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The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec: Director's Cut
[Blu-ray]
Blu-ray A - America - Shout! Factory Review written by and copyright: Anthony Arrigo (29th September 2014). |
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The Film
 Luc Besson is one busy man. In addition to his directorial efforts – he releases a film every three years or so on average – the man also writes and produces a great many pictures. In fact, even though he’s best known as a director he’s got twice as many credits as a writer and more than that as a producer. His plate is constantly full. The quality of his projects can be debated ad nauseam, though few can argue that he doesn’t know the language of film. Besson has a visual bravado not many can match, making his pictures a sumptuous feast for the eyes if nothing else. “The Fifth Element” (1997) is continually referenced as one of the most visually resplendent films of the 90's, and arguably of the past couple decades. The production design on that picture was exquisite. So, it would seem that Besson would be an ideal choice to bring “The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-sec” (2010) to life on the big screen. The film is based on Jacques Tardi’s fantastical 70's comic book series of the same name, which features the leading heroine, Adèle Blanc-sec, as a female Indiana Jones-type character. She goes on adventures, she solves problems, and she does it all with a maw full of wit and a strong sense of fashion. Besson took a more literal approach to bringing the series to life, filling his picture with characters that appear to have been ripped straight from the pages of a comic - think “Dick Tracy” (1990) in terms of appearances. Though the film does outstay its welcome by a good 10-15 minutes, Besson’s visual acumen and ability to craft a story make it a little-seen picture worth seeking out. After a narration of lengthy exposition, where we are introduced to a litany of characters who will carry the picture (which is set in 1912), we meet Professor Esperandieu (Jacky Nercessian). Sitting in his apartment, he is using telepathic techniques he has discovered to cause a 136 million-year-old pterodactyl egg to crack open, hatching the gestating creature within. Thanks to their mental connection, the professor has an intimate psychological connection with the flying beast. Meanwhile, Adèle Blanc-sec (Louise Bourgoin) is with a team in Egypt, exploring the crypts of Pharaoh Ramses II. She’s trying to locate one of the long-dead pharaoh’s doctors, in hopes that Prof. Esperandieu can use his mental powers to bring the doctor back to life. Adèle’s sister, Agathe (Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre), had a nasty accident involving a hatpin during a game of tennis and she is now for, all intents and purposes, a vegetable. Adèle thinks Ramses’ doctor may hold a key to life that today’s modern medicine is unable to utilize. Her plan hits a snag when Esparandieu is jailed, charged with the pterodactyl attacks that have plagued the city. As he awaits a rather swift execution on death row, Adèle hatches a plan (no pun intended) to save his life, eventually swooping in on the pterodactyl just as the hangman is about to earn his keep. With Esparandieu freed, Adèle must try to get the pharaoh’s doctor revived and, hopefully, bring her sister back to the person she once was. But on the trail of her and the professor is Inspector Caponi (Gilles Lellouche), a bumbling twit of a policeman, and Justin de Saint-Hubert (Jean-Paul Rouve), a big game hunter hired to put down the big bird. If that happens, there could be grave consequences for Esperandieu since the two are inextricably linked via his telepathy, which would be bad news for Agathe’s resurrection. This film is as wild a ride as the story it presents, with some wonderful, fun highs and the occasional lows that induce ennui. Besson’s mastery of Mise en scène ensures the film is rarely dull, however, with activity present in many layers during several scenes. As this review has already mentioned, visually Besson is one of the top directors working today. There’s nothing rote about his style, which is imbued with energy and many artistic flourishes. Still, even with so much eye candy to dazzle viewers the story does fall into a lull at times. It also doesn’t help that it takes a good while to really settle into this universe. Besson practically assaults viewers with an avalanche of information right off the bat, rather than taking time to slowly introduce characters and build up this world. By a third of the way in most viewers should feel up to speed, but pay keen attention lest any minor bits sneak past your eyes. So much of the humor is physical and visual that it can be easy to miss a subtitle or two, which isn’t the worst thing that can happen but your brain will need to fill in some blanks