The Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec (film)

Oscar-winning French director Luc Besson (The Big Blue, The Fifth Element) returns with The Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec. The movie is an adaptation of the comic book adventure series written and illustrated by renowned French artist Jacques Tardi.

Tardi's tales tell of the curious adventures of a young and intrepid journalist, Adele Blanc-Sec. For the movie, Besson mixes plotlines from the stories Adele et la Bete (Adele and the Beast) and Momies en Folie (Mummies on Parade) with some of his own ideas.

In a film featuring a prehistoric bird hatching and Egyptian mummies coming back to life, there's no time to be bored. On top of the action-packed plot, the cinematography is beautiful, immersing viewers in 1910s Paris. Well-rounded characters - a mad scientist, cruel doctor, old professor, lovesick assistant and rogue policemen - all join Adele, who is a female version of Indiana Jones with a sharp sense of humour.

The one snag is the final twist, which seems to be there only so that a sequel can be made.

Don't be put off if you don't speak French. The English and Chinese subtitles ensure you won't miss anything. A brilliant, upbeat movie - but if you really want to honour Tardi's work, check out the comics, too.