Tous à l’Ouest: Une aventure de Lucky Luke (2007) - film review

New York, 1855.  After escaping from prison, the infamous Dalton brothers waste no time in resuming their criminal exploits and raid every bank in the city.  Before being captured by Lucky Luke, the fastest gun in the west, Joe Dalton has enough time to hide the loot in a wagon belonging to a convoy of European settlers.  The latter are heading for California, to take possession of a plot of land they have bought from a crooked real estate agent (named Crook).  The settlers have just 80 days to reach their land, after which they will lose their claim.  Lucky Luke not only has to bring the Daltons to justice (and prevent them from running off with the stolen money); he must also lead the convoy of settlers to their promised land, not knowing that someone is ready to stop them at any price...

One of the most popular comic book creations returns to the big screen in his fourth full-length film, as determined as ever to bring law and order to the Wild West.  Lucky Luke was last seen in Les Dalton en cavale (1983), the third instalment in a loose trilogy that also included Daisy Town (1971) and La Ballade des Dalton (1978).  Assisted by his faithful steed Jolly Jumper, Lucky Luke was brought to the small screen in 2001 by a company named Xilam for a series of TV episodes.  Tous à l’Ouest: Une aventure de Lucky Luke comes from the same company and is faithful to René Goscinny and Morris’s creation in almost every respect.   It would be another two years yet before Lucky Luke made the transition from animé to live action feature, with Jean Dujardin playing the cowboy hero in James Huth’s Lucky Luke (2009).

Tous à l’Ouest is a treat for diehard Lucky Luke fans, although the fact that its creators were so determined not to depart from the original comic books may limit its appeal to a wider audience.  The jokes come thick and fast, although between the inspired belt-busters there are quite a few duds that fail to evoke more than a grudging wince.  Unlike the previous Lucky Luke films, this one appears to be more targeted at a child audience - the characterisation and situations are generally shallower, the humour lacking any real sophistication.  Whereas La Ballade des Dalton was superb entertainment for adults and children alike, Tous à l’Ouest has very little to draw an adult audience, although it is highly recommended for the under-13s and the artwork is of a consistently high standard. 

Voicing the main characters are some big name actors - Lambert Wilson, Clovis Cornillac, François Morel and Michel Lonsdale - who all throw themselves into their parts and give tremendous value.  Lonsdale is particularly funny as the play-it-by-the-book bailiff Bartleby, making such an amusing double act with Edgar Givry’s Crook that Lucky Luke, the Daltons and all the other regulars risk being completely sidelined.   Maybe Bartleby should be given his own spin-off?

© filmsdefrance.com 2011

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