Dead Weight (2002)

Perfectly adorable

Don't listen to the negative reviews

It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.

This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

Launched in the Spring 2002 in France, "le boulet" was hugely successful (more than 3 million of spectators in the French theaters). Why? This success remains both mysterious and unexplainable because Alain Berbérian's movie's got every conceivable fault, every fault imaginable so that you can name it: the perfect load of rubbish. It consists on an uninspired and hackneyed script with threadbare topics. Dialogs that aren't very worked and a poor directing that emphasizes too much on special effects.But above all, "le boulet" is a bad movie because it borrows mostly elements or sequences from a lot of French movies. Thus, you find traces of "la cité de la peur" (1994) made by the same director, always Berbérian. But you also think about "la soif de l'or" (1993) and "la grande vadrouille" (1966) both made by Gérard Oury. Even the duo of characters with opposed disposition (here, we deal with the frail Poelvoorde and the heartless Lanvin) and who are however compelled to work together isn't original. Indeed, this comic device had been already used (and brilliantly) by Francis Veber. You only have to watch "la chèvre" (1981) or "les fugitifs" (1986) to realize it.With this poor movie that looks hollow, we deal with a very serious situation: it would appear that French comedy is declining...

What a great movie. Lanvin's performance is terrific as is the motley of characters. The action rivals any american blockbuster, the jokes are hilarious as are the situations and unexpected happenings that continuously keep the protagonists from their goal!!

"Le boulet" is the perfect definition for the word "disaster" : it happens when untalented French movie-makers try to do a parody of a bad Bud Spencer-Terence Hill buddy movie. "Le boulet" is the proof that the French cultural exception is really about to die. The presence of Benoit Poelvoorde is this unbelievable cinematographic shipwreck is the only positive element :Scenario : 0/10Direction : 1/10FX : 3/10Actors (except Lanvin and Poelvoorde ): 1/10Images : 2/10G. Lanvin : 4/10B. Poelvoorde : 6/10Total : 2.4/10 (I still have the feeling that I over-rated this trainwreck)

This movie is better than one thought. Does anybody remember the great 70ies movies with Louis De Funès ? This one is in the same spirit with goofy comic-like characters and a taste of adventure. It is set in France and in Africa. Everybody is funnily over acting and the movie has one of the dumbest (and funniest) endings in recent movie history. Give it a try !