After an incident at a theater, the corporal Armani (Dominique Pinon) is appointed General by Napoleon (David Suchet, Hercules Poirot). Later on, a false spy (Alexandra Vandernoot) serving for Wellington (Stephen Fry, Wilde) steals the strategic French plan . Then Napoleon guised as a gypsy goes to British headquarter . There sees the fake spy is the Wellington's lover. Meanwhile, Armani poses as Napoleon and commands the French troops at the battle of Waterloo (1815).
This is an embarrassing comedy based on historic deeds and known characters such as Napoleon, Wellington, King George III and Field Marshal Buchler, among others. This inferior film is a co-production between Spain/France/UK which failed at the box office in spite