Coming in at least two parts hammed-up farce to every one part spy spoof, it's safe to say this 2009 sequel is even more ridiculous than its predecessor of three years before. As before, careful attention has been paid in every regard to mimic the look and feel of genre flicks from the late 60s into the 70s. The production design and art direction, costume design, hair, makeup, and even cinematography all play a part in making this seem very much like something that could have been produced forty-odd years prior - save of course for the cheeky modern sensibilities of humor that predominate. Like 'Cairo, Nest of Spies,' this follow-up starts by twisting and making fun of every trope of spy films, most notably but not exclusively James Bond, including loathsome behavior and attitudes of the protagonist - then goes entirely off the rails. Mel Brooks is a good starting point of comparison, but 'OSS 117: Lost in Rio' takes the master's playfulness to outrageous new extremes; the editors had a field day here, as did cinematographer Guillaume Schiffman. The effects are more over the top as they're employed; the acting and Michel Hazanavicius' direction are altogether cartoonish. And the screenplay devised between Hazanavicius and Jean-Francois Halin? Well, suffice to say that relative to its 2006 antecedent or really most any like fare, this is a bit of a wildcard.
Say what one will about the tendency of other facets toward sometimes gawky excess, but even at its most preposterous, every component part demonstrates the skill and intelligence of the contributors. It's not that the same is abjectly untrue of the writing, but Hazanavicius and Halin seem to have thrown caution to the wind in this case, let their impulses run free, and thrown in every idea that came to them. This is to say primarily that the adventure and comedy alike are much more loosely bound to strict Super Agent guidelines than they were for 'Cairo,' and 'Rio' becomes a kind of a free-for-all grab bag. More than that, this picture relies much more heavily on Movie Magic, with leaps in logic and sequencing even as written that represent the type of narrative shortcuts over which any English teacher or literary critic would surely have conniptions. Some cohesion is lost in the process, amplifying the sense (felt most in the last twenty minutes or so) that this is longer than it needed to be or should have been. And still, for all that, nowhere is the indulgent and immoderate approach to the writing felt more than in the magnification of the title character's worst traits. Though bent toward satirical and parodying aims, as was true previously, in this case OSS 117 is so heavily saturated with racism, sexism, and condescending patriarchal arrogance that the joke rather wears thin fast. When riffing on various prejudices and spotlighting them in a person so as to make fun of them, there comes a point when the tack is so heavy-handed as to become tiresome and boorish rather than clever or funny, and like the protagonist, this feature doesn't know when to stop.
It speaks well to Hazanavicius' creativity, and Halin's, that 'Lost in Rio' is still as fun and well done as it is, with its strengths outweighing its faults. The cast is clearly having a blast, and Jean Dujardin especially seems perfectly within his element as pompous, self-important de La Bath. While the movie goes too far - it would have actually benefited from a measure of self-restraint - more than not the humor still comes off very well, with obvious wit taking precedence over the wackiest whims. The end result remains a title that's enjoyable, worth checking out, and a swell credit to all involved. One way or another I don't think there's much arguing that it's a step down from its forebear, but 'Rio' only wanted audiences to have a good time, and it achieves just that. As it falls quite short of perfection it can hardly be said that this particularly demands viewership, but for something light and frivolous on a lazy day it's still more than suitable. Temper your expectations and don't go out of your way for this 2009 film, but if you do have the chance to watch and can abide its more questionable qualities, there are definitely worse ways to spend one's time.
Say what one will about the tendency of other facets toward sometimes gawky excess, but even at its most preposterous, every component part demonstrates the skill and intelligence of the contributors. It's not that the same is abjectly untrue of the writing, but Hazanavicius and Halin seem to have thrown caution to the wind in this case, let their impulses run free, and thrown in every idea that came to them. This is to say primarily that the adventure and comedy alike are much more loosely bound to strict Super Agent guidelines than they were for 'Cairo,' and 'Rio' becomes a kind of a free-for-all grab bag. More than that, this picture relies much more heavily on Movie Magic, with leaps in logic and sequencing even as written that represent the type of narrative shortcuts over which any English teacher or literary critic would surely have conniptions. Some cohesion is lost in the process, amplifying the sense (felt most in the last twenty minutes or so) that this is longer than it needed to be or should have been. And still, for all that, nowhere is the indulgent and immoderate approach to the writing felt more than in the magnification of the title character's worst traits. Though bent toward satirical and parodying aims, as was true previously, in this case OSS 117 is so heavily saturated with racism, sexism, and condescending patriarchal arrogance that the joke rather wears thin fast. When riffing on various prejudices and spotlighting them in a person so as to make fun of them, there comes a point when the tack is so heavy-handed as to become tiresome and boorish rather than clever or funny, and like the protagonist, this feature doesn't know when to stop.
It speaks well to Hazanavicius' creativity, and Halin's, that 'Lost in Rio' is still as fun and well done as it is, with its strengths outweighing its faults. The cast is clearly having a blast, and Jean Dujardin especially seems perfectly within his element as pompous, self-important de La Bath. While the movie goes too far - it would have actually benefited from a measure of self-restraint - more than not the humor still comes off very well, with obvious wit taking precedence over the wackiest whims. The end result remains a title that's enjoyable, worth checking out, and a swell credit to all involved. One way or another I don't think there's much arguing that it's a step down from its forebear, but 'Rio' only wanted audiences to have a good time, and it achieves just that. As it falls quite short of perfection it can hardly be said that this particularly demands viewership, but for something light and frivolous on a lazy day it's still more than suitable. Temper your expectations and don't go out of your way for this 2009 film, but if you do have the chance to watch and can abide its more questionable qualities, there are definitely worse ways to spend one's time.