Just Visiting

Imagine Crocodile Dundee as a 12th century knight in Chicago instead of a leathery outbacker in New York, and you've pretty much got the crux of this slapsticky, Hollywood remake of 1993's slapsticky French mega-hit Les Visiteurs. Jean Reno and Christian Clavier reprise their roles from the original as a count and his groveling servant-sidekick who are transported to modern times by a wizard's miscalculated spell. Director Jean-Marie Poiré (also returning from the '93 version) manages to keep the fish-out-of-water stuff amusing in a dopey-fun kiddie flick kind of way, despite the fact that the plot can only move forward if every single character in the story is a complete idiot. Unfortunately, the combination of continuity errors and blatant plot devices significantly drag down what is otherwise a pretty entertaining picture. Optional. (R. Blackwelder)