Directed by Jean-Marie Poiré and released in 1998, this sequel picks up exactly where the original 1993 film left off. Godefroy (Jean Reno) has returned to the 12th century, but his marriage to Frénégonde is halted because the family’s sacred jewels—specifically the —are missing. Watch The Visitors 2 (Les couloirs du temps - Amazon.com
Les Visiteurs 2 : Les couloirs du temps - Film 1998 - AlloCiné
For fans of French comedy, the name "Xerxes" is shorthand for glorious, unapologetic silliness. So the next time you watch Godefroy struggle with a fork or Jacquouille discover electricity, remember the scene in the Persian throne room. Remember the jewels, the beard, and the rage. And raise a glass (of "Pleine de Vie," naturally) to the one and only King Xerxes—the most unexpectedly hilarious tyrant in French film history.
The plot hinges on the fact that because Godefroy and Jacquouille never returned to their proper time (the 12th century), the fabric of time is tearing. Godefroy travels to the late 20th century to retrieve his descendant, Beatrice, but also accidentally lands back in the 12th century, leading to a complex intertwining of eras. les visiteurs 2 les couloirs du temps xerxes
: A small dog (often identified as a Yorkshire Terrier) that provides several comedic moments in the modern-day 1990s setting of the film.
The film’s title refers not just to the characters’ journey but to a literal machine. Eusebius’ spell creates a shimmering, vertical tunnel. Xerxes, upon capturing a fragment of this magic, orders his magi to replicate it. Their result is a crude, unstable, "reverse" corridor that doesn't move through time but tears holes in reality. This leads to the film’s most iconic visual: a Persian war elephant emerging from a wormhole into the middle of a French supermarket parking lot in 1998.
In the pantheon of French comedy, few films have achieved the cult status of Les Visiteurs (1993). The time-traveling misadventures of Godefroy de Montmirail (Jean Reno) and his squire Jacquouille la Fripouille (Christian Clavier) as they crash-land into the 20th century are legendary. Yet, its sequel, Les Visiteurs 2 : Les Couloirs du temps (1998), often dismissed as a simple cash-grab, is a far more complex, ambitious, and wonderfully bizarre beast. While the first film dealt with the clash of medieval and modern mentalities, the sequel expands its scope to explore the very philosophy of history. And at the chaotic heart of this temporal whirlwind stands a character so unexpected, so historically grandiose, that he redefines the film’s absurdist logic: . Directed by Jean-Marie Poiré and released in 1998,
, but the wedding is halted because the sacred relic of Sainte Rolande—essential for the family's fertility—has been stolen. The Temporal Paradox Jacquouille
| Character | Era | Interaction with Godefroy | |-----------|-----|---------------------------| | Jacquouille | Middle Ages | Servant, time-travel companion | | Béatrice | Middle Ages | Love interest | | Le Père Supérieur | Middle Ages | Sends them on a mission | | Xérès | Roman Gaul | Brief antagonist (comic) | | Godefroy’s descendant (1990s) | Present | Confused doppelgänger |
Philippe Morier-Genoud was a highly respected theater and film actor known for his versatility. His inclusion in Les Visiteurs 2 allowed him to showcase his impeccable comic timing. In a movie filled with industry giants like Jean Reno, Christian Clavier, and Muriel Robin (who replaced Valérie Lemercier as Frénégonde/Béatrice), Morier-Genoud managed to carve out a distinct identity for Xerxes. So the next time you watch Godefroy struggle
The film’s finale does something remarkable for a 90s comedy: it stages a three-way temporal battle. In the castle of Montmirail (the Middle Ages), you have:
The film relies on the dual-role performance of Clavier, contrasting the medieval squire (Jacquouille) with his modern, cowardly descendant (Jacquard).