Fantomas minaccia il mondo

Actually they are back. It is not just Fantomas but also Luis De Funes. Who at the beginning of this prematurely celebrates that they haven't heard from Fantomas in a while. Which must mean he is defeated ... doesn't it? Actually more like Mission Impossible, no? And no pun intended of course.

Fantomas is the one who is able to be everyone. With a neat trick when editing, that may not work as smooth as it did back then, he changes form and shape at times ... but hey: suspension of disbelief and all that. He may strike back, but the original remains the better movie. Even if the sequels did a good job too - sorry for the pun and something that cannot be said about the police work here ...

This is more so and now its more of the zaniness, just comparison with the first movie a sight all over the place stuff goin on (the scientist stuff yawn) compared with the first movie's focus but more fun from the main principal characters.

This episode is definitely the more entertaining of the series starring de Funès and Jean Marais. After the rather flat Fantômas (1964) and before a weird #3 where the evil genius becomes a base racketeer who occasionally kills a Lord in a Scottish manor, Fantômas se déchaîne is well packed with action and fun.

OK the directing is pretty lame and you'd better discovering this movie as a child since an over-the-top De Funès with all the James Bond toolkit spoofing can't make up for all the lack of rhythm. On the whole De Funès and Jean Marais are perfect to make the whole thing work throughout that good model of what was and is lacklustre yet popular French cinema.

the tension from the first part becomes support for great humor. Fantomas becomes fascinating and entire story, with influences from the post WW II cinema theme of the kidnapped scientist , with the same commissaire Juve and seductive Helene, with Rome who remains the same great location, with the too realistic rubber masks. a film ideal for a genre of public looking the state of his youth. or for the young public, looking understand the universe of the grandparents. because Fantomas Unleashed remains, first, a great show. and this is the supreme virtue. for the great atmosphere. for the seductive scenes. for the predictable events. for the fine humor. so, a lovely film.

This film came out the same year as the Bond flick 'Thunder-ball,' and can be considered French cinema's answer to the Anglophile 007 craze sweeping Europe and the world back then. The kidnapped scientist plot shows up in many Bond films, of course. But the best gimmick in any Fantomas film is Fantomas' ability to assume other people's identity at will by using high quality rubber face masks. And his own, featureless eerie green rubber mask is rather scary still.

This is a wonderful movie. Very funny, intelligent, and a sophisticated humor. The scene of Inspector Juve with the three arms is just hilarious. Both the series of "The Pink Panther" (Peter Sellers) or Austin Powers probably were inspired by this wonderful movie and the other Fantomas movies in the 3-movie series. It is a must see.