The Heir Apparent: Largo Winch (2008)

Sorry, Largo Winch fans, but this is no 10 movie. I will tell you why.The basic idea about this movie is sound, the Largo Winch comic is pretty good, violent enough (by far) for making an action movie of and has a unique theme, the secret stepson pulled into the world of economy against his will.I actually like the mix of English and french. It just adds flavor.Many scenes are visually good. Much nice scenery.But there are a whole bunch of things that are questionable, and a few that are downright bad.I don't really mind that the hero doesn't look like Largo Winch, but it seems strange that they have replaced the hero with someone who looks very much like his sidekick (Simon), who is missing in the movie.I like the comic, and I have seen much worse movie adaptations of comics as well as books. (Judge Dredd, Modesty Blaise.) It seems to me that too many "adaptations" are really made by someone who wanted to make a totally different movie. Judge Dredd was made by someone who wanted to do The Godfather, Modesty Blaise was made by someone who wanted to to Hair. And, ironically, I Robot was made by someone who wanted to to Judge Dredd!Largo Winch is a mixed bag in this respect. Much of the Winch concept is used (good!), but they also mixed in a whole lot of another story, and that story is Full Throttle! Yes, the video game with Mark Hamill as the villain! That story is also about a company takeover, and unlike the original Winch, Full Throttle has the same basic plot as this movie, and more.Much of the movie follows the plot in album 1-4, but somewhere along the line the plot switches into another one. Several characters are added to build a whole new plot, and the ending is a straight ripoff from Full Throttle. Actually, too much of the story is just that, a Full Throttle ripoff (a story that was also about taking over a company from the inside). Did we really need that, when the original plot was not a ripoff? Big minus!Many interesting and central characters are dropped and forgotten. Where are Simon Ovronnaz, Cochrane, Sullivan, Fenimore, Cotton... Only a few characters are kept, Hannah and her husband and Pennywinkle, and instead a whole bunch of new characters are added. Although the concept is not totally ruined (a few of the new characters can be identified as direct replacements to the old ones), too much of the foundations are removed and replaced by something else, which is not better.Then we have the script and tempo. In many cases, the suspense is lacking, the tempo and scripting is bad. This is where Largo Winch makes itself comparable to newer Bond movies. On several occasions, it makes the "jump up suddenly and say boo" stunt, which is all too common in the new Bond movies. This is not good, it is a sign of amateurish scripting. We have known for years that only poor horror movies work on scaring the audience in such a way. NEVER do that! Instead of the "boo" stunt you should let the viewer know that something is coming, and build suspense. Hitchcock knew this, but all too many new movie makers don't. Largo Winch makes it almost right in the beginning, but later it goes totally off here. The first case is the killing of a guy during the board meeting. A few seconds of warning (music, see an unknown assassin picking up a gun...) would guide us, help us see that something nasty is coming so we get time to prepare. But the movie makers were not professional enough to know that, but make this cheap mistake several times! Wham! Boo! I scared you!The movie is better than the newer Bond movies, but rather because the new Bond movies are utter garbage very much based on trying to drop its own concept and replacing it with a committee construction, while this at least has some positive merits, especially its own concept which is mostly follows. But it could have been a lot better.I have looked, briefly, into the TV series, and it looks superior in so many ways. Better casting, all those central characters are retained.Summary:+ Uses the basic theme and background of Largo Winch fairly well. (Hence, quite a bit of action.)+ Mixes in a lot of french. I like that, this is a french movie.+ Many scenes are visually good.Poor suspense, good opportunities wasted on "boo!" scenes.Under-uses the character gallery of the original.Casting is unimpressive.Obvious Full Throttle ripoff in plot and ending!

Some titles, such as the one for this film, can be baffling. Not having any idea this production was based on a successful comic book that has been quite popular in France, we had no inkling what to expect, but the prospect of watching Miki Manojlovic and Kristin Scott-Thomas in the same picture was a deciding factor. As far as how authentic the adaptation is, unfortunately, not having read the source material, it would be one's own guess.The film is full of action. It takes the viewer to a lot of places, covering a lot of territory. The selection of Hong Kong as the place where the action takes place proves to be an exciting destination, especially the last sequence where Largo, the hero of the story has a sort of show down with the man commissioned to kill him.Directed by Jerome Salle, who also contributed to the screenplay with Julien Rappeaneau, works well as a thriller that takes the viewer to a number of interesting locations. The film is helped by the brilliant cinematography of Denis Rouden and the music score by none other than Alexander Desplat, a busy man working in movies today.In finding Tomer Sisley for the title role, Mr. Salle found a young actor that is pleasant enough to involve the audience. The wonderful Miki Manojlovic plays the self made billionaire that adopted Largo to be the heir to the empire he built. Kristin Scott-Thomas shows why she is one of the best actresses working today. The multi-national cast speaks in different accents and languages. The picture will not disappoint lovers of the genre.

