Les bronzés font du ski

This second movie of the team from the Splendid (a french theater) is as interesting as their first "Les Bronzes". Many jokes and many hilarious shots. The style of the movie is pretty the same than the first but is not a bad imitation. You could see the two movies one after the others (this is an advice) and appreciate them at their true worth.

The fame of these movies is so great that in France, it is very usual to meet people who have seen them more than ten times. The success of the the actors is so good that they have made many movies after these ones and many of them were very good. (For example: "le pere noel est une ordure")

It is an excellent movie!! A French monument! For English speakers, you can find the DVD with English subs on amazon.co.uk. Most of the actors are part of the French comedy group called "Le Splendid", and they're all simply awesome. This movie is a sequel of "Les Bronzes" which in my opinion is not worth watching. It's good but it's far below the laughing fest that is "Les Bronzes font du ski". The dialogues are perfect and the situations are just hilarious. A group of friends who met in a Club Med for single people reunite to go ski together. When they decide to do a helicopter drop at the top of a ski resort things start to go wrong...but it gets real funny for us! I'm French but I hope foreigners will get a chance to watch it since it was a huge success in France along with "Le Pere Noel est une Ordure" (also available on amazon uk)made by the same "Splendid" group.

Follow-up to smash hit "Les Bronzés" with virtually the same cast and director. This time of course the setting is not a tropic Club Med place but a winter-sports resort in the French Alps.

Except for a rather annoying 'seventies' disco-style soundtrack, movie hasn't dated at all. Among the many hilarious highlights there is the local "wine" tasting scene and the encounter in a remote cabin with some horny Italians.

Almost everyone involved went on to become a major star in French cinema, as Christian Clavier ("Les Visiteurs" and recently Napoleon Bonaparte in a prestigious TV-series) and Gerard Jugnot (lead in the 2005 Oscarnominated "Les Choristes"). But also director Patrice Leconte became one of France's most respected directors (Le mari de la Coiffeusse,Ridicule,"Les Grands Ducs", etc...).

If you like this try also the crazy "Le Péré Noel est une Ordure", made a few years later and again with virtually the same cast.

This one is even better than the first "Les Bronzés". The director has traded the Club Med for the French Alps. But the cast, luckily, is the same. There is some hilarious scenes, especially in the second half. One example: the food and drinks at the peasants' house in the mountain. Far from an intellectual movie, it's one that jokes about some French ways of doing thing or seeing life. Not one of Leconte's best, but still good. One thing's for sure though, the soundtrack is passé! Great way to spend a Sunday night at home.

Seen at home, in Toronto, on February 26th, 2006.

76/100 (**½)

This is the first French film I ever saw since moving to France from the UK a year ago, and what can I say, nothing else compares to it! I can certainly see why it has become such a classic over here. I've seen it several times now and it still has me in fits of laughter ever time I watch it. I strongly advise everyone to watch the original version and not to bother with the English soundtrack, as the translation is truly atrocious and a lot of the jokes are missed out.

Set in Val d'Isère in the 70s, a group of friends head for the mountains for a skiing trip, and everything that could possibly go wrong on a skiing holiday DOES go wrong... add to that the unique French sense of humour and loads of witty remarks from the characters throughout, and you have a truly superb film. Highly recommended!