As one of my favorite comedies, Les Anges Gardiens is a fast-paced French extravaganza full of gags, action, and nudity. What more to want from a movie I ask you? Written and directed by the same crew that brought you Les Visiteurs two years earlier this is a highly underrated movie. First of all, please watch this movie in original, French audio. Secondly, you need to have good subtitles to make it work, something that’s a running theme with these dynamic comedies. The French language itself is kind of funny but when you hear it here it will be hilarious. The script is full of cool one-liners and hysterical exchanges.
Les Anges Gardiens kicks off in Hong Kong, immediately setting this vibrant and exotic atmosphere. We will be going back and forth between various locations, planes, nightclubs, and other fun places. Bursting with energy and full of old school stunts like karate fights, shootouts and car crashes you will be constantly entertained. And since one of the main characters is a sleazy nightclub owner you can expect a fair amount of nudity.
And this is not in-your-face crude nudity but relatively tasteful and stylish nudity. We will be watching exotic dancers and their performances. Since I watched this movie in my teenage years I was understandably fascinated with the whole thing. Luna was and still is one of my biggest crushes.
Yvon Radmilo is a small-time criminal on the run from the Chinese mafia. He stole a lot of money from them and knows it’s a matter of time before they get him. His only concern is to get his young son Bao to his ex-wife, now living in Belgium. Antoine Carco, a shady nightclub owner, and an old friend is his only choice.
Antoine reluctantly agrees and sets off for Hong Kong not knowing that this will kick off a series +of events that will completely change his life. At the same time, shy and modest priest Tarain is getting ready to get back to France after leading a group of young troublemakers on a work trip.
You might think that Les Anges Gardians is your standard-issue comedy but after an hour it adds a fantasy, supernatural element, upping the ante even more. The special effects look pretty good even after more than 25 years. I won’t get into details as I want you to be just as surprised as I was. Although with a title like Guardian Angels, I think you already know where this is going. Unhinged Gerard Depardieu was actually funny and Christian Clavier showed off his talents with a lot of honesty and old-school antics. Their facial expressions are just perfect and add another dimension to this masterpiece.
Finally, when looked at as a whole, you might find Les Anges Gardians a bit messy and disjointed. The frantic pace and constant need to have something going on may be too much for some. However, that’s the price of non-stop laughs. If you’re looking for more charming comedies you can also check out the above-mentioned Les Visiteurs, Taxi, Wasabi, and L’opération Corned Beef.
Director: Jean-Marie Poiré
Writers: Christian Clavier, Jean-Marie Poiré
Cast: Gérard Depardieu, Christian Clavier, Eva Grimaldi, Yves Rénier, Alexandre Eskimo, Jennifer Herrera, Eva Herzigova
Fun Facts: The exotic dancers featured in the movie are members of the Crazy Horse troupe from Paris.
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IMDb Link: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112366/
