Fans of Luc Besson – and old-school adventure flicks – will definitely want to take note.
Right off the bat, I can tell you that Adele Blanc-Sec isn't Besson's finest hour. The effects are above average at best, especially when the pterodactyl is involved, and the pacing, as I mentioned, needs a little more work in terms of keeping some viewers' interest. However, the film has an old-school kind of spirit to it, the kind you don't really see in movies anymore. Plus, Besson isn't at fault, as he packs enough fun camera angles and good performances to keep things moving.
You can credit some of the actors as well. Bourgoin, despite not having the same gruff as Indiana Jones, does fine as Adele, as does Nicolas Giraud as Andrej, a man who has a major crush on her, but manages to take part in the adventures. Other characters join the fray as well, and though they might seem VERY off-beat to some (jeez, someone get that big game hunter some real teeth, please), they fit right in to the movie's general loopiness. Just sit back and have fun with it, and don't try to think much.
Adele Blanc-Sec benefits from a strong visual presentation, though it's a little too sharp, as you can see signs that the effects cut a few corners to get produced. Still, it's fun to watch some of these locales in action, as well as a few camera tricks that Besson packs into the comic-style tale. The audio is excellent as well, though, again, the voiceovers don't match the on-screen lip movement. Ah, well, they did a decent job anyway.
