Iznogoud (2005)

People are voting emotionally.

It is a performances centric movie

If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.

The first 20 minutes or so of the movie are terrible. But the rest of the movie is acceptable, even though the songs are not that great. The movie is actually better for kids than adults, even if there's some sexual innuendos and a bit of nudity. Jacques Villeret is great even if his character is not well developed. Michaël Youn is terribly annoying in the first half of the film and it only gets a bit better in the second half. But the two genies are great! The movie reminded me of Astérix, that came out a few years ago, if only that it's not as good.Seen in Toronto, at the Royal Cinema, during Cinéfranco, on April 9th, 2006.72/100 (**)

....and how much did I love them!Goscinny and Tabary used to work wonders for there was only one plot:the Grand Vizir Iznogoud wants to get rid of the caliph and be caliph himself;but every time they came up with funny new situations,hilarious puns and a lot of black humor.Patrick Braoudé completely butchered Iznogoud.He's got a lot of nerve to dedicate his piece of junk to Goscinny and Tabary!The lines are vulgar, full of saucy innuendos(whereas the comic books never deal with sex even to the lesser extent).The songs are abysmal and essentially filler:the reworking of "Pretty woman" is an insult to the great Roy Orbison.It's really too bad for the late Jacques Villeret :the part of the caliphwas tailor-made for him and had he worked with a clever director,he could have succeeded in his portrayal.As I cannot say something nice about the rest of the cast....Now do yourself a favor and read again one of those wonderful comics.

This movie is based on an old (mid 70's) french graphic novel once famous for its humour, based both on situations and on strange and funny characters name (as the main character, Vizir Iznogoud). The adaptation to cinema is a total failure. Braoudé, the writer, totally lacks of imagination. Based on the graphic novel, a continuous flow of gags, hilarious situations, references to classical movies and/or political situation are waited for. But nothing, or quite, happens. A few bad jokes, often predictable (such as the gate in the middle of the desert), a bad copy of "Asterix - Mission Cleopatra" ancient/modern conversations (the flying carpet described as a brand new car), some poor references to the movie "Pretty woman", and that's all folks! 10 (bad) jokes in a 1h30-long movie, it's poor, especially when this movie is supposed to be a comedy. I watched it in a movie-theater in a small town in France. Except, sometimes, a six-year old boy, nobody laughed! Maybe Braoudé should try another job, something which doesn't involved imagination and creative skills...

This movie is based on a lesser known comic by the authors of Asterix. The first half of the movie feels rather messy, as we go through Grand Vizier Iznogoud's various schemes and dreams for assassinating the dumb but lovable caliph. These scenes feel rushed and poorly presented. It gets better towards the end, though. The acting is a tad too over-the-top at times.Whilst the movie as a whole is uneven, there are many good moments. The genie twins are hilarious and steal every scene they're in. There are plenty of the enjoyable modern references we see in Asterix (e.g. Iznogoud's take on "running water"). It's cartoonish humor with adult savvy.