Les bronzés

I can't remember how many times I watched this movie, at least a dozen times and it never gets old. The second French Fried Vacation (what a stupid translation in English) is even better. In Les Bronzés the crew of Le Splendid (consisting of the major part of the lead actors) brought their acting talents to the screen instead of the scene. They know each other very good and that shows on screen. Each character is funny in its way, from the guy that wants to but never gets late (played by Michel Blanc), my favourite, to the fighting married couple (played by Gerard Jugnot and Josiane Balasko), to the macho of the gang (played by Thierry Lhermitte), and of course Christian Clavier with his legendary Speedo showing pubes. All amazingly popular French actors, that became very successful over the years with some very funny comedies. I can't believe this movie is already 45 years old, it certainly aged very well. If you never watched it I recommend you do, and if possible watch the second one as well (Les Bronzés font du Ski) as that one is even better.

A comedy centered on one week's group of tourists and the staff at a French holiday resort in Africa. Includes plenty of hijinks and sleeping around, but basically fluff.

Very little is seen of the Africans, props in the movie as in the holiday camp.

Most of the reviews have already explained much of the plot, story, etc... so I'll take this in another direction: what its really all about.

While "Les Bronzés" is a comedy, much of it is based on real-life situations that actually happen and what goes on in these vacation villages. I know because not only did I grow up in France and understand their psyche, but I worked for the company parodied for a while.

From the attitude of the GOs, to the naiveté of the GMs, the goofy activities in the village to the sleeping arrangements - the nightly banquets to the evening shows - pretty much everything is portrayed spot on. And *that's* what makes the movie really funny. This movie is a classic in France.

Some of the humor will be lost in translation, however, the subtitles are pretty close to conveying the jist of humor when they cannot be accurately translated. It's a must see for any francophile looking for a good laugh. And if you liked this one, Thierry Lhermite is also in "Le Diner des Cons", which was just remade in Hollyweird as "The Dinner Game".

Great and wonderful movie. A cult movie for me, my friends, my family.. and all French speaking person I know. It is a must, but in its original French version... otherwise, better pass as it's all in the language and the twisted French culture. I Love it !! The acting is great, the script delicious and the jokes hilarious. The comedy is a little basic but so French that each French national may recognize themselves, or their neighbors. The sequel called "Les Bronzes font du ski" is even better but the initial one remain a must see of the French humor at least for the generation of the 80's. I personally watch it once a year with my wife.

This movie is one of the most important comedy in France. Almost everybody in France know one or several sentences of it. If you want to make some joke with a French guy, you could try to learn some of the principal sentences of the movie and you could be sure that he will laugh. The movie is adapted from the stage, and the play was very succesful for many months. So, every shot have been studied to be hilarious. There are not at all any breaks. Of course, if you could understand French, I will advise you to see the French Version because the jokes could be not as good in English. In conclusion, I would also advise you to see the second movie from the same team: "Les Bronzes Font du Ski" which is at least as excellent as the first.