The Visitors (1993)

This movie is really very funny. It makes fun of the French aristocracy and does it in a very amusing way. Don't miss it. Jean Reno and his servant both excellent actors in this movie.

For me it took until about half the way through this movie to really get rolling, but it is a lot of fun once you just relax and enjoy the ride. It's not a deep farce, just an enjoyable one. It has a lot of slapstick, but it's not too heavy mostly, although there is a bit of blood and barbarity in the beginning part set in medieval times. (Possibly some of the harsher parts in the beginning aren't suitable for young children--I'm not sure what goes nowadays. By this I mean a graphic beheading and a couple of deaths by crossbow, both played for humor.) The best thing about this movie is that it doesn't sink to the level of a lowest common denominator comedy and retains some intelligence throughout. Overall, just give it time to build momentum and it's a fun time.

I've only seen this in the French with English subtitles so I'm sure it loses something in translation but it's still very funny. Jean Reno is a world renowned actor but many of the other actors in this ensemble cast were not known to me before. Valerie Lemercier was particularly good, as was the vassal Christian Clavier.This is humour along the lines of Blackadder & Baldrick, but with a time travel medieval vs modern day France twist. It does highlight the difficultly someone would have coming from the past into the modern day and like similar films the time travellers don't adjust within five minutes so it's far more convincing. It's just funny and I don't find the subtitles a distraction, and everyone's increasing hysteria makes me smile. First time I saw it, it was definitely laugh out loud humour and each time you see it there's definitely something more to see. Recommend you see the French original before the American version. Jean Reno is an awesome actor and he shines in this with comedic timing and genius; it's not many big star actors with such gravitas that will dress up in medieval undergarments and wooing "best" for a role and carry it off with so much aplomb! Funny, very very funny.

When this was first released, I remember laughing. Then again, I was 9 or 10 at the time.Now, I'm 27 and I understand why my child self (and, indeed, most of the other children) liked in this movie: the smörgåsbord of juvenile humour: from farts to pulling faces, random fish-out-of-water gags that long outlast their welcome (the "jour/nuit" gag, in particular, goes on for a tedious length of time), adults yelling and more farts.The fact that the whole cast was greatly overacting would obviously have escaped me; the contrived plot contented me. But no more. They've shown it again a few days ago, and this time, I could see this movie for what it is: tripe. A mouthful proved too much, I couldn't finish it.If you're nine, you might enjoy this. Otherwise, probably not.