OSS 117: Lost in Rio

Boosting its rejuvenation of the '60s French spy spoof franchise, this sequel to "OSS 117: Cairo Nest of Spies" (2006) walks a fine line of politically incorrect comedy that grabs sporadic laughs before the gags hit the floor. Based on a plethora of Cold War spy novels by Jean Bruce, comedian Jean Dujardin returns as Hubert Bonisseur de La Bath (a.k.a. agent OSS 117), a borderline racist and misogynist with a permanent grin and a pistol that never needs reloading. With his slicked back hair and the unfortunate codename Noel Flantier, OSS 117 travels to Rio de Janeiro circa 1967 in order to extract a piece of microfilm with the names of World War II French collaborators from Von Zimmel, a former Nazi who has set up a secret fascist group in Brazil. Pursued by Chinese mafiosos wherever he goes, our nattily dressed spy is assigned a red-headed assistant from the Israeli secret service named Dolores (Louise Monot) who challenges his ideas of modern femininity. Drawing on stylistic influences from early James Bond films as well as movies such as "The Thomas Crown Affair" and "North By Northwest," "OSS 117: Lost in Rio" is visually appealing enough to carry the bumpy comedy across the film's frequent lulls. This type of parody is an acquired taste, but you can get hooked on it while you're watching it.

Not Rated. 100 mins. (B-) (Three Stars - out of five/no halves)