The full title in French - "Micmacs à tire-larigot" - literally means "non-stop shenanigans".
Jean-Pierre Jeunet has cited Blanche-Neige et les Sept Nains (1937), Toy Story (1995) and the Mission impossible (1966) TV series as influences on his film.
Most of the advertising hoardings in the chase scenes are promoting the movie itself, with visuals that relate to the scene in which the hoarding appears.
Jean-Pierre Jeunet first came up with the idea for the film by visiting a local restaurant where some of the regulars were known arms dealers. Jeunet was intrigued by their "nice-looking faces".