User reviews

Many of the comments here are the usual gripes about remakes. Well, I've never seen "Les Visiteurs" so I'm just looking at this film on its own, and I must say that I was greatly entertained.

Of course, it's a lightweight plot, but Reno and Clavier sink their teeth into the time-travel jokes and manage to be endearing as well as thoroughly crazy. (Especially Clavier, whose scenes among the rich folks reminded me a lot of the Three Stooges' many dinners with the snobs.) Christina Applegate is sincere and appealing, her boyfriend and his bimbo are appalling, and the Chicago scenery is GREAT! (I have to admit my prejudice in that regard, having lived there for many years.) Considering that the remake was done by the men who made the original film, what's the problem? Think of what it would have been like if it starred Adam Sandler and David Spade, for instance. Zut alors!

Whenever a foreign film is good enough for the american film industry to want to copy it they usually botch the job by trying to americanize it. If you have ever seen the original, "Les Visiteurs" then you probably know what I am talking about. This american version would have done well to stick to the original story. It's unfortunate that the the writer (also the original's director) tried to "fix" something that wasn't broke.

Just Visiting is an American remake (starring the same two main characters) of the excellent French "Les Visiteurs" from 1993. The remake is of course not on par with the original, which is a perfect comedy. The U.S. version is much duller, and marred by several things, such as Jean Reno being too old to successfully reprise his role, and many jokes simply not being very funny.

It gains, however, on two important counts. First, Malcolm McDowell's wizard, who has a much larger and more interesting part in this movie than the original wizard did in the first movie. Second, Christina Applegate's character. She is surprisingly good, and a delight to watch. She's never been a terrible actress, but here she's extraordinary. She plays a kind of good-hearted, intelligent and yet naive character that, to my knowledge, is quite different from the other characters she's played. Where she's often been an air-head bimbo, here she's genuinely appealing; even endearing.

It still does detract from the movie that, to a great degree, it merely goes through the motions of the original movie, trying to mimic the jokes and japes, and very often failing miserably. Still and all, it's worth watching and is better than it might have been.

I rate this one 7 out of 10. You should see the original, though, which is far more inspired and also gives a great impression of spontaneity. I rate the original version 10 out of 10. It's that good.

Don't expected moral questions to be answered in this movie, it is an funny entertaining movie, the scenery and the special effects are very good....... This is an entertaining movie, so just turn off that brain and enjoy your self...

In 1993, "The Visitors", one of the biggest commercial successes in French cinema's history, boosted the then-declining power of popular comedy for the decades to come. Indeed, each recent French comedy owes a little to Jean-Marie Poiré's titular visitors from the Medieval Ages, the knight Godefroy le Hardi (the brave) and his obedient vassal, Jacquouille la Fripouille (the 'Laurel' of this 'Hardi', so to speak) who are accidentally transported to the 90's, discovering there horseless carriages, stinky air, tasteless food and such trivialities as toilet bowls, Chanel perfume and… human rights.

The film deserves every Franc it earned as it was funny in every possible meaning of the word, warm, intelligent, and carried by terrific performances from Jean Reno as Godefroy to Christian Clavier as Jacquouille (he would also play his sophisticated descendant, a pedant and precious go-getter named Jacquard) and Valérie Lemercier as both Godefroy's fiancé and his descendant Béatrice. The medieval settings were breathtakingly rendered, the special effects excellent for the time, and the story was a school-case of comedic writing, with the perfect happy (but-not- for-everyone) ending.

The least thing needed was a sequel, so it was done, 5 years later. Although a commercial success, the film was panned by the critics (and also the public) for its mediocre attempt to copy a formula without any real good story to tell. The film didn't fool anyone and was seen for what it was: a noisy, over-the-top excuse to use CGI, you know this syndrome that struck movies from the late 90's and early 2000's. In the first opus, the two medieval protagonists fought a postal car (driven by a Black man, immediately labeled as a Saracen, one of the film's best gags), they felt sick in a car, they drop and broke plates after being startled by a phone ring (causing the furor of their host), washed their faces with toilet water and emptied an entire bottle of 'inevitable' Chanel n°5 in the bathtub. As basic as they seemed, these gags worked.

