"JUST VISITING"
(2001) (Jean Reno, Christina Applegate) (PG-13)

Alcohol/ Drugs	Blood/Gore	Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude	Frightening/ Tense Scenes	Guns/ Weapons
Mild	Mild	Heavy	*Mild	Moderate
Imitative Behavior	Jump Scenes	Music (Scary/Tense)	Music (Inappropriate)	Profanity
Moderate	None	Moderate	None	Mild
Sex/ Nudity	Smoking	Tense Family Scenes	Topics To Talk About	Violence
Mild	Minor	None	Mild	*Heavy

---

QUICK TAKE:

Comedy: A French nobleman and his servant suddenly find themselves thrust from the 12th to the 21st century and must then find their way back home with the help of his future descendent.

PLOT:

Count Thibault of Malfete (JEAN RENO) is a 12th century French nobleman who's set to marry Rosalind (CHRISTINA APPLEGATE), the King's daughter. Unbeknownst to him, however, a rival has summoned a witch to use her black magic to stop the wedding and this results in him killing Rosalind while in the midst of a spell-induced hallucination.

Realizing his master is set to die, Thibault's servant, André (CHRISTIAN CLAVIER), brings an English Wizard (MALCOLM McDOWELL) to his prison cell, hoping that the magician will be able to resurrect Rosalind and get his boss off the hook. The Wizard states that he can't do that, but that he can send Thibault back in time to before he was poisoned and thus prevent the incident from occurring again.

Unfortunately, the Wizard leaves out a key ingredient in his potion, thus sending Thibault and André not into the past, but instead far into the future where they awaken in a museum display in present day Chicago. Viewed as thieves and lunatics, the men are about to be taken away when Thibault mentions the family motto of Julia Malfete (CHRISTINA APPLEGATE), the head of the museum's medieval art department.

He thinks she's Rosalind due to the spitting image, while she thinks he's her long lost cousin who's been believed dead and whose valuable estate she's recently inherited. Thibault quickly realizes he's incorrect and both he and André try to figure out what happened to them and then adapt to their foreign surroundings. Much to the dismay of Julia's fiancé, Hunter (MATTHEW ROSS) who's scheming to get his hands on the estate and then run off with his mistress Amber (BRIDGETTE WILSON-SAMPRAS), Julia brings Thibault and André home, thinking their odd behavior is a side effect of amnesia.

As André finds a kindred spirit in Angelique (TARA REID), the neighbor's gardener, Julia and Hunter must put up with the French men's peculiar and uncivilized behavior while Thibault tries to find a modern day wizard to send him back in time so that he can right the wrongs that have occurred.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?

If they're fans of someone in the cast or of medieval set, sword and sorcery type films, they just might.

WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13

For violence and crude humor.

CAST AS ROLE MODELS:

JEAN RENO plays a courageous, 12th century knight from the past who finds himself in present day Chicago where his appearance, demeanor and behavior clash with the more "refined" society. He briefly uses some profanity, kills some bad guys in the past, is demeaning to his servant, and helps Julia find her inner strength.

CHRISTIAN CLAVIER plays his faithful servant whose crude ways (in appearance and behavior) similarly clash with his new surroundings. He briefly uses some profanity and finds a kindred spirit in Angelique.

CHRISTINA APPLEGATE plays the head of a museum's medieval art department who lives with her fiancé and takes in Thibault and André, believing the former to be a long lost and presumed death relative. She also plays Thibault's 12th century love.

MATTHEW ROSS plays her fiancé who's cheating on her with Amber, use some brief profanity and seemingly only wants to get his hands on the estate that Julia has inherited.

TARA REID plays the neighbor's gardener who befriends André.

BRIDGETTE WILSON-SAMPRAS plays Hunter's mistress.

MALCOLM McDOWELL plays the English wizard who accidentally transports Thibault and André to present day Chicago and then travels there himself to bring them back.

CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO

HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE

---

Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit?
Then read OUR TAKE of this film.

(Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below).

---

OUR WORD TO PARENTS:

Here's a quick look at the content found in this comedy that's been rated PG-13. Violence consists of several people being killed with medieval-based weapons (in an old style, action-adventure fashion rather than being graphically realistic), a person jumping to their death from a castle window (the impact isn't seen), an explosion where a wizard is killed (but comes back to life), some cops beating the two Frenchmen (with slightly bloody results), people hitting others in various fashions, some property damage and several instances of slapstick/pratfall style material.

Some of those scenes and others may be unsettling or suspenseful to the youngest of viewers, while various characters involved in that and other scenes have varying degrees of bad attitudes. Profanity consists of several uses of the "s" word, while some other expletives and colorful phrases also occur. A man cheats on his fiancée (with whom he lives) with another woman who shows cleavage and writhes/rolls around on a table in a seductive manner in one scene.

