Product Details

• Actors: Jean Reno, Christina Applegate, Christian Clavier, Matt Ross, Tara Reid
• Directors: Jean-Marie Poiré
• Writers: Christian Clavier, Jean-Marie Poiré, John Hughes
• Producers: Christian Clavier, Jean-Marie Poiré, John A. Amicarella, Patrice Ledoux
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC
• Language: English, French
• Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Walt Disney Video
• VHS Release Date: September 11, 2001
• Run Time: 88 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (68 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00005NBDH
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #147,093 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Actors Jean Reno and Christian Clavier, along with director Jean-Marie Poiré, were the creative team behind The Visitors, a French comedy from the early 1990s that was a massive hit in its native land and a cult favorite in America. Enthusiastically compared by some to Monty Python and the Holy Grail, The Visitors concerns a time-traveling, medieval knight and his lowly servant, both lost in the 20th century and both shocked by the discovery of their descendants' reversal of fortunes. The film works not only as a nutty bit of slapstick, but as a cheeky satire about class conflict. The Visitors deserves its admirers, but it doesn't deserve Just Visiting, an oddly inappropriate remake featuring the same cast and director, all of whom are undercut by an annoyingly sentimental spin on the original story. This time, Reno and Clavier inexplicably end up in a modern-day U.S. instead of France, and the lure of freedom for Clavier's downtrodden character is tied up not in economics but in his attachment to a fetching neighbor. Blame cowriter John Hughes (Home Alone) for turning something that was once sharp into something dull and sticky. With Christina Applegate, Malcolm McDowell. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars All It Needs Is Clouseau, September 23, 2001

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Reviewer - See all my reviews

This review is from: Just Visiting (DVD)

Magic, as well as evil, is afoot in 12th Century France, and when the two are combined to effect the sinister scheme of an unscrupulous individual the result is a comedic journey for a Nobleman and his lackey as they are transported into the 21st Century in "Just Visiting," directed by Jean-Marie Poire, and starring Jean Reno and Christina Applegate. Count Thibault (Reno) is about to marry Princess Rosalind (Applegate), daughter of King Henry (Richard Bremmer) and his Queen (Sarah Badel), but at a prenuptial banquet the Earl of Warwick (Robert Glenister), who covets the fair Rosalind, coerces a witch (Valerie Griffiths) into casting a spell that will enable him to usurp Thibault and make Rosalind his own. The plan goes gravely awry, however, and Thibault subsequently engages the talents of an English Wizard (Malcolm McDowell) to set things aright. But the Wizard proceeds to muck it up even worse, sending Thibault and his slave, Andre le Pate (Christian Clavier), into a "Tunnel of time" from which they ultimately emerge in Chicago, 2001, where they encounter Julia Malfete (also Applegate), the spitting image of Rosalind, who turns out to be a direct descendant of Thibault. And it becomes the task of the Nobleman, Thibault, to find a way back to his own time. In the meantime, he and Andre attempt to negotiate this world of the future with a Medieval mind-set that puts them at odds with the inanimate objects and humans that surround them. And it becomes a trial by fire for the brave Count, and a laugh riot of uproarious proportions for the audience.

This stranger-in-a-strange-land, fish-out-of-water scenario has been done before, to be sure, but it's given a fresh face here compliments of Poire, who sets a good pace and keeps the story on track, and the talents and impeccable comedic timing of his cast, especially Clavier and Reno, who play so well off of one another. Much of what transpires is predictable-- the way Thibault and Andre react to a modern city replete with technology, and specifically things like automobiles, light switches and television-- but they always manage to take it one step further, which makes the humor spontaneous and genuinely funny.

Reno is perfect as Thibault, playing it straight and allowing the humor to naturally evolve from the character's reaction to a situation rather than going for the purely physical humor. Reno, in fact, demonstrates a real talent for acting through reacting, which makes his character believable and adds to the humor of the film. He never allows Thibault to lose that 12th Century logic, willing to attest to his own nobility, for example, to anyone who will listen, and backing it up with a verbal inventory of his assets, which includes things like fifty barrels of olives and, of course, Andre. It's not a performance that requires a lot of depth, but for the film to work it had to be done right, and with precision, and Reno succeeds admirably on both counts.

Clavier, on the other hand, goes straight for the jugular with an all-out assault of slapstick and physical humor that takes it right to the edge and works perfectly in effecting what was intended: He makes you laugh out loud. Reminiscent of a cross between Peter Sellers' Clouseau-- though not as subtle-- and the best of Monty Python, Clavier creates a memorable character, who as the "property" of Thibault gives a real perspective and context to the humor of the story. Some of his "discoveries" of the modern world will have you rolling on the floor. And again, the fact that he plays the character straight and not just "for" laughs adds significantly to the overall humor of the film.

Christina Applegate provides a welcome presence as Rosalind/Julia, and while not a stretch for her as an actor, by any means, she lends a quality to the film that could be easily overlooked, but would be quite apparent as a missing element without her. She has a natural, charismatic manner that makes her endearing and sympathetic, and it's a good, solid performance through which she creates a credible, well rounded character.

The supporting cast includes Matt Ross (Hunter), Tara Reid (Angelique), Bridgette Wilson (Amber), John Aylward (Byron), George Plimpton (Dr. Brady), Bill Bailey (Thibault's Father) and Clare Welch (Thibault's Mother). A comedy that successfully blends the fine art of comedic subtlety with physical gags, "Just Visiting" is everything a comedy should be: Funny and entertaining. And it does it without venturing into over-the-top Farrelly Brothers territory or by employing the abstract brand of hilarity often offered by the Coen Brothers. It's a film that succeeds on it's own merits, and does it splendidly. It's a funny one you don't want to miss, and that's the magic of the movies.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Definitely a Keeper!, October 30, 2005

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L Gontzes (Athens, Greece) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Just Visiting [VHS] (VHS Tape)

An outstanding comedy, Just Visiting, brings to the screen the story of a medieval French prince who is about to marry an English princess when he is magically transferred to the future. Things get a bit more complicated when he falls in love with his soon-to-be bride's great-great-great-granddaughter...
Jean Reno, Christina Applegate, and the rest of the cast, have outdone themselves with their performances, which are exceptional to say the least! All the actors, without exceptions, give it their 100% and it really shows (the chemistry is AMAZING)! Very well written and very well presented, the movie is without a doubt guaranteed to provide more than just a few laughs.
The setting, the plot, the dialogues and the music are all wonderful!
In short, Just Visiting is a movie definitely worth watching and one to seriously consider adding to your movie collection (if you haven't already done so)!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you're in the mood for a good laugh..., September 12, 2001

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M. T. Garvey "mtgarvey" (Central TX, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Just Visiting (DVD)

"Just Visiting" delivers! I really wasn't sure what to expect when I first saw this movie, and I found myself cracking up the entire time. I thought the cast was great, with good chemistry and, although I wouldn't be expecting any Academy Award nominations, the acting was decent.
If you're looking for something to push your intelligence to the max, look elsewhere. But if you'd like some good, clean entertainment that you can enjoy after a trying day, "Just Visiting" is for you!