Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
The Saint-Tropez police launch a major offensive against dangerous drivers. Marechal Cruchot (Louis de Funès) relishes the assignment, which he pursues with a manic zeal. Cruchot is after an offending driver, who turns out to be Josépha (Claude Gensac), the widow of a highly regarded police colonel. When they meet, Cruchot falls instantly in love....
A mid-series entry in the beloved French Gendarme franchise, this installment follows the familiar Saint-Tropez formula but adds a domestic romantic twist with Cruchot's courtship and marriage. De Funès is as reliably manic and physically expressive as ever, carrying the film on his comedic energy, and Claude Gensac makes for a charming foil. The plot is lightweight and episodic, stringing together gags around traffic enforcement, romance, and mother-in-law tensions without much narrative ambition. Cinematography is functional location shooting typical of French genre comedies of the era. Novelty is limited — by the third film the franchise formula is well established and this entry recycles many of the same comedic beats, even if the marriage angle provides a slight fresh dimension. The ending ties things up pleasantly enough with the double-wedding resolution.