later. One aspect of the film that may divide viewers is the characters, or, rather, how the characters are brought to life on screen. The make-up here is all practical and very obvious. Many of the key players are meant to resemble those seen in Tardi’s comics, and the prosthetics are not subtly applied. Caponi has an exaggerated flabby chin; Prof. Dieuleveult (Mathieu Almaric), Adèle’s nemesis who is not exactly a major part of the story, is a twisted, grotesque little man; but most unappealing is Prof. Esperandieu, whose old-age visage is just… bizarre. There’s no other way to put it. He looks like an old man, but there’s that uncanny valley effect that is usually only present in mo-cap animated films. If anyone remembers those Six Flags Magic Mountain commercials with the old man as their mascot, there’s your visual cue. Thankfully, there’s nothing to obscure the unbridled beauty of Adèle. It makes sense she would be gorgeous, since Bourgoin is a model in addition to being a fine actress. “The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-sec” are certainly just that – extraordinary. It isn’t in every film you see a beautiful woman in a designer dress riding a pterodactyl across town. Besson succeeds in capturing the essence of a comic book without being too literal, only enough to make it clear this is a cinematic interpretation of another medium. Full of verve and populated by unique characters, it’s a rather enjoyable ride from start to finish. It may not be entirely great, but it is without a doubt memorable. Note: this Blu-ray features the "Director’s Cut" of the film, which runs around two minutes longer than the "Theatrical Cut". The only differences, from what I’ve read, involve little bits of additional nudity from Bourgoin and a few extra lines here and there.
Video
“Adèle” flies onto Blu-ray with a 2.35:1 1080p 24/fps AVC MPEG-4 encoded image that is virtually perfect. Definition is crisp and evident, with every bit of minutia found in the costumes, make-up and backgrounds showing through with ease. Colors appear robust and vibrant, though Besson’s selected palette here isn’t quite bright or garish; bold primaries are used sparingly so that they pop when displayed. Contrast handles well, with the image’s only deficiencies cropping up during very dark scenes. Shadow detail can get washed out a bit, and black levels are sporadically hazy. These are really very minor issues compared to the overall image, though.
Audio
Audio delivery comes in the viewer’s choice of either French or English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround sound (48kHz/24-bit) or PCM 2.0 stereo. The multi-channel track is the clear winner, as is the original French language option. Range is impressive, with the track taking full advantage of the speakers afforded to it. Effects are discreetly placed and enjoy expert separation, making the experience of watching the film that much more immersive. The constant screeching of the loosed pterodactyl is powerful, with its various noises panning nicely across the room. The LFE track is also present and active, delivering a rumbling low end assortment of deep bass at the appropriate moments. Subtitles are included in English.
Extras
The two-disc set features a Blu-ray and DVD, both of which contain a modicum of extra material. Aside from a decent making-of featurette, there are a handful of deleted scenes and a featurette on the music. DISC ONE: BLU-RAY “The Making of: The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-sec” (1080p) is a featurette that runs for 26 minutes and 4 seconds. Presented in French with English subtitles, this very good behind the scenes piece starts off with Besson mentioning how he was not Tardi’s first choice as a director for this film. But when the first director’s option fell through, he quickly came on board. Besson is a great speaker, and he covers a wide range of topics from casting and production design down to location shooting and decorating the sets. Four deleted scenes (1080p) are presented, all of which deal with Adèle and Agathe as they grow up: - “Adèle & Agathe in the Kitchen” runs for 39 seconds. - “Adèle & Agathe at the Library” runs for 27 seconds. - “Adèle & Agathe Painting” runs for 35 seconds. - “Adèle & Agathe Go Shopping” runs for 33 seconds. A “Music” (1080i) featurette runs for 1 minute and 51 seconds, offering a brief overview of the score composition process. DISC TWO: DVD This is a DVD copy of the feature film. An insert is included with instructions on how to redeem a digital copy of the film.
Packaging
The two-disc set comes housed in a Blu-ray keep case, with each disc on a hub opposite the other.
Overall
Besson’s film is a grand adventure, filled with big moments, wild characters and a non-stop parade of visual splendor. The story isn’t the strongest, but able direction and good performances elevate the material.
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