Just when the French had been forgiven by giving us Amelie, they send this tosh to Hollywood. Nigel Bell Les Visiteurs was, before last years Amelie, one of France's top grossing films. Hardly surprising then that America would want to get it's paws on it. They needn't have bothered. Even using the same director and principal stars, Just Visiting is a complete waste of time with tired jokes and the criminal use of acting talent like Reno. The plot
Thibault of Malfete (Reno) arrives from France to marry Princess Rosalind (Applegate) but a mix up with some witches' potion leads to him accidentally killing his wife to be.  | | And to think, once I was in talked about films like A Clockwork Orange |
Fear not, for an English wizard (McDowell) can send Malfete and his squire (Clavier) back in time to make sure the mix up never occurred. Unfortunately, one of the ingredients to the potion is missed and our heroes are sent from the 12th to 21st century Chicago. From this point the film becomes utterly forgetful. The verdict
Just Visiting comes across as a poor man's version of Crocodile Dundee mixed with an unfunny Blackadder. Instead of an Australian from the outback we have two members of medieval society coming to grips with motorcars and flushing toilets (yes they think it's a sink!)  | | Medieval man rides round 21st century Chicago on horseback. How droll. |
Clavier is one of the script writers, but his character is a pale interpretation of Tony Robinson's Baldrick. In an era of top drawer special effects those in Just Visiting come across as basic. Jokes are predictable and unfunny. There's slapstick in the kitchen, a scene where our heroes see a family on TV, think they're trapped and smash the television to free them. Humouress...hmmm. The script has holes aplenty, the ending is corny beyond extreme and to top it all we have the message of the American dream, freedom and democracy rammed down our throats. Rent Blackadder instead. 
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