This evening, TFX is broadcasting “Les Visiteurs: La Révolution”, the third opus of the famous French comedy saga carried by Jean Reno and Christian Clavier. If the film promised to revive the magic of the first parts, it is often cited as the perfect example of the sequel too many. Back to this missed meeting.
Visitors: The Revolution did not take place
Released in 2016, The Visitors: The Revolution arrives 18 years after the second opus, The Corridors of Time. This long delay had awakened as much curiosity as skepticismespecially in a context where many franchises try to capitalize on nostalgia.
This time, the plot transports Godefroy de Montmirail (Jean Reno) and Jacquouille la Fripouille (Christian Clavier) in the middle of the French Revolution, a period marked by the Terror and the fall of the monarchy. The idea of confronting medieval characters in a time so fraught with historical issues seemed rich in comic potential.
Unfortunately, the film failed to exploit this concept satisfactorily. The screenplay, written by Christian Clavier and Jean-Marie Poiré (also director), uses many elements already seen in the first two parts.
The recycled gags and the lack of originality were strongly criticized by spectators and the press. Furthermore, the story is scattered with the introduction of new characters like those performed by Karin Viard or Franck Dubosc, which do not bring the hoped-for freshness. The main duo, once irresistible, is struggling to regain the dynamic that made them successful.
A box office failure
Upon its release in April 2016, The Visitors: The Revolution suffered particularly severe criticism. Spectators who had grown up with the first two films were often disappointed by humor considered dated and a plot without relief. On AlloCiné, the film obtains an average of 1.5/5 from more than 1,200 spectator reviews, a score well below expectations for such an emblematic saga.
Box office-wise, the film didn't shine either. Despite a good start with 1.15 million admissions during its first week in theaters, the feature film only ended its run with 2.2 million spectators in France (for a budget of 25 million euros). A result which seems honorable, but which remains very far from the impressive figures of the first two opuses: Visitors 2 had attracted more than 8 million spectators in 1998, and the first part had peaked at nearly 14 million admissions in 1993.
France