"The Visitors 2" had no story, no Lemercier, but it had special effects and big budgets, but who can possibly tell that a hysterical Jacquouille, exploding a TV or making a fire hose gushing like a geyser can make people laugh. And by overusing it, they even ruined one of the film's best, running-gags: the jump-transformation sequence, Godefroy turning into ice, and Jacquouille into excrement. That sequel was so awful that when I learned that the first film was remade for an American audience in 2001, my initial reaction was "Can't they live that movie alone?" The original didn't even work in the US, and now, they take the same actors. In fact, not only the film does justice to the original, but the casting of Reno and Clavier is the masterstroke.

The plot is basically the same, except that Lemercier's role is played by Christina Applegate as Princess Rosalind, and her modern alter-ego is Julia Melfete,. Reno and Clavier's names are changed to Thibaut de Malfete and André le Paté (not the cleverest choice but anyway). And I was pleasantly surprised by how convincingly engaged they were in their performance, despite the comical material. I even preferred Reno's hairstyle as he looked almost younger than the original Godefroy. And Clavier didn't sin by overplaying Jacquouille, one of his most recurrent post-"Visitors" criticisms.

There are other minor changes from the first film, in the original, Godefroy accidentally kills his soon-not-to-be-anymore father-in-law, taking him for a bear after being poisoned by a witch, he then looks at his fiancée who just witnessed her father's death and see with innocent eyes: I saw a big beast", there's a rather hilarious punch line to quite a dark scene. In the remake, Thibaut drinks poisoned wine making him hallucinating, he sees everyone he sees as monsters and then kills the most 'hideous beast', Rosalind. It's a rather creepy set-up, served by disturbing CGI effects, but thankfully, it doesn't last very long and as soon as the Wizard takes them to the future, the film takes off. And speaking of the wizard, it took me almost to the last part of the film to realize it was Malcolm MacDowell.

"Just Visiting" revisits the previous film and even improves it by creating a bigger and contrast between the Medieval age and a city like Chicago. There's a dizzying moment where the two heroes can't turn their heard to a direction without being frightened by monster-like vehicles and technology. While in the original movie, apart from the cars, the landscape was rather welcoming, and the film didn't even feature an elevator or big buildings, it was more restrained, which was good. "Just Visiting" is spectacular and it's as good, too. And while it doesn't have Lemercier, Applegate is delightfully sensitive and endearing, Matt Ross was a good as the cunning and hypocrite husband that gets his comeuppance at the end and the Tara Reid (who screams early 2000's whatever happened to her) formed a cute pair with André, showing him that some advantage of modern life don't necessarily consist on food, objects and technological stuff;

Of course, the film is also 'modern' by its guilty use of Political Correctness, so no 'Saracen' to meet them (a lie like "a Moor!" was a wasted opportunity) but the film redeemed itself by bringing some new gags, my favorite being André frenetically banging the car window to get out, as if he was trapped. "Just Visiting", like "The Birdcage" is one of these rare occurrences of a French comedy remade with proper respect to the original material and wise tactical changes. And from the way it's both funny, touching and a little-over-the-top, it's exactly the kind of film, "The Visitors 2" wanted (but failed to be) And a few months after the release of "The Visitors 3", I guess, if it's half as funny as this one, I'll be satisfied.

I had very low expectations of this movie - time travel is an overworked theme and I did wonder about Reno (who I will forever associate with Leon) leading in a comedy film. However, there are a few good moments although a little more imagination (and a bigger budget)would have improved things.The plot also goes nowhere for such along time that the reliance on standard 'situation'comedy dries up quickly. Video or DVD for a cold rainy night when you've nothig better to do and you have a mixed age audience viewing.

