Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
After a wizard's spell goes awry, 12th-century Gallic knight Godefroy de Papincourt, Count of Montmirail finds himself transported to 1993, along with his dimwitted servant, Jacquouille la Fripouille. Startled and perplexed by modern technology, the duo run amok, destroying cars and causing chaos until they meet Beatrice de Montmirail, an aristocratic descendant of the nobleman, who may be able to help them get back to 1123.
Les Visiteurs is a hugely popular French comedy that works well as a fish-out-of-water time-travel farce. The premise is fun and executed with considerable energy, though the plot is fairly thin beyond its central gag. The acting, particularly Jean Reno's deadpan knight and Christian Clavier's scheming servant, is committed and funny, but not transcendent. Cinematography is functional and unremarkable for a mid-budget French comedy of its era. The novelty is moderate — the time-travel comedy concept was not new, but the medieval French setting and Gallic humor give it a distinctive regional flavor. The ending resolves the story satisfactorily without being particularly memorable or surprising.