I just got this movie from Amazon.fr and am I glad I did! What a hoot. It is a great buddy-buddy movie, with over-the-top comedy gags, as well as some of the best cgi effects in any film. The Farris Wheel sequence is something to behold. My wife and I encourage you to get this one. Very funny, wonderful action.
16 Reviews
Fun action adventure comedy
Rene-67 May 2002
This movie is better than one thought. Does anybody remember the great 70ies movies with Louis De Funès ? This one is in the same spirit with goofy comic-like characters and a taste of adventure. It is set in France and in Africa. Everybody is funnily over acting and the movie has one of the dumbest (and funniest) endings in recent movie history. Give it a try !
Not sure
jean-no14 September 2003
I really didn't know what to expect from this one. Actually I expected a movie like "la chèvre", "les compères" or "l'emmerdeur" : two guys unfortunately sticked one to the other for some reason... Allowing great and funny actors show. But there ?... The actors are good (but Poelvoerde is not at his best here for me), the stunts and special effects are not far from the best action films. The story is not bad. The directing is fair. But something doesn't work at all. I'm not sure of what. Too much violence ? some too-stupid-to-be-true behaviors ? Maybe. So I didn't enjoyed it completely and I won't give it more than a 5 on 10.
It didn't get lost in the translation...
kurtman-24 June 2002
I recently saw this movie on an airplane. I watched it on a tiny 4inch screen (100mm) and had to read subtitles all the way through. It was a hilarious film. If the creators were trying to make a serious blockbuster film, they missed the mark. But I looked to me like they were out to make a fun film that just got crazy at times. This they did. Even reading subtitles, I laughed out loud several times (not a good idea on a crowded plane, btw). Now it is possible that it was because I was in a confined environment with little or no outside stimulii for 8 hours that I found this piece highly entertaining, but I still have to rate this a 7 or 8 outta 10 for entertainment value. Look for it. (Probably not on a North American screen though...)
Is this a Belgium or a French movie?
jack_o_hasanov_imdb14 August 2021
It's not Benoît Poelvoorde who is the millstone but the movie itself!
dbdumonteil28 October 2003
Launched in the Spring 2002 in France, "le boulet" was hugely successful (more than 3 million of spectators in the French theaters). Why? This success remains both mysterious and unexplainable because Alain Berbérian's movie's got every conceivable fault, every fault imaginable so that you can name it: the perfect load of rubbish. It consists on an uninspired and hackneyed script with threadbare topics. Dialogs that aren't very worked and a poor directing that emphasizes too much on special effects.
But above all, "le boulet" is a bad movie because it borrows mostly elements or sequences from a lot of French movies. Thus, you find traces of "la cité de la peur" (1994) made by the same director, always Berbérian. But you also think about "la soif de l'or" (1993) and "la grande vadrouille" (1966) both made by Gérard Oury. Even the duo of characters with opposed disposition (here, we deal with the frail Poelvoorde and the heartless Lanvin) and who are however compelled to work together isn't original. Indeed, this comic device had been already used (and brilliantly) by Francis Veber. You only have to watch "la chèvre" (1981) or "les fugitifs" (1986) to realize it.
With this poor movie that looks hollow, we deal with a very serious situation: it would appear that French comedy is declining...
But above all, "le boulet" is a bad movie because it borrows mostly elements or sequences from a lot of French movies. Thus, you find traces of "la cité de la peur" (1994) made by the same director, always Berbérian. But you also think about "la soif de l'or" (1993) and "la grande vadrouille" (1966) both made by Gérard Oury. Even the duo of characters with opposed disposition (here, we deal with the frail Poelvoorde and the heartless Lanvin) and who are however compelled to work together isn't original. Indeed, this comic device had been already used (and brilliantly) by Francis Veber. You only have to watch "la chèvre" (1981) or "les fugitifs" (1986) to realize it.
With this poor movie that looks hollow, we deal with a very serious situation: it would appear that French comedy is declining...
O Mon Dieu, quelle catastrophe...
davidguy14 April 2002
This film is a new low point for French recent history of blockbusters... The story is about a pair trying to recover a winning lottery ticket. But it's not easy for the winner Moltès-Lanvin getting hold of a lottery ticket when you have to drag a goofy bloke (Francis-Benoit Poelvoorde) with you. I won't go into the (too) many incredible twists but the story unfolds in Paris, Bamako, Sahara desert... While the acting is all right, especially Belgian comic Poelvoorde, the scenario is way too far-fetched to be enjoyable. Gags are pretty un-funny as well, I'm afraid they will be downright stupid translated. The problem with some French productions in 2002 is that they want to copy US blockbusters but unfortunately the worst ones...
To summarise don't waste your money on thus turkey. 3/10 for Poelvorde!
To summarise don't waste your money on thus turkey. 3/10 for Poelvorde!
Very funny french action movie
chrichtonsworld9 January 2007
"Le Boulet" has been brought out on DVD in the Netherlands with the title "Rally"! This title is a reference to the race (Paris-Dakar)being held in Afrika! IMDb didn't recognize this title,so I guess they made this title up for the dutch market! From the cover I expected something like "Taxi" but wasn't sure. But I got more!This movie surprised me totally! It is shown that the actors in the movie really had fun making this movie! So much is happening in this movie and never gets boring! I laughed a lot while watching this movie and enjoyed the action! The main character is a real idiot and drives his reluctant partner in crime totally mad! I don't understand why many reviewers didn't like this movie! Because this one is really funny and even delivers on some great stunts and action! Pure fun!