This is certainly a different vehicle for Jean Reno, one of my favorites. He plays a 12th Century Knight that is thrust into the 21st Century due to a goof by his Wizard (Malcolm McDowell). He runs into a descendant, 30 generations removed, in the form of Christina Applegate, who just happens to be the spitting image of his wife.

You have your basic time-travel story 12th Century in 21st Century and the usual gaffs and laughs that are to be expected. Tara Reid played an interesting part as the gardener next door that convinces Reno's servant to stay.

Brigette Wilson (I Know What You Did Last Summer, House on Haunted Hill) also struts her stuff for our viewing pleasure.

Not a great film, but I do enjoy Jean Reno, and I like time-travel movies, so it was worth 88 minutes of my life.

Cheap humor, meaningless plot, shallow one-dimensional characters: all things one cheap classical american comedy needs to have. Needless to say, Hollywood managed to ruin yet another foreign classic.

Have I always held the French in the highest regards, well if you're talking about Truffaut sure. But not the highest (Italiano first). Still, this movie about 2 guys from France in the 12th century who get sent to the year 2000 is funny at times (funny enough to conjure the grade here anyway), even if it's a little too silly as well. Anyway, hurray for Malcolm McDowell! Based on a film with the same writers, directors, producers and stars from 1993 in France called The Visitors (I think this one is probably the better one). B

I can't believe they've made a sequel that has nothing, and i mean, NOTHING to do with the second Les Visiteurs.Nothing is funny in this movie as long as you've seen the other two.All the fun is spoiled by copying the same "funny parts" from the first movies but not paying any attention to the details that actually made the first films believable. As in what concerns the acting...i could have played better.No offense but i just can't agree with the casting.While Reno and Clavier are at their best, the other actors seemed nothing but artificial to me. If you'd like to see a movie that will catch your attention and make you want to see it again, then choose the first two parts of Les Visiteurs.I wouldn't recommend this sequel to anyone...at all.

This movie doesn't get enough credit. I found it in a DVD bargain bin after never even hearing about it on cinema, which is a great pity. Jean Reno is in a different role for a change, and he excels - his comic timing is perfect, and together with Applegate and the dumb slave, you are left wishing you could see more of them. You also develop a real hate for Applegate's boyfriend. I laughed solidly the entire way through at the way the characters battled to fit in with modern living standards. Everything from the concept to the jokes, even the graphics, is done really well, and I would highly recommend this to fans of sci-fi comedies or even romantics. 8/10

If the notion of a 12th century French knight and his valet appearing in the 21st century and being astonished by everything from the "day/night wall switches" to "iron chariots", then you'll probably enjoy "Just Visiting". A well crafted little comedy with just a whiff of romance and a ridiculous premise/plot full of slap-stickey nonsense, this redux of "Les Visiteurs" features Reno as a charming and gallant Knight who is oft upstaged by his bungling but dauntless man-servant (Clavier). A worthwhile diversion for those into slappy, silly no-brainer comedy.

I saw this movie on a free preview weekend of some premium channel What a mistake. Well Im thankful I didn't waste a few dollars renting it. The ending sucked. If you want to see this see the French film Les Visiteurs as least that movie was funnier and made a lot more sense.

All the warning signs were there. Jean Reno already made a perfectly good version of this film in 1993. Unfortunately, Americans do not like subtitles or films set outside their own country, so Just Visiting was conceived, chiefly with the aim of milking a few more dollars from the original idea.

Unfortunately, the humour is not as good, the acting of the US supporting cast is not as good, and the plot makes far less sense than the original. Why would he be transported to Chicago? What are the odds his descendant lives in Chicago? The original was much more plausible - it was set in the same geographical area, so meeting one's descendants is not so ridiculous, and it created plenty of humour based on Sir Godefroy's shock to learn that his castle was now owned by the descendant of his moronic lackey, whereas his descendant lived in a modest 3 bedroom house.

For goodness sake, save your ticket money and get the original French version "Les Visiteurs" on video. It is a far better film.

