8/10
The 2nd installment is nice and exciting
21 July 2009
Warning: Spoilers
In the 2nd installment of a beloved movie series Marais gives a valiant triple performance—as Fandor, Fantômas and Lefevre. Fantômas unchained could be named as well the Lefevre affair; as Fantômas, the terrific mastermind, kidnaps two scientists—two hypnotists—the 2nd of them being Lefevre. Part of the installment takes place in Rome; now, when in Rome ….

FANTÔMAS UNLEASHED strikes a deliberately inter-textual note—with a script high on gadgets and action, and in this installment it's Juve who saves the day with his cigars, though the inventors of the telepathic gun could have used it a bit earlier. They all pretty obviously slip on the stairway in Fantômas volcano residence. A bit of the signature Fantômas score features towards the finale; the effects in the great aerial chase are simply revolting, though they say they had a parachutist cameraman—anyway, the volcano sequences are lifted, as stated, from a Tazieff science flick.

And those who voraciously read my entries here not only are doing a great good to themselves—no mean thing either—but, pals, they also know that the old French action cinema is an important theme in my writing; the fact is that, in the '60s and '70s, the French action cinema knew, with Marais, Ventura, Belmondo, Delon, his glory days. The Belmondo, the Marais '60s flicks were pure action outings. And then, in Europe, the Italians took on—and led on ….
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