Fantômas se déchaîne

Fantômas se déchaîne

Movie · 1965 · 4 people

André Hunebelle directed Fantômas se déchaîne ("Fantomas Unleashed"), a French-Italian crime comedy from 1965. It is the second film of the Fantômas trilogy based on characters created by Pierre Souvestre and Marcel Allain, coming after Fantômas (1964) and before Fantômas contre Scotland Yard (1967). The trilogy is seen as France's answer to the James Bond phenomenon and doubles as a parody of the old adventure novels and the Bond films. It was extremely successful in Europe and the Soviet Union and also did well in the United States and Japan.

The story pits the master criminal Fantômas against the earnest but outclassed commissaire Juve and the journalist Fandor, who team up to catch him and never quite manage it. Jean Marais plays both Fantômas and Fandor, and also professor Lefebvre; Louis de Funès is Juve and Mylène Demongeot is Hélène. Robert Dalban and Dominique Zardi also appear.

The screenplay is by Jean Halain and Pierre Foucaud, Gaumont stands behind the production and the running time is 94 minutes. Filming ran from August to September 1965, mainly in Paris and Rome. The film opened in France on 8 December 1965 and, in a dubbed version, in the Soviet Union on 14 August 1967.

DirectorAndré Hunebelle
Production companyGaumont Yapımevi

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Through different eyes

Family Viewer Asks whether the whole household can watch it; cares about humour and heart.

This is one to watch with everyone at home. Louis de Funès as Commissaire Juve, always one step behind, makes children and grown-ups laugh alike. There is a villain, Fantômas, but because it's a parody the tone stays mostly light, built to amuse rather than scare. Jean Marais playing more than one role may confuse the little ones a bit, but that's part of the fun. Suitable for almost every age.

Cinephile Looks at script, editing and directing choices; keeps a distance from formula films.

The second film of Hunebelle's trilogy, France's answer to the James Bond craze, sends up both old adventure novels and Bond conventions. The parody works best through Louis de Funès's Juve: the earnest commissaire who always ends up behind sets the film's rhythm almost on his own. Jean Marais switching between Fantômas, Fandor and professor Lefebvre makes for a playful game of identities. But the script's main engine, the criminal who can never be caught, already feels repetitive in a second instalment; events move forward like a string of show numbers, with little dramatic build. The scenes shot in Paris and Rome give it scope, and ninety-four minutes keeps it tidy.

Action & Thriller Fan Puts pace, tension and set pieces first; little patience for slow drama.

A series billed as France's answer to James Bond raises expectations, but here the real weapon is comedy. Juve and Fandor, chasing the master criminal Fantômas, never quite get their man, which turns the pursuit into an endless game. If you want real tension, you may come away unsatisfied. If you want a light, breezy, fun crime caper, it's not a bad pick.

These are not reader reviews: they are short editorial takes written from different viewer perspectives with AI assistance. Reader reviews are below.

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