| The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec | |
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French film poster |
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| Directed by | Luc Besson |
| Produced by | Virginie Besson-Silla |
| Screenplay by | Luc Besson |
| Based on | "Adèle and the Beast" and "Mummies on Parade" by Tardi[1][2] |
| Narrated by | Bernard Lanneau[3] |
| Starring |
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| Music by | Éric Serra |
| Cinematography | Thierry Arbogast |
| Editing by | Julien Rey[4] |
| Studio | EuropaCorp |
| Distributed by |
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| Release date(s) | April 9, 2010 (Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival)[7] |
| Running time | 107 minutes |
| Country | France[4] |
| Language | French |
| Budget | € 31 million |
| Box office | € 42,753,280 |
The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec (French: Les Aventures extraordinaires d'Adèle Blanc-Sec), released as Adèle: Rise of the Mummy in Malaysia and Singapore,[6] is a 2010 French science fantasy adventure feature film written and directed by Luc Besson. It is loosely based on the comic book series of the same name by Jacques Tardi and, as in the comic, follows the eponymous writer and a number of recurring side characters in a succession of far-fetched incidents in 1910s Paris and beyond, in this episode revolving around parapsychology and ultra-advanced Ancient Egyptian technology, which both pastiche and subvert adventure and speculative fiction of the period. The primarily live-action film, shot in Super 35,[8] incorporates much use of computer animation to portray its fanciful elements and contemporary action film special and visual effects within the form of the older-style adventure films they have largely superseded.
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The film incorporates characters and events from several of the albums, in particular the first, "Adèle and the Beast," first published in 1976, and the fourth, 1978's "Mummies on Parade,"[1] within an overall plot of Besson's construction and takes place primarily in Paris, France, circa 1912.[2] While experimenting with the telepathic techniques he has been researching, Professor Espérandieu hatches a 136 million year-old pterosaur egg within the Galerie de paléontologie et d'anatomie comparée, resulting in the death of a former prefect (scandalously sharing a taxicab with a Moulin rouge showgirl) which though witnessed only by the then-drunk Dieuleveut sparks an epidemic of claimed sightings of the creature. The President of France orders the case be considered of utmost urgency by the National Police, only for it to be handed down to the bumbling Inspector Léonce Caponi.
Adèle Blanc-Sec, a journalist and travel writer of some fame, finds herself involved after returning from Egypt, where she was searching for Ramesses II's mummified doctor. She wants to revive the mummy with the help of Espérandieu so the doctor can save her sister Agathe, whom is comatose following an unfortunate tennis incident involving a hatpin. This is complicated by the Professor being on death row, having been blamed for the pterosaur's attacks in lieu of Inspector Caponi and celebrity big game hunter Justin de Saint-Hubert having any success in taking down the beast itself.
The mummy ends up being the Pharaoh's astrologer and is unable to help her sister medically. He does, however, accompany Adèle to the Musée du Louvre, where they revive the rest of the Pharaoh's mummified court on display there, including the Pharaoh himself. The Pharaoh's doctor uses their advanced medical techniques to revive Agathe. The Pharaoh then decides he wants to see Paris, so the entire court wanders out into the night, scaring the ever-hapless Dieuleveut yet again.
Adèle decides she needs a vacation to relax. The final scene shows her boarding a ship, only to be annoyed by some boisterious children. As the viewpoint pulls back the name of the ship is revealed, the RMS Titanic.
Variety magazine called the film a "polished comicbook adaptation" and praised the performance of Louise Bourgoin's as the titular heroine. The reviewer complains that Besson's work is uneven, and the reviewer suggests that Besson would benefit from fresh collaborative voices, and a scissors for the overlong third act. Reviews as a whole however have been positive thus far and the film currently is rated 80% "fresh" on Rotten Tomatoes. Angie Errigo of Empire magazine gave the film 4 stars proclaiming that "Besson is back". Mattthew Turner of ViewLondon was even more positive, giving the film 5 stars and calling it "Impressively directed and beautifully designed, this is a highly entertaining and frequently funny action-adventure romp with a witty script, great special effects and a terrific central performance from rising star Louise Bourgoin".[10]
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