Matcollis This Movie Can Only Be Described With One Word.

Maidexpl Entertaining from beginning to end, it maintains the spirit of the franchise while establishing it's own seal with a fun cast

Lollivan It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Lachlan Coulson This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

berberian00-276-69085 There are few things to be said here. This international co-production was meant to rival a Sherlock Holmes franchise - "Sherlock Holmes" (2009) and "Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows" (2011) with Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law. The French Film "Arsene Lupin" (2004) had, however, faster post-production period and appeared first on the big screen. So much so, the arsenal that both protagonist use is almost the same and their literary fathers (Conan Doyle and Maurice LeBlanc) share equal popularity among their fans from the beginning of 20th century, before the Great War (World War I). Albeit, Arsen Lupin always ridiculed his adversary Sherlock Holmes and that resulted in court decision which made Maurice LeBlanc change the name to Herlock Sholmes or Holmlock Shears, an anagram and apparent one.The problematic stuff overall is whether you have read novels from Maurice LeBlanc or none. If you come from non-French speaking country as I do you have a problem. I watched this titular movie on DVD with French language and English subtitles. Presumingly, no English dubbed copy is available or simply I can't find it. Whatever, the Movie is quite watchable with good action pace and 3D effects. Not like the old versions which are theatrical pieces and quite moody. As to the original Maurice LeBlanc's novels you can catch as catch can. Wikipedia provides scanty resource on Arsen Lupin and his literary author - some biography data with summary plot of few novels. You can't even get idea who the principal characters are.Let's go to my country and review the translated books that I have used for main source. Most translations are from first half of last century, little bit outdated but re-edited and published with new covers. They look beautiful and handy but I doubt whether anyone reads them at all. Maurice LeBlanc is totally forgotten among the criminal establishment of 21st century. Young readers have seldom heard of Arsen Lupin and his author, or say "yes" because they watched the Movie in 2004. So what to comment, in the treasury throve of book collection one can find a gem of ideas where single sentence matters a lot. For instance, a replica on Bulgaria - "Those people are spies, coming from petty German Kingdom on the Balkans". End of quote.Finishing lines. Take an "Arsene Lupin Omnibus" published by Wordsworth Editions recently, provided with introduction and notes. Read it carefully and make your judgment on the issue. That's my recipe. Until then, beguile. So, so ...

rjeujune This is the worst treatment of the books I've ever seen ! It's tripe from start to finish, except for Kristin Scott Thomas' interpretation of the Cagliostro.As someone who read all the books as a youngster, I can tell you they are much, much better than this. So was the French serial with Georges Descarrères (not sure of the last name).Frankly, the only thing that disappointed me more was the French rendition of the Fantômas movies with Louis de Funès and Jean Marais, of all people! Don't bother watching this. Get the serial. You won't be sorry.

vollenhoven Might contain some spoilers.In this vehicle from 2004, we get after the movie Vidocq, we get the next hero from the old days. Arsene Lupin the French counterpart of the English gentleman thief Raffles, while Raffles adventures are limited Arsene had a long list of books they could film.This movie however took the road of an epic movie, it cuts through the life of Arsene to highlight one of his great adventures and thereby leaving out the portion what made the man so charming namely his gentleman thiefery adventures. Yes we get a little peak of a few episodes but mostly AL is busy not stealing in the most genial ways but having a grand adventure. Is the movie therefor less entertaining, no it is not as epic adventure stories go it is a nice and fun movie that uses this classic hero in a positive way. It fails to deliver the gentleman thief however, which is one of the reasons why I like the character.However the main character monsieur Lupin does strike me as a Vincent Cassel light, he does his job well enough but he's for me not powerful enough. Kristin Scott Thomas is besides a gorgeous woman also a devil in this movie, she gives the movie it's strength (bond villains have a look here how it's done). her part also gives the movie that fantasy aspect that does sit rather well in this story. Eva Green is a vision of loveliness so when the inevitable moment comes you really care.The movie moves in a decent enough pace, gives us a great and luscious view of old France with some great set pieces like Paris. Greatly filmed and delivers a nice enough epic movie that could have used a little less epic.I hope that the next movie is a we bit scaled down in size and centers more upon the character Lupin as a master Thief.And I am now actually looking forward to that moment that is bound to come when the French cinema has a new shot at Fantomas (French greatest villain ever). I feel that the popularity movies as Vidocq & Arsene Lupin will undoubtedly make way for this title.Perhaps it is time for the UK to dust of their epic hero's like Allan Quartermain (with a preferable SC) or Raffles.If you like any of the last suggestions make your nose tingle it is a sure sign you most probable going to enjoy Arsene Lupin. Enjoy, I did.

leslieaimeemartin This movie is an embarrassment to French cinema. It seems to have stolen the worst ideas of Hollywood movies in trying to make a French blockbuster. Gratuitous special effects and bombastic music fail to distract the viewer from the flashy, shallow, and convoluted storyline. The movie starts slow, almost too slow, and then by the end whips into a frenzy where the filmmakers have tried to stuff everything and the kitchen sink both to forestall any misgivings by the viewer and to allow for the possibilities of endless sequels.The role of Arsène was very poorly cast. The only saving graces to this movie are Kristen Scott Thomas and the beautiful landscapes of Normandy. Yet somehow this movie managed to make even Étretat, the focus of Monet's famous paintings, look fake.