The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec

Paris, 1912. Enter Adèle Blanc-Sec, a plucky mixture of Lara Croft and Indiana Jones. Beautiful period dress and superb surroundings clash brilliantly with the lusciously modern Adèle. Flying off to Egypt to face an army of mummies and her archaeological rival Dieuleveult, Adèle enters a quest to discover the power of life over death. Brilliantly triumphant, as only a comic book heroine could be, she soon returns home to meet with shy scientist, Zborowski - lovesick and attempting to find a cure for Adèle’s twin sister. This same nutty professor has managed to unleash a dangerous and hungry pterodactyl into the Parisian skies, scattering disrupt all over the city, and causing yet another problem for explorer Adèle.

Adventure after adventure, seasoned perfectly with charming humour, Adèle Blanc-Sec is the perfect heroine. Assisted by only the best effects, unexpectedly brilliant director Besson succeeds in bringing Jacque Tardi’s comic book series to life. Bourgoin plays the role brilliantly, donning only the best of Parisian headwear and slyest of disguises. A truly wonderful piece with enough giggles and thrills to make the subtitles well worth reading.

Louise Formby