Crude humor consists of some farting sounds and vomiting, the two Frenchmen washing their faces with toilet water and one thinking a urinal deodorant puck is some sort of edible breath mint (that's shared with others). Meanwhile, a few characters drink and some of the comedic moments may be enticing for some impressionable kids to imitate. If you're still concerned about the film's content, we suggest that you take a closer look at our detailed listings for more specific examples of what occurs in the film.

For those concerned with the flashing of bright lights on the screen, several instances of that occur (as the Wizard shows up in Chicago and in a scene set in a nightclub).

---

ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE

People drink wine at a royal banquet.

People have wine with dinner, including Thibault.

Thibault goes into a bar where some people drink. Later, we see him drinking with them, including holding his mouth under a spigot and having beer poured directly into his mouth.

People have drinks in a nightclub.

BLOOD/GORE

We briefly see what looks like a meaty skull float up to the top of a witch's brew in her cauldron.

Thibault has a little bit of blood from his nose and some on his head after being beaten by police.

We hear André vomit into Hunter's briefcase from being carsick and then see both Julia and Hunter's reaction to the smell.

After eating some dog food (and thinking it's great), André states that he'll "sh*t easily tomorrow."

He and Thibault then wash their faces from the water in a toilet.

After eating in a fine restaurant, André loudly belches and then lets loose with various farting sounds.

André discovers a deodorizing disc at the bottom of a urinal and liking the smell, takes a bite out of it. Later, he offers small pieces of that to Thibault, Julia and Hunter. Thinking they're after dinner mints, they all pop them into their mouths and chew them up, with Hunter enjoying the taste.

We see the Wizard chopping up a pork penis (he identifies it as such) while mixing up some magic.

DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE

One of Thibault's contemporaries hires a witch to cast a spell on Thibault to prevent him from marrying Rosalind. The plan turns out to have Rosalind drink some tainted wine that will cause her to hallucinate, see Thibault as a demon and thus kill him as such.

Thibault and others treat André poorly throughout the film (although we're led to believe this was apparently the norm in the 12th century).

Thibault comes across some bad guys harassing some innocents.

Those who don't like witchcraft, wizards and such magic may have a problem with such material as presented in this film (done and presented in a medieval style).

We learn that Hunter is having an affair with Amber (or at least wanting to while scheming to get all of Julia's family money).

Angelique's employer is mean and demeaning to her.

Some miscellaneous thug tries to steal Julia's purse.

FRIGHTENING SCENES

Scenes listed under "Violence" and "Blood/Gore" may also be unsettling, suspenseful or even scary to some viewers (especially younger kids, although that depends on their age, level of maturity and tolerance for such material).

A large and fierce looking dragon grows out of a witch's caldron and acts menacingly toward a knight (shooting flames at him from its mouth).

After drinking some wine tainted with black magic, Thibault begins to hallucinate and sees various odd incarnations of reality warping and people with bizarre-looking heads (some of which might be unsettling or scary for younger viewers such as a snake-like apparition coming from Rosalind's head).

The scenes where various characters go through the time travel process (turning into a ball-like figure, a stone like figure that crumbles and another that turns into liquid) might be unsettling for the youngest of viewers.

GUNS/WEAPONS

Swords/axes/Knives: Used to threaten, wound or kill people, as well as attack a car and a TV.

IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR

Phrases: "Holy sh*t," "Old hag," "Bastard," "What the hell are you doing?" "Bloody" (adjective), "Idiot," "Retarded," "Who the hell are you?" "Piss" and "Whore."

Some kids may want to imitate what Thibault and André do with modern day appliances and such (such as attacking a car with swords, pretending it's a dragon; turning the lights on and off as if it's magic; André eating dog food from the dog bowl; playing in a toilet; drinking perfume like wine and then adding that and toilet bowl cleaner to a bath; eating toothpaste straight from the tube; tossing food to someone who's eating on the floor and eating food with their hands; using an umbrella to roast a raw chicken in a fireplace; attacking a TV with knives; André eating Angelique's lipstick; etc.).

An older woman gives Hunter and his group "the finger" for driving too slowly.

After eating in a fine restaurant, André loudly belches and then lets loose with various farting sounds.

André discovers a deodorizing disc at the bottom of a urinal and liking the smell, takes a bite out of it. Later, he offers small pieces of that to Thibault, Julia and Hunter. Thinking they're after dinner mints, they all pop them into their mouths and chew them up, with Hunter enjoying the taste.

JUMP SCENES

None.

MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE)

A moderate amount of suspenseful, dramatic and action-oriented music plays in the film.

MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE)

None.

