Les Aventures Extraordinaires d'Adèle Blanc-Sec

RedeemedChild

New member
Stoo said:
If it's any indication, the film is no longer playing at my local cinema. However, it's still screening in a nearby town but I think it's run is almost done. North American summer release? Hard to tell...

Well it is true that this movie probably won't get a North American run.

However, that fact is not all that bad. We're getting a whole new Tomb Raider movie and game as the creators of Tomb Raider try to give the franchise a ray of redemption after the horrible run the series had with Angelina Jolie.

I think the new direction in which they are taking Tomb Raider: Lara Croft will help to make it more appealing and accessible to a new and more diverse audience. Besides, with Disney preparing to churn out two more Prince of Persia movies we're going to have our hands full with this type of archeological/fantasy/historical/ "grab that MacGuffin" entertainment.

Still, I'm sure SyFy Channel will air this Adele Blanc-sec movie at lest by the end of this year or the first of next year.
 

Stoo

Well-known member
RedeemedChild said:
Maybe it's the fact that I'm a young man but I still can't get over how cheesy it is to have a woman as an archeologist who engages in fighting villains and what not.
RedeemedChild said:
We're getting a whole new Tomb Raider movie and game as the creators of Tomb Raider try to give the franchise a ray of redemption
More blithering drivel from "you know who".:sick:
 

Le Saboteur

Active member
Les-Aventures-Extraordinaires-dAd%C3%A8le-Blanc-Sec_-Louise-Bourgoin_wide-hat.bmp1.jpg


Stoo said:
If it's any indication, the film is no longer playing at my local cinema. However, it's still screening in a nearby town but I think it's run is almost done. North American summer release? Hard to tell...

It's been, what, a month now? Seems like a fast in and out of theatres to me! Of course, I haven't actually been to a movie in six months it seems...

English language reviews seem to be next to non-existent, but Variety did write their compulsory review. And like Stoo, they seem to be quite enamored with Mlle Bourgoin.

Variety said:
...what frankly saves pic from its convoluted plot and boilerplate villains is Adele herself, thanks in no small part to the all-consuming performance of Bourgoin (who made a noteworthy debut in Anne Fontaine's 2006 The Girl from Monaco). Delivering lines with screwball timing, while sporting an assortment of disguises like a sexed-up Lon Chaney, she dominates practically every scene and makes us regret the ones without her.

Fantagraphics will debut their brand-new English language translation of The Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc-sec at Comic-Con in San Diego, and maybe they'll have mot officiale of a North American release then! Until then, Amazon is indicating that the series will be available starting in September!

I'll leave you with a final bit from Variety's review.

Variety said:
Take Indiana Jones and replace him with a knockout redhead, a slew of CGI and a somewhat bloated storyline, and you'll get an inkling of what lies behind Luc Besson's costumer/creature feature, The Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec....most notable for newcomer Louise Bourgoin's captivating perf as a fearless, wisecracking heroine who ? this being France ? drinks, smokes and plays in the buff.

adele10.jpg


You can find a few more excerpts from Adele & the Beast over here.
 

Le Saboteur

Active member
Since Stoo pointed out the existence of this thread to me, I thought I'd briefly resurrect this one.

Stoo said:
If it's any indication, the film is no longer playing at my local cinema.

Yes, it does appear to have been an "indication". Apparently it bombed so bad that it'll most definitely never see the light of day Stateside in any form other than video. No word as far as I can tell on a release date, but it is currently available on video in France.

Hopefully those of you that were interested have region free DVD players. We can send Stoo out to the store then!

The good news, however, is that Fantagraphics has finally released the first two books in the series together in a single volume! Two more will be available in 2011, but Pterror Over Paris / The Eiffel Tower Demon is currently available through Amazon for those interested.

And your local comic shop too. Go there first.

Fantagraphics also has an extensive 12-page preview available here. Direct .pdf link here.
 

Lance Quazar

Well-known member
Finally managed to see this movie on DVD!

I'm glad I had heard a few negative things here and there before seeing it, which helped modulate my expectations. This is not a great film.

But I'm glad I saw it.

It is sumptuously produced with a delightful performance by Louise Bourgoin. Yeah, she's gorgeous and yeah, we get a nice couple of glimpses at her lovely physique during the much-discussed bathtub scene.

