The Visitors (1993) - So Bad It's...Kind of Brilliant?
Okay, so I just re-watched "The Visitors" (Les Visiteurs) and I have thoughts. For those who don't know, it's about a medieval knight and his servant who get yeeted to 1993 France. Now, the plot is ridiculous, the acting is...certainly a choice, and the special effects are laughably dated. But man, there's something so endearingly bonkers about this movie that keeps me coming back. Jean Reno is amazing, playing Godefroy de Montmirail, but Christian Clavier as Jacquouille is on another level of hilarious. I mean, his obsession with "poo-poo" and his complete bewilderment with modern life is comedy gold. Musically, it's...well, it's not a John Williams score, let's just say that. It does play up the slapstick moments REALLY well. The score is a mix of medieval-sounding themes and then 90's synthy stuff, it's a bit jarring, but fits the overall tone, if that makes sense. There's a scene where Jacquouille discovers central heating and thinks he's found some kind of magical fire...the music in that scene is perfect, heightening the absurdity. It's not something I'd listen to on its own, but in the context of the film, it just works. I definitely wouldn't call it a great movie, per se, but it's a hilariously absurd comedy that doesn't take itself seriously at all. Some of the jokes haven't aged super well, and the plot makes absolutely no sense if you start to think about it too much, but overall, I still find it very fun. Anyone else got any guilty pleasure movies like this? Oh, and watch the original French version! Trust me, the dub doesn't do Reno's performance justice at all.
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