PROFANITY

At least 4 "s" words, 2 damns, 2 hells, 1 ass, 3 uses of "Oh my God," 2 of "My God" and 1 use each of "G-damn," "God," "Jesus," "Jesus Christ," "Lord," and "Oh God" as exclamations.

SEX/NUDITY

Amber shows cleavage as she writhes about on a table in front of Hunter and then sensuously crawls toward him (and occasionally rolls around some more while doing so). Hunter then tells her, "You're so much hotter than a bunny" (his nickname for Julia) and then calls her a tigress.

Hunter and Julia apparently live and sleep together (we see them getting into bed), but we don't see any activity between them.

A woman shows some cleavage in a bar, while Amber shows more cleavage in another scene.

SMOKING

A miscellaneous person smokes in a bar.

TENSE FAMILY SCENES

None.

TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT

Time travel and the ramifications of doing so.

The differences in how people behave/act now and anytime in the past, and what is/was considered appropriate and/or acceptable in either time.

The way in which Hunter treated Julia.

VIOLENCE

Much of what's listed below is meant as comedy or old style action adventure rather than explicit/graphic realism (the latter particularly applying to the deaths that occur).

A large dragon shoots flames at a knight and partially singes his hair. Some slapstick style material then has that knight turning and accidentally banging his head on a low doorway.

A man kicks André from a moving carriage, sending him falling to the road. Thibault then hits his servant on the head with his shield.

Thibault comes across some bad guys harassing some innocents (including that of a man pushing a woman) and goes to rescue them, but the bad guys have set up a trap, tripping Thibault's horse to the ground. Various thugs then try to attack Thibault, who defends himself by striking many of them and knocking them down with his sword and shield. He then elbows an attacker in the face, stabs another with his sword (no blood), and avoids a thrown ax that lands in the chest armor of another attacker, presumably killing him. He then stabs one more attacker (who's severely wounded or killed, but there's no blood and no graphic shots of penetration for any of that).

After drinking some wine tainted with black magic, Thibault begins to hallucinate and sees various odd incarnations of people with bizarre-looking heads, including the Queen who he punches back into her chair and Rosalind who he sees as a demon and thus impales her with his sword (no blood), killing her.

Encountering a truck in a parking garage that they believe to be some sort of Hellish dragon, Thibault and André attack the truck, impaling it with their swords and otherwise smashing it.

Thibault kicks André to get out of his way.

Various cops kick and beat Thibault and André with their night sticks (we see the motion of both, but don't see the impact as it's blocked from our view).

Back in the past, guards try to get into a locked prison cell by taking axes to the door and eventually knock it down by ramming it.

Some pratfalls include André slipping on some ice and falling flat to the floor, Amber rolling off a table in a different scene, and some unintentional property damage in a kitchen.

Thibault grabs André and throws him into a bathtub to wash.

Hearing a conversation on a phone and not knowing what it is, André grabs the phone, rips it out and throws it into the toilet. Meanwhile, Thibault drops a framed picture and it breaks upon hitting the floor.

Told to take a torch with him to ward off any wolves (of which there are obviously none), André sees some electric candles on the walls in a restaurant and tears two sets of them from the walls (causing their "flame" to go out).

Thinking some people they see on TV are trapped inside the set, Thibault and André attack it with their knives, eventually causing it to explode and catch part of their room on fire.

André holds his knife to Angelique's boss to make him apologize to her.

Some miscellaneous thug tries to steal Julia's purse and so Thibault grabs him, throws him onto a car and prepares to cut off his arm (but doesn't).

A man in a bar challenges Thibault to a duel and comes at him with a pool cue. Thibault slices the cue in half with his sword that he then briefly holds on this man.

We hear an explosion in the Wizard's motel room where he was mixing up a magic potion, and all we see left are his two boots in the damaged room. Later, we see various pieces of his body that have turned to stone or metal (nothing graphic and they eventually come back together and he's reanimated back to life).

Showing Julia how to use a sword, Thibault impales a discarded refrigerator and other such items.

Julia briefly threatens Hunter with Thibault's sword. She then puts it back into its sheath and then uses that to strike Hunter between the legs, doubling him over before throwing him out the door and literally onto the street.

A car crashes into another during a chase where Thibault grabs a cop on horseback and pulls him from his ride, while the Wizard knocks another cop off his horse. Later, they blast through a plate glass window (on horseback) to enter the museum.

Back in the past, a man jumps from a castle window to his presumed death rather than drink some wine that's been tainted by black magic (we don't see the impact).

Reviewed April 2, 2001 / Posted April 6, 2001

Other new and recent reviews include:

Privacy Statement and Terms of Use and Disclaimer
By entering this site you acknowledge to having read and agreed to the above conditions.

All Rights Reserved,
©1996-2022 Screen It, Inc.