IMDb RATING
7.0/10
40K
YOUR RATING
A medieval knight and his servant ask a familiar wizard to move them back in time to prevent father-in-law's accidentally killing. Instead, they fly away to the 20th century.A medieval knight and his servant ask a familiar wizard to move them back in time to prevent father-in-law's accidentally killing. Instead, they fly away to the 20th century.A medieval knight and his servant ask a familiar wizard to move them back in time to prevent father-in-law's accidentally killing. Instead, they fly away to the 20th century.
- Director
- Writers
- Stars
- Awards
- 1 win & 8 nominations total
Arielle Sémenoff
- Jacqueline
- (as Ariel Séménoff)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Featured reviews
The French have a wonderful sense of detail. I've spent 10 months there, and this sixth sense seeps through most things - including films. Their comedies are almost always very good, and if they could just get rid of the need for banana-skin-humor (in this case a bowl of soup on someone's head), they would be hilarious.
This film is the funniest of the lot. The characters are extremely funny, and the clash between the medieval knight and his sidekick and the modern world is just as grotesque as I imagine it would be in real life.
The part where they have dinner together is the best: "Jour...nuit...jour...nuit..." You can't quit laughing.
This film is the funniest of the lot. The characters are extremely funny, and the clash between the medieval knight and his sidekick and the modern world is just as grotesque as I imagine it would be in real life.
The part where they have dinner together is the best: "Jour...nuit...jour...nuit..." You can't quit laughing.
Les Visiteurs is a brilliant film. It makes me want to learn French so that I could enjoy the movie even more! Although the jokes are coarse, they are used correctly, WITHOUT fake laugh tracks in the background. The actors portray the characters so well I could almost believe it! Well, almost believe it. In any case, this film will bring on the giggles and laughter. It is not easily forgotten.
I just finished watching the movie, and it was hilarious. I was laughing outloud at many many points. However, as my title indicated, it was the original french track that made me laugh. As is always the case for biliguals, one cant help but listen to the track and read the subtitles at the same time. Unfortunately, the subtitles do not do justice to the movie.
There are just too many semantic jokes that play off names and locations that could not be translated and make sense. That is why in so many reviews there seems to be a sharp contrast in views of whether or not this was a joke-a-minute movie.
The hollywood remake is awful, in fact,it never really made any sense and and the jokes were far and few in between. This one makes much more sense, and the meeting of people and their descendants makes for many more laughs.
The other factor is the acting and casting. This is just the nature of subtitled movies - one very rarely gets the fantastic acting and language ability of actors when reading the watcher is reading a yellow line, especially in comedy. Those who listen to the movie in its original french thikn the acting was fantastic, the voice casting (something i think is terribly important in acting [say, could Ashton Kutcher play Maximus from Gladiator, no, a high pitched voice could not do it]) is brilliant, but reading a crummy translation (and it was crummy) wont do the film justice.
8/10 for francophiles 6/10 for subtitle readers
There are just too many semantic jokes that play off names and locations that could not be translated and make sense. That is why in so many reviews there seems to be a sharp contrast in views of whether or not this was a joke-a-minute movie.
The hollywood remake is awful, in fact,it never really made any sense and and the jokes were far and few in between. This one makes much more sense, and the meeting of people and their descendants makes for many more laughs.
The other factor is the acting and casting. This is just the nature of subtitled movies - one very rarely gets the fantastic acting and language ability of actors when reading the watcher is reading a yellow line, especially in comedy. Those who listen to the movie in its original french thikn the acting was fantastic, the voice casting (something i think is terribly important in acting [say, could Ashton Kutcher play Maximus from Gladiator, no, a high pitched voice could not do it]) is brilliant, but reading a crummy translation (and it was crummy) wont do the film justice.
8/10 for francophiles 6/10 for subtitle readers
Valerie Lemercier is outstanding in this farce in which the French, unusually, laugh at themselves. Jean Reno is as always a solid presence. But Lemercier is that most unusual of creatures, a female clown of genius. Her voice -A Montpellier accent- her walk and gestures as a BCBG aristocrat caught up in ridiculous adventures are perfect and endlessly funny. Lemercier is a woman of high intelligence and varied talents--always the best type for a clown
Sometime soon we'll agree not to be mad at the French. When that happens, look for "Les Visiteurs" on cable or at the video place. The frantic humor of this time-shifting comedy works well both on the French dialogue track and through the somewhat loose paraphrases of the subtitles. Yes, folks, subtitles and all, this is a good one.
Christian Clavier emerged from the Splendide, a French take on Second City, to seize the film comedy market by the throat. Like Jerry Lewis, he is in need of a straight man. Lewis's moved on to the Ding-a-Ling Sisters. Clavier has granite-faced Jean Reno of "French Kiss" and "Mission Impossible", the man with the permanent dix-sept heures shadow across his jowls. Their interaction is spot-on hilarious.
Oddly, the memorable quote from this film is in (sort of) English. "OK" is acceptable Franglais, the Academie notwithstanding. Clavier's character becomes fascinated with the word, shouting "O-Kayyy"! at the least provocation. Listen to my wife and I converse: we echo old Jacqouille all the time.
Christian Clavier emerged from the Splendide, a French take on Second City, to seize the film comedy market by the throat. Like Jerry Lewis, he is in need of a straight man. Lewis's moved on to the Ding-a-Ling Sisters. Clavier has granite-faced Jean Reno of "French Kiss" and "Mission Impossible", the man with the permanent dix-sept heures shadow across his jowls. Their interaction is spot-on hilarious.
Oddly, the memorable quote from this film is in (sort of) English. "OK" is acceptable Franglais, the Academie notwithstanding. Clavier's character becomes fascinated with the word, shouting "O-Kayyy"! at the least provocation. Listen to my wife and I converse: we echo old Jacqouille all the time.
Did you know
- TriviaMel Brooks was hired to write and record English-language dialogue for the U.S. release. But the version did not test well with audiences, and co-writer/director Jean-Marie Poiré hated it, saying Brooks had turned it from a comedy about a French knight into a parody with French accents so thick it was almost impossible to understand. So Miramax held up U.S. release until the summer of 1996, with standard subtitles. Brooks was paid $500,000 for his efforts, however.
- GoofsWhen Godefroy arrives at Béatrice's, he complains that "there's no longer any hectare of forest". Hectare is a surface area unit that was invented during the French Revolution.
- Quotes
[repeated line]
Jacquouille la Fripouille: OKKKKKKKKKKK!
- Crazy creditsAfter the final credits role, stick around for a "Hello to all you credits-lovers!" accompanied by a waving medieval knight.
- ConnectionsFeatured in CinéMagique (2002)
- SoundtracksSymphonie Ecossaise
(Extraits)
Composed by Felix Mendelssohn (as Félix Mendelsshon)
Performed by The Czech Symphony Orchestra
- How long is The Visitors?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Les visiteurs - Ils ne sont pas nés d'hier
- Filming locations
- Château d'Ermenonville, Ermenonville, Oise, France(Montmirail Castle, modern times)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- FRF 50,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $659,810
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $24,792
- Jul 14, 1996
- Gross worldwide
- $659,810
- Runtime1 hour 47 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
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