The movie is: broad, silly, cartoonish, entertaining, sporadically funny, dull in spots, fitfully charming, overlong and almost incapable of generating any real suspense given its lighter than air tone.

The 10-15 minute Egyptian sequence is straight out of Indy, but the rest of the film takes place in Paris. A Belloq-esque villain is present for the Egyptian sequence, but sadly absent from the rest of the film. But the movie I was most reminded of was "Dick Tracy" - another gorgeous-looking but bloodless effort populated by highly stylized, straight-out-of-the-comics supporting characters.

Alas, there is very little sense of urgency to the bulk of the film. The stakes, while personal to our heroine, are low and Besson lets the pacing sag and the tension dissipate.

The result is a cute, but ephemeral little trifle. Pretty to look at in every respect with some cheerfully loopy plot twists. But not one for the ages.
 
Lance Quazar said:
Finally managed to see this movie on DVD!

I'm glad I had heard a few negative things here and there before seeing it, which helped modulate my expectations. This is not a great film.

But I'm glad I saw it.

It is sumptuously produced with a delightful performance by Louise Bourgoin. Yeah, she's gorgeous and yeah, we get a nice couple of glimpses at her lovely physique during the much-discussed bathtub scene.

The movie is: broad, silly, cartoonish, entertaining, sporadically funny, dull in spots, fitfully charming, overlong and almost incapable of generating any real suspense given its lighter than air tone.

The 10-15 minute Egyptian sequence is straight out of Indy, but the rest of the film takes place in Paris. A Belloq-esque villain is present for the Egyptian sequence, but sadly absent from the rest of the film. But the movie I was most reminded of was "Dick Tracy" - another gorgeous-looking but bloodless effort populated by highly stylized, straight-out-of-the-comics supporting characters.

Alas, there is very little sense of urgency to the bulk of the film. The stakes, while personal to our heroine, are low and Besson lets the pacing sag and the tension dissipate.

The result is a cute, but ephemeral little trifle. Pretty to look at in every respect with some cheerfully loopy plot twists. But not one for the ages.
Nice review, without spoiling anything.:hat:

So it's an unencumbered KotCS?

Where did you obtain your copy? Region?
 

Lance Quazar

Well-known member
Rocket Surgeon said:
Nice review, without spoiling anything.:hat:

So it's an unencumbered KotCS?

I enjoyed it vastly more than KotCS!

Where did you obtain your copy? Region?

I was able to unearth a copy during a treacherous journey into the heart of darkest South America.

You know, traveling up the Amazon.
 

Stoo

Well-known member
Lance Quazar said:
Finally managed to see this movie on DVD!
GREAT review, Lance, and I agree with every shred!:hat: Exquisite production but severely lacking in other areas.:( Although it's good to know that you didn't find it a complete waste of time.
Lance Quazar said:
It is sumptuously produced with a delightful performance by Louise Bourgoin. Yeah, she's gorgeous and yeah, we get a nice couple of glimpses at her lovely physique during the much-discussed bathtub scene.
Looking back, it's quite amusing how much the bathtub scene was discussed before anyone even saw the film! (Louise is a cutie-pie, let there be no doubt about that.)

My big question is: Was your DVD dubbed or subtitled?

@Le Saboteur: Have you managed to see it yet?
 

Lance Quazar

Well-known member
Stoo said:
My big question is: Was your DVD dubbed or subtitled?

Both options are available. However, the DVD was being quite finnicky (not sure if it was the disc or my player), and automatically started playing the dubbed version. Though I vastly prefer "Version Originale", as the French say, I didn't want to try to fix it for fear the movie wouldn't start playing again.
 

adventure_al

New member
Its billed as 'the extraordinary adventures...' in the uk. and Adele: Rise of the mummy elsewhere. How was I to know?

Also for what its worth I really like Luc Besson but I think this looks terrible. Primarily because I can't stand french humour. Looks too 'kiddy' for me. Night at the museum anyone?

I personally have no real desire to see this. Thought it might have slipped a few by on here but hey ho, there ya go.
 
Do you want to see it?

http://megaupload.com/?d=A5BJ8PEM


... essayez seulement de réaliser la vérité. Il n'y a aucune cuillère. Alors vous verrez, que ce n'est pas la cuillère qui plier, c'est seulement vous-même.
 
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