Ace of Aces

It is brimming with proper funny ideas and gags, but I couldn't get rid of the impression that if it was taken seriously (and the premise is there), I would have had more fun in the end. (16.10.2009)

The film is naturally built on the charisma of Jean-Paul Belmondo, so audiences will enjoy plenty of his typical gestures and boastful reactions. In addition, the story is set in the interwar period of Nazi Germany and falls into the comedy genre, which is not very typical. There have been plenty of war comedies made in France, but this film is unique in its classification. The environment of a totalitarian regime, which wants to present itself in the best light to the world during the Olympic Games, is combined with the escape of a Jewish family from the Reich. Belmondo, a French trainer and friend of a high-ranking German officer from their time as rivals in the sky during World War I, is a more than worthy opponent to the German armed machinery. What works is the main storyline, but in my opinion, Oury's film fails in the effectiveness of the individual jokes, which simply seem either worn-out or unfinished to me. On the other hand, few films dare to portray Hitler as a comical character who engages in a car chase with the protagonist. Overall impression: 60%. (30.05.2011)