Crime, Comedy, and Pure Swinging-Sixties

Read Time:5 Minute, 41 Second

MOVIE REVIEW
Fantomas Returns! (Blu-ray)
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Genre: Comedy, Crime, Adventure
Year Released: 1964–1967, Eureka Entertainment Blu-ray 2025
Runtime: 1h 44m/1h 39m/1h 41m
Director(s): André Hunebelle
Writer(s): Based on characters by Marcel Allain and Pierre Souvestre
Cast: Jean Marais, Louis de Funès, Mylène Demongeot, Jacques Dynam, Jean-Roger Caussimon
Where to Watch: available now, order your copy here: www.eurekavideo.co.uk

RAVING REVIEW: Something is undeniably charming about a series that was built to entertain above all else. THE FANTÔMAS TRILOGY embraces that impulse with a wide grin, pulling together a trio of films that blend chaos, larger-than-life criminal theatrics, and the breezy spectacle of sixties European filmmaking. Visiting these films today — especially through the meticulous restorations of the new Masters of Cinema release — is like discovering a gleeful corner of cinema that never concerned itself with limits. These movies aim to thrill, amuse, and astonish, and they do so with the kind of unapologetic style that contemporary productions rarely attempt.

The figure anchoring these stories remains one of the great pop-culture creations: Fantômas, a masked criminal genius with a gift for disguise and an even greater talent for humiliating the institutions chasing him. Jean Marais plays both Fantômas and journalist Jérôme Fandor, a dual role that demands not only precision but also theatricality. This makes the viewer lean forward, fully aware of the trick while wanting to see exactly how far it will stretch. Marais delivers all of that with confidence. Fantômas is cold, manicured perfection; Fandor is all determination and exasperated resilience. The contrast between the two is part of the trilogy’s central appeal.

If Marais provides the foundation, Louis de Funès provides the leveling energy that turns these films into something more dynamic. As Commissaire Juve, he barrels from scene to scene with physical comedy that is never just silly. His timing is underrated, and his knack for escalating tension while remaining likable gives the trilogy its pulse. Without him, these films might’ve skewed too heavily toward either caper spectacle or villainous chaos. With him, they land in that sweet space where family adventure and humor can coexist.

Each film carries its own personality while still fitting neatly into the trilogy's overall identity. The first entry focuses on FANTÔMAS’ revenge, framing an increasingly complicated chase as he impersonates those around him. The second, FANTÔMAS UNLEASHED, leans directly into sixties spy mania with its Rome-set escapades and super-weapon plotline. The third, FANTÔMAS VS SCOTLAND YARD, indulges in gothic settings, eccentricity, and the idea of taxing the ultra-rich. This storyline feels surprisingly modern, even after nearly six decades.

Across all three films, the stunts deserve special mention. Not because they are massive set pieces — though some are impressively large — but because they are designed for a purpose. Hunebelle films motion with admiration, not chaos. Cars glide across narrow corners; planes swoop in with a vision; rooftop pursuits don’t blur into confusion. This clarity is rarely discussed, but it's part of why these films have remained a staple of French pop cinema. They’re playful without being weightless.

The new restoration work gives the trilogy a renewed vividness — the intense blues, greens, and comic-book primaries of the era finally breathe again. The films were always colorful, but now the visual identity feels whole. The crispness of the image reveals detail in the masks, the texture of Fantômas’s hideouts, and the elaborate costumes. The sound design helps too, bringing Michel Magne’s sweeping scores back into focus. His music shapes the trilogy as much as any performance, giving the chase sequences and confrontations the flavor of high adventure filtered through French pop-art sensibilities.

One of the trilogy’s most enjoyable elements is its balance. Fantômas is genuinely menacing — a villain whose cold precision makes him more than a comedic foil. Yet the movies refuse to let themselves be consumed by darkness. Instead, they operate like a magician who reveals none of his secrets but lets you enjoy the performance. This creates a strange but effective duality: a series that can be enjoyed by younger audiences without sanding down its edge, while still giving adults something clever, stylish, and knowingly theatrical.

As a whole, these movies promise something specific and consistently deliver it. They may not chase depth or narrative gravitas, but what they achieve — a polished, inventive, personality-driven adventure — is executed with remarkable consistency. The stories aren’t weighed down with unnecessary complexity, and the energy between Marais and de Funès becomes the trilogy’s heartbeat. This makes the experience not only enjoyable but rewatchable, an increasingly rare quality.

Looking at the trilogy today, it stands as a reminder of how broad, imaginative mainstream cinema once was — unafraid to blend tones, eager to experiment with style, and willing to lean into theatricality without apology. THE FANTÔMAS TRILOGY earns its staying power because it understands something essential: a great escapade doesn’t need reinvention, only commitment and imagination. And all three films, even with their shifting settings and escalating stakes, remain committed to that idea. This new release only strengthens its place in film history. It captures a piece of sixties cinema that still feels alive, still feels playful, and still has the power to pull viewers back into the delight of well-crafted spectacle.

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[photo courtesy of EUREKA ENTERTAINMENT]

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