Couldn't meet my expectations Largo Winch, a European comic book superhero had caught my attention through its release notes on the movie magazines and its online teasers. I haven't made any research before watching it to keep my curiosity, but when I watched it there was this big slice of the cake was missing: No plot.The whole movie leans its back against action scenes which are very well worth seeing, at some moments breathtaking and visually drastic. Whereas, there are issues at the technical aspects where cinematography and camera movements lack of quality and proper arraignment. Over the first half of the movie, at the fight scenes and fast paced sequences the camera work was so embarrassing and bothered me a lot. It should have been set up at a better angle. At some of those scenes where the camera movements, location and the angle views are very disturbing that obviously the screen view was like up and down and shaking second by second.There is one incident happening at the start, that the industry tycoon a Hong-Kong celebrity Mr.Winch was getting killed right at the opening; even while the credits are still showing up. And then there is none... There is one: The son of this industry tycoon who lives separately from his father. Named Largo, never uses his last name in his social occasions, comes to the spot. His action scenes are as rich as a James Bond sequel, the rest is a little Batman-like drama. Whatever means Bruce Wayne for Gotham City is equal in Largo Winch for Hong-Kong. After he takes his deceased father's legacy under his name, he doesn't admit anyone working for him. He takes advises and keeps 8 different financial advisers(one of them are Kristin Scott Thomas) around a round table at his office in a skyscraper, where he goes to his meetings via his personal helicopter and pilot.Despite all those bubble and guise, money can't buy his freedom; he doesn't admit his fame either. Always knowing what he wants, always taking his own course; he always wins his battles at last. Typically obeying and following all certain rules and clichés of superheros "Largo Winch" never brings out no genuine material: * He is always right, he never knows nothing wrong. He always makes the right choices; even the choice he made doesn't seem right at first, he finds a new door and gets a second opportunity. * He can go to date and go to bed with any woman in the world, no woman ever can reject him. * His wounds heal very quickly -in just a few seconds, or at least until the next scene-; he never becomes permanently incapacitated nor will he ever die. * He can drive just about any type of vehicle of transportation; he can use every type of tools, machinery and even newly built technological devices; he is very handy and dexterous and is able to fix every mechanic problem. * Either silly or wrong, either rude or slang no matter what he says, no matter what word he spreads out he is always right and has the right of the last saying. No one can ever challenge him to be able to say the last word after him. What have I expected for! What superheroes are for?

Forget Neo and Bourne and all those half-baked made up modern heroes. They only look 12 year-oldish to please the wide audience of geeks that want to be their heroes. Since they cannot be Rambo or McClane or even Indiana Jones, Hollywood allowed a bunch of fakes that have no beard and yet fulfill teenagers wishes to see something that looks very much like an action flick.However, their " action set-pieces " are just painful to watch and any girl may challenge their masculinity without question. This explains the recrudescence of oldies on our silver screens over the past few years. For better ( Rocky, Rambo ) or worse ( Die Hard 4 - where John McClane, brace yourselves.... had no beard !! )I say it is high-time a new hero walked up and put their reign to an end. This " Largo Winch " movie is far from perfect, and perhaps too predictable at times, but at least Tomer Sisley delivered a very promising performance as an action-hero. And the only one time where he was weakened is when Mélanie Thierry shaved his beard ! I rest my case.I didn't know it when I entered the theater room, but this might be the movie I've been waiting for a decade. For the first time in France since Belmondo, can a movie be both well- crafted and rooted in B-genre without blushing over its performance. In the meantime all we had to chew on was either a gigantic pile of dung or something too restricted to reach a wider audience... In other words it was " Le Pacte des Loups " or " Dobermann " ( I like Dobermann, mind you )... I believe " Largo Winch " has what it takes to be both popular and quality film-making.I exited the theater room very pleased, and hungry for more.