OSS 117: Desde África con amor

I have to say upfront I am a huge fan of the 2 previous movies directed by Michel Hazanavicius, I was nervous for this one because I hold them in high regards, and director Hazanavicius was not coming back because "he didn't like the script".

I'm pleased to report the movie still succeed to make us laugh and entertain, Jean Dujardin is back in strong form. His comedic timing is always golden and his facial expressions haven't changed. The aesthetic was also a treat, like the 2 previous movies the set design, color palette and exotic locations makes it a beautiful film to look at. Maybe not as good as the other ones but still solid.

I would say that the story/plot is probably the weakest point of the film, it drags a bit with a 2-hour runtime and they try to introduce a new agent played by Pierre Niney that feels a bit forced and didn't really work for me, it was hit & miss (mostly miss) with this character. It feels like they didn't really knew how to end this movie, but it didn't really take away from my enjoyment of it.

This type of comedy can be tricky in today's politically correct day & age, but I thought they stayed true to Hubert and didn't held back. Now that he's going to Africa you can expect him to be maladroit... and he is. It never feels mean however, you can tell he's just an idiot who doesn't know better.

Overall even though it does feel inferior to Rio Ne Répond Plus and Caire Nid d'Espions, it's something I know I'm going to watch again for Jean Dujardin's star performance as Hubert. Bonisseur De La Bath.