The subject of 18 Maurice Leblanc novels and a longtime regular on the Gallic screen, Arsène Lupin receives the blockbuster treatment in this rousing adventure.
Following the trend now seemingly established for all cult and comic-book heroes, director Jean-Paul Salomé eagerly locates the master thief’s egalitarian villainy in a disturbed childhood before plunging into a yarn with so many subsidiary threads that it’s a wonder the characters can keep up with the dastardly schemes and ever-shifting alliances, let alone the audience.
Romain Duris lacks charisma in the title role and, consequently, is somewhat upstaged by Kristin Scott Thomas’ seductive countess and Pascal Greggory’s treasure-hunting Royalist. However, the action has plenty of swashbuckling panache and the CGI used to supplement the sumptuous locations is suitably atmospheric. Slick, satisfying fun.