to discover the purpose of a toilet, or where he takes a dignified bath enhanced by a half-gallon of Chanel No. 5. I was a left a bit cold by M. Clavier's broad slapstick humor, but this was my only complaint. Les Visiteurs is, and will remain, one of my all-time favorite movies.

The Most Pathetically Terrible Movie I Have EVER Seen:
I am a terrible movie afficianado, and this one was the creme de la creme of terrible movies. The 'plot' centers on a count and his vassal from 1076 who are magically transported into 1996 by a senile sorcerer. As you can imagine, wackiness ensues. Unfortunately, nowhere in the entire movie does an actual story line emerge, and the characters are completely obnoxius. This is unfortunate, as there are some very skilled actors and actresses in the movie. If you like garbage, then watch this movie. Otherwise, save your money to buy something worth watching.