"Just Visiting" may seem like a familiar fish-out-of-water comedy. It sure didn't look like much in the previews. That's why I found it surprisingly delightful. I laughed a good deal, and often kept a smile on my face. There are certain moments where they push the fish-out-of-water gags too far (drinking out the toilet? that was too much!) and brief moments of crude humor that we could've done without. But we are stuck in the eye of this tornado of gross-out comedies, and believe me this is nothing! I think you'll find it surprisingly tame, and you can even watch it with the whole family.

Watching the great Jean Reno is worth the admission alone. He turns in another fine performance. Of course, I wasn't too thrilled (like always) about the little subplot involving Christina Applegate's nice, naive character engaged to this stuck-up, unlikable airhead (Matt Ross). But I'm going to let that slide, since it was damn funny watching his stuck-up character get humiliated in some of the gags. Then again, this is a magical fantasy where it's important to suspend disbelief. I also have to note Tara Reid, who annoyed the hell out of me as the stereotypical blonde airhead in "Josie and the Pussycats." She's very likable in this movie, and she surely made up for that poor career move. Tara's a beautiful, charming actress with a one-in-a-million smile. I would hope to see her in more likable roles like this. And Carson, you're a lucky man!

"Just Visiting" is just a good ol' time at the movies. Fun, lightweight entertainment that will keep you smiling. I can't see why it bombed. But you can now catch it on video and DVD, and I highly suggest you check it out.

My score: 7 (out of 10)

If you like really stupid humor, and I do, this will give you some chuckles. Overall throughout movie I was asking myself who greenlit this movie though. It is incredibly stupid and a contender with even Battlefield Earth for stupidity. 2nd half of movie the laughs dry up and it is incredibly dull.

Still Very Entertaining After More Than Twenty Years In the Twelfth Century, the Count Thibault Malefète (Jean Reno) travels with his family from France to England to marry his beloved Princess Rosalind (Christina Applegate), the daughter of the King of England. His rival and enemy Earl of Warwick (Robert Glenister) hires a witch to prepare a magic potion to Rosalind to give up marrying Thibault. During the wedding feast, Thibault drinks Rosalind's wine spiked with the potion and has hallucinations. He kills Rosalind believing she is a monster and is arrested in the castle. Thibault asks his servant, André Le Paté (Christian Clavier), to bring a wizard (Malcolm McDowell) to send him back in time before killing his bride. However, the wizard forgets an ingredient in the potion and sends Thibault and André to the future, to the Twenty-First Century. They arrive at a museum in Chicago and creates a havoc, being arrested by the police. But the museum employee Julia Malefète (Christina Applegate) believes he is her French cousin, who drowned while yachting three years ago and the body has never appeared, and now is amnestic, but Thibault notes that Julia is his descendant. She brings them to the house of her gold-digger fiancé Hunter (Matthew Ross), who has a lover, Amber (Bridgette Wilson-Sampras), and is only interested in her money and real estates. André falls in love with the next-door gardener Angelique (Tara Reid), who explains him the modern labor laws. Meanwhile, the wizard decides to follow Thibault and help him to return to the Twelfth Century.

"Just Visiting" (2001) is still very entertaining after more than twenty years. The plot is funny, with action, comedy and fantasy, and great cast including the lovely Christina Applegate, Jean Reno, Christian Clavier, Tara Reid and Malcolm McDowell among many others. I have recently learnt that many bad reviews are because "Just Visiting" (2001) is a remake of "Les Visiteurs" (1993) that I have never seen. Anyway, I think this remake is worthwhile watching. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Os Viajantes do Tempo" ("The Time Travelers")

One of the funniest of the offbeat, little advertised movies I enjoy the most. Underrated and under appreciated by American audiences, slowly making its way to cult status, this tale of a French nobleman and time travel, at the hands of a slightly daffy sorcerer, played by Malcolm McDowell takes place mostly in Chicago. A twist on the "I am my own Grandfather" theme brings the nobleman face to face with distant Granddaughter, who he saves from a decision she would have lived to regret. This is a remake of the French film, "Les Visiteurs". Jean Reno shows his talent for comedy and wit. Thankfully he and Christian Clavier teamed up for the remake. Clavier was allowed to develop a little in the American version. The rest of the cast are enjoyable, and bring together a tight, clean story. Worth the video rental. Good clean fun.

