Come si distrugge la reputazione del più grande agente segreto del mondo

There are some cornball aspects to this film, but it also incredibly inspired in many ways. It is best not to read a bunch of summaries of the plot, just watch it and revel in the imagery which is fantastic in many parts. Belmondo is fantastic as is Jacqueline Bisset. If you already found sixties spy/agent films campy, this film will be a wonderful release, but also a haunting pastiche of dark humor on the whole genre. The jokes are layered very thick, not all of them hit, but compared to the campy schtick done in hollywood, this is shakespearean.

The first half of "Le Magnifique" is postmodern tongue-in-cheek genius, a wild, ludicrous and in every department excellent mixture of James Bond spoof, splatter effects, slapstick, intertextual verve and romantic comedy clearly exceeding the ten stars limit, plus a downright irresistible Jacqueline Bisset (and I'm not even into brunettes). The second half, hmm, doesn't really come as a letdown, but sticks more to conventional vaudeville formulas and simply can't live up to the absurd roller-coaster folly already established, a few bitter tones possibly due to Francis Veber, a prolific and superb, but sometimes uneven writer who also worked on the script. The Canal Plus DVD features the French original as well as the English and German dub. As for comic dramas of the 70s, unorthodox and essential viewing.

A funny and amusing satire about secret agents and James Bond especially , packing noisy action , entertainment, and lots of humor with tongue in cheek. In fact , it was one of the best spoofs of the James Bond and Euro-spy films in the Seventies . Here Jean Paul Belmondo is an out-of luck writer called Francois in his 43rd novella as well as a máster spy called Bob Saint Clair , while mixing fantasy and reality when he chases women and solves cases. While Jacqueline Bisset is a cute student and damsel in distress who is saved by Belmondo in Acapulco from the claws nasty Vittorio Caprioli. Philippe de Broca , the director of King of hearts ..the Man from Río...Cartouche , now returns with Belmondo and Bisset in this great action comedy !

A hectic , extravagant and sophisticated action movie with plenty of farce , adventure and hilarious situations . An adventure action movie heavily influenced by the comic books including fantasy , imagination, thrills and a lot of fun . A successful French film that was the highest grossing movie of the year 1973 . The picture benefis itself from the two main actors , the always sympathetic Jean Paul Belmondo and the gorgeous Jacqueline Bisset as the cute neighbour in her total total splendor , along with the attractive villain played by Vittorio Caprioli who appears as his editor and as Colonel Karpoff . And other secondaries giving brief but likeable interpretations as Hans Meyer and Jean Lefebre , the famous Gendarme of Saint Tropez along with Louis De Funes .

The motion picture was lavishly produced by Alexander Mnouchkine and amusingly directed by Philippe De Broca and made in similar style to The Man from Río 1964 starred by Belmondo and Ursula Andress . De Broca directed some nice movies , most of them comedies , action and adventures , such as Cartouche , The King of Hearts , Oldest profession, Le Cavaleur , Jupiter's thigh, The Green House , Louisiana, among others . And his fetish actor was the recently deceased Jean Paul Belmondo , being his best movie this Le Magnifique . Rating :7/10. Better than average . Well worth watching . The picture will appeal to Belmondo and Bisset fans .

This movie is a story about a writer which is maintaining and developing a character, which is a lot in contrary of himself. As a viewer you follow the man when he is writing the book, and you can follow all of his sometimes funny, sometimes exaggerated fantasies by the creation of the story.

It must have been a challenge for the script writer(s) to make this film not too difficult to follow, because it depends on good timing when switching the roles as they are growing during the story.

When you place the movie in its own time, it was one of those real Belmondo's: cleverly written, and full of terrific action, with often surprising acts. A nice movie!

Seriously underappreciated comedy with one of the finest and funniest opening "twists" this filmgoer has ever seen. Belmondo is at his comic and athletic best and Bissett is gorgeous and perfectly cast as a student doing a research paper on pulp-fiction authors (Belmondo). To say much more would spoil the imaginative twists and turns in this film. If you can find it, watch it!

If you like Belmondo in this you might also enjoy "Up to His Ears" (1965)

The CineZonk