Review:
Wacky ridiculousness abounds in this film, which is an adaptation of Jacques Tardi’s comic adventure series. Yes, The Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec is essentially the French version of the Mummy, but it has a broader comedic tone – this movie is pure farce.
Overall, Adele Blanc-Sec was just a bit too much for me. Stylistically, the film is a big believer in telling, not showing – basically the whole movie is told in exposition, with the actors breaking the third wall to declaim what’s going on. It’s an old fashioned theater-style affectation, and honestly I thought it was overdone. The telling overpowers the acting, which forces the characters into caricatures, making it hard for us to care about them. I’m not sure if it was Luc Besson’s artistic choice, or an affectation that came from the comics themselves, but whatever the reason, it gave the movie a stilted quality that its various action sequences couldn’t quite overcome. Still, the action sequences are plenty of silly fun, with more than one wink at Indiana Jones, and it’s hard not to chuckle as the actors ham it up with such verve. From over-sized mustaches to ridiculous disguises, from a bald telepath to a living mummy, Adele Blanc-Sec is just a fiesta of French slapstick and wacky weirdness, Victorian style. I groaned more than a few times, and shook my head more times than that, but if you’re in the mood for utter silliness, this movie certainly fits the bill. Also it must be said, the Scotty dog is unbelievably cute.
Maybe it’s just that I would have liked an action/adventure with some comedy, and this movie is a comedy with some action/adventure sprinkled on top, but whatever the reason, this movie didn’t work for me. Still, I would kind of love to see an American remake – an intreped female reporter having Indiana Jones style adventures is definitely a movie I’d like to see, but unfortunately Adele Blanc-Sec just isn’t that movie.
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