Just Visiting is a comedy film that brings together elements of time travel, fish-out-of-water humor, and classic slapstick comedy. Directed by Jean-Marie Poiré, the film is a remake of the 1993 French film "Les Visiteurs," in which Poiré also played a part. While the original French version was a massive hit, this American adaptation didn't quite capture the same magic.

The movie stars Jean Reno as Count Thibault of Malfete, a medieval nobleman who, thanks to a bungled sorcery spell by his wizard, André (played by Christian Clavier), and a twist of fate, finds himself transported to modern-day Chicago. The movie's premise is ripe for comedic potential, as the count and his loyal servant are thrust into a world filled with cars, televisions, and fast food. Their inability to comprehend modern technology and customs sets the stage for many humorous situations.

However, despite a promising setup and the talents of Reno and Clavier, "Just Visiting" falls short in delivering consistent laughs. The humor often relies on predictable fish-out-of-water gags and stereotypical portrayals of medieval characters in the modern world. This reliance on lowbrow humor and slapstick antics can make the film feel somewhat dated and uninspired.

Moreover, the film's plot lacks depth and struggles to engage the audience beyond its initial premise. The romance subplot between Count Thibault and Julia (played by Christina Applegate), a descendant of his beloved, feels forced and lacks genuine chemistry. While the film attempts to inject heart into the story, it often gets overshadowed by the next slapstick set piece.

Despite its shortcomings, the film has its moments of humor and charm, primarily thanks to Jean Reno's committed performance. There are individual scenes and jokes that manage to elicit genuine laughter, but they are scattered throughout an otherwise forgettable narrative.

This film is a somewhat forgettable comedy that fails to live up to the potential of its intriguing premise. While fans of Jean Reno or the original French film may find moments to enjoy, it doesn't quite reach the comedic heights of its source material or other successful comedies of its time.

WARNING: Contains some plot details This film is a good example of why French films often don't make the transition to American films. The 1993 French original, "Les Visiteurs," was for many years the all time box office champion in France. It succeeded on a number of levels. First, it was a clever time travel film about a French knight and his serf who travel from medieval days to modern day France and meet their ancestors -- a Back To The Future in reverse. Second, it was a charming fantasy with almost Disney like qualities, especially in the 20th century, when our French knight and his serf find kind and sympathetic help from Beatrice, the only one among their descendants who really believes who they are. Third, and perhaps most significant, it was a clever satire about French society. Imagine when our medieval knight makes it to modern times only to discover that his castle is now owned by the descendants of his serf. What follows is a delightful story that is a humorous and often poignant commentary on who and what we are. Sadly, most of that was lost in this American remake --not that the producers didn't try to retain the same magic. They brought in the same two principal actors, and much of the same production crew. It appears, however, that they made one big mistake in the hiring of John Hughes as a writer. What you see here looks too much like a Chicago based John Hughes brat pack film and not enough like an ingenious comedy satire. In addition, much of the Disney like awe and fantasy are also gone. (Ironic, since this was a Disney film.) Instead, our American actors are too hip and streetwise to care as much as they should about what they are experiencing. (So why then should we care?) Given all of the rewriting going on in Hollywood these days, it may or may not have been all John Hughes' fault. Nevertheless, a real opportunity was squandered here, as what was so powerfully stated in the original film was lost in this translation. What we learn about film making once again is that writing is the key element. In the case of adapting a foreign film, it takes an intimate understanding of both cultures to pull it off. When it works, it can be wonderful. Other times, not so wonderful.