Movie Review: 24 Hours - Michel Vaillant

24 Hours (Michel Vaillant)

Starring:  Sagamore Stévenin, Peter Youngblood Hills, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Diane Kruger, Béatrice Agenin, Lisa Barbuscia, Philippe Bas, Stefano Cassetti, Philippe Lellouche, François Levantal, Agathe de La Boulaye, Stéphane Metzger, Scott Thrun, Gary Cowan, Lisa Couvelaire, Jeanne Mauran

Director: Louis-Pascal Couvelaire 

EuropaCorp, TF1 Films Production, The Prod, Canal+, France, 2003.

The movie is based on popular French comic books by Jean and Phillipe Graton.

Two car builders The Vaillants and The Leaders have for a long time been competitors in car racing. Michel Vaillant's mother Elizabeth (Béatrice Agenin) fears that Michel (Sagamore Stévenin) will die in a car crash. Michel knows how to use weather conditions to win the race. In Canadian rally contest Michel and his friends Steve (Peter Youngblood Hills) and David (Scott Thrun) play a prank on the Leader driver Cramer (François Levantal). Steves old flame Gabrielle (Agathe de La Boulaye) is also a rally driver. 

The Vaillant Mansion

Michel and Jean-Pierre Vaillant

Michel's father Henri (Jean-Pierre Cassel) gets a racing car and David will be their driver in Le Mans 24 Hour Race. Michel has a brother Jean-Pierre (Philippe Bas) who is the manager of the team. Mother Vaillant however has fears although Leader team will not participate the race.

David at the rally

The Leader driver Cramer

Leader's evil boss Ruth Wong

However the Leaders return to the contest using the feared number 13 car. The boss of the Leaders is Ruth Wong (Lisa Barbuscia) who will do anything to win. She has a cold hench-woman Odessa (Jeanne Mauran). In the next rally contest Cramer sabotages David's car. David topples his car but is not injured. The car however explodes and David dies. David's wife Julie (Diane Kruger) wants to drive in Le Mans in memory of David. Julie turns out to be an excellent driver so Michel begins to coach her. 

Hench-woman Odessa

Julie wants to be a driver

Le Mans Race is on!

Luc Besson scripted the film so it is a stylish production. There is also a little bit of humour typical to Luc. The landscapes and car races are beautifully shot. The final race is exciting. The story is quite usual for racing movies but has also a twist to crime drama. The characters are not very memorable but the driving action is good.

Rating: Good