THE ARTS/CINEMA	FEBRUARY 23, 1998 VOL. 151 NO. 8
	Back to the Middle Ages The sequel to a hit film about time travel could make box-office history By BRUCE CRUMLEY /PARIS hey are not smart, handsome, or even strong (except in odor), but the triumphant return of medieval time travelers Godefroy de Montmirail and his recalcitrant lackey, Jacquouille la Fripouille, proves that the comic duo are still heroes to French filmgoers. The release last week of Les Visiteurs II: Les Couloirs du Temps (The Visitors II: The Corridors of Time) came five years after the original became France's second-largest box-office success with nearly 14 million tickets sold. It surprised no one when Les Visiteurs II drew over 115,000 in its first day in theaters. Like its predecessor, the sequel tells of a knight (Jean Reno) and his servant (Christian Clavier, who also co-wrote) who are propelled into the present by a magic potion, to grapple with the slang, rituals, gadgets, food and hygienic concerns of our era. They also learn how the French Revolution changed the fates of their families, as the humbled yet still snobbish remnants of the knight's kin meet the servant's nouveau riche progeny. It was the original film's social satire that made it such a success in France--and less of a hit abroad. The comedic potential of time travel has been used before, so to gain uniqueness the makers of Les Visiteurs juxtaposed modern France and its past--a linkage French studios originally resisted. But after Les Visiteurs I, which cost only $8.2 million, raked in $96 million at the box office, Clavier and co-writer and director Jean-Marie Poire had no trouble finding $23 million for the sequel. Yet sequels often prove disappointing, and the hilarious female lead of Les Visiteurs, Valerie Lemercier, refused to appear in the new film due to grudges left over from shooting the original. Still, if Les Visiteurs II is a success, fans can take heart. Like the original, it leaves the door open for yet another trip.
time-webmaster@pathfinder.com