Might appear Veber-like but is only a pale imitation
nicholas.rhodes26 March 2006
The first and only time I saw this film I was naively expecting something on the "comic duo" lines oft employed by Francis Veber in such films as "La Chèvre", "Tais-toi", "Les Fugitifs" to name but a few. I was soon to be disappointed as this is only a pale imitation of the preceding. The plot was over zany and far-fetched, and the behaviour of the characters was so stupid as to be annoying ! There was also over-use of special effects ( useless in a film of this kind ) and to boot the whole picture "looked" over-synthetic without natural colours and over dominance of blue and yellow hues. The other thing was that I didn't find the actors funny at all. That this film, in spite of its numerous failings, had a reasonable success at the box office only goes to show that present-day humour in France is slowly descending towards prehistoric levels of vulgarity, unsubtleness and crudity. This film is therefore destined to an audience with very basic and limited humoral appreciation. Thank God we have the older films and the Vebers to remind us that good, clean, witty and intelligent humour did exist in the past.
Je l'aime bien! Cheerful kookiness
llanoite6 June 2002
I didn't expect to but I liked the film very much. Granted, buddy films have been done one million times, but rather than try to put a new twist on an old theme, this one simply had fun with it. A cheerfully kooky film, with some really well-executed stunts (loved the "It's TURK, not KURD" shootout and the chase scene--nice to see a Peugeot stand in for an Aston Martin for a change), a wild set of plot twists, snappy dialogue, exotic locations. I genuinely enjoyed the Malian prison warden--very funny especially during the (brief) watch scene. I honestly laughed a lot. It's just a well-done, clever, fresh little buddy flick. Sit back and enjoy it.
A pathetic movie
Rex, Regis25 June 2002
"Le boulet" is the perfect definition for the word "disaster" : it happens when untalented French movie-makers try to do a parody of a bad Bud Spencer-Terence Hill buddy movie. "Le boulet" is the proof that the French cultural exception is really about to die. The presence of Benoit Poelvoorde is this unbelievable cinematographic shipwreck is the only positive element :
Scenario : 0/10
Direction : 1/10
FX : 3/10
Actors (except Lanvin and Poelvoorde ): 1/10
Images : 2/10
G. Lanvin : 4/10
B. Poelvoorde : 6/10
Total : 2.4/10 (I still have the feeling that I over-rated this trainwreck)
Scenario : 0/10
Direction : 1/10
FX : 3/10
Actors (except Lanvin and Poelvoorde ): 1/10
Images : 2/10
G. Lanvin : 4/10
B. Poelvoorde : 6/10
Total : 2.4/10 (I still have the feeling that I over-rated this trainwreck)
Quite a good one.
gevike13 January 2003
I think this film is perfect if you just want to relax and enjoy some action spiced up with some humor. The car chase is unforgettable. The film is quite similar to the Guy Ritchie film (Lock, stock) with its many crazy characters but not so sophisticated, still quite good.
Great movie. Lanvin is wonderful
bouzouita23 December 2002
What a great movie. Lanvin's performance is terrific as is the motley of characters. The action rivals any american blockbuster, the jokes are hilarious as are the situations and unexpected happenings that continuously keep the protagonists from their goal!!
Not too bad, but the end is horrible...
hihhetetlen2 January 2003
The movie starts well, fast-paced. With Reggio beeing slightly idiot, and Moltès the hard guy you may get a little Taxi feeling. Then the whole thing turns to a bad comedy as the two became fake black guys, and old James Bond bad guy appears. And the end.... A comedy always ends with happy-end, but they loose all their money (sloooowly, while the cast&crew displayed), and it's over. Gérard Lanvin, Benoît Poelvoorde and José Garcia play well, the rest is forgettable. Matte painting and 3d effects are also on low budget, even a child could spot them.
Entertaining and funny
bangkokcontact4 May 2022
This is a typical french humour movie. Not being perfect french speaker make it probably unwatchable or at least incomprehensible as the subtebiliity of the many word plays can simply not be translated and however would not comply with the understanding of English and especially American viewers. Therefore any ratings based on subtitles or english dubbing are useless. Garcia and "the conchita" (de Palma) as well as Lanvin are just delicious. A must see ... unfortunately in french only.
Funny Adventure
eklektikskribblings26 November 2004
I saw this film in Martinique when it opened, and I don't think it's derivative at all. I thought, if anything, it shows that Blockbuster action and comedy are not the property or sole domain of American filmmakers. The film is a a slapstick comedy and is more often than not successful in that regard. It kind of reminded me of It's a Mad, Mad, Mad World in the mad pursuit for a lotto ticket with lots of improbable characters, bizarre situations, and hilarious scenes. In short, watch this film and enjoy -- nice,escapist fun, period. And why would you want to watch this film with bad English dubbing?? Just watch it in French with English subtitles, duh!
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