Le boulet

I didn't expect to but I liked the film very much. Granted, buddy films have been done one million times, but rather than try to put a new twist on an old theme, this one simply had fun with it. A cheerfully kooky film, with some really well-executed stunts (loved the "It's TURK, not KURD" shootout and the chase scene--nice to see a Peugeot stand in for an Aston Martin for a change), a wild set of plot twists, snappy dialogue, exotic locations. I genuinely enjoyed the Malian prison warden--very funny especially during the (brief) watch scene. I honestly laughed a lot. It's just a well-done, clever, fresh little buddy flick. Sit back and enjoy it.

I saw this film in Martinique when it opened, and I don't think it's derivative at all. I thought, if anything, it shows that Blockbuster action and comedy are not the property or sole domain of American filmmakers. The film is a a slapstick comedy and is more often than not successful in that regard. It kind of reminded me of It's a Mad, Mad, Mad World in the mad pursuit for a lotto ticket with lots of improbable characters, bizarre situations, and hilarious scenes. In short, watch this film and enjoy -- nice,escapist fun, period. And why would you want to watch this film with bad English dubbing?? Just watch it in French with English subtitles, duh!

This movie is better than one thought. Does anybody remember the great 70ies movies with Louis De Funès ? This one is in the same spirit with goofy comic-like characters and a taste of adventure. It is set in France and in Africa. Everybody is funnily over acting and the movie has one of the dumbest (and funniest) endings in recent movie history. Give it a try !

The movie starts well, fast-paced. With Reggio beeing slightly idiot, and Moltès the hard guy you may get a little Taxi feeling. Then the whole thing turns to a bad comedy as the two became fake black guys, and old James Bond bad guy appears. And the end.... A comedy always ends with happy-end, but they loose all their money (sloooowly, while the cast&crew displayed), and it's over. Gérard Lanvin, Benoît Poelvoorde and José Garcia play well, the rest is forgettable. Matte painting and 3d effects are also on low budget, even a child could spot them.

I recently saw this movie on an airplane. I watched it on a tiny 4inch screen (100mm) and had to read subtitles all the way through. It was a hilarious film. If the creators were trying to make a serious blockbuster film, they missed the mark. But I looked to me like they were out to make a fun film that just got crazy at times. This they did. Even reading subtitles, I laughed out loud several times (not a good idea on a crowded plane, btw). Now it is possible that it was because I was in a confined environment with little or no outside stimulii for 8 hours that I found this piece highly entertaining, but I still have to rate this a 7 or 8 outta 10 for entertainment value. Look for it. (Probably not on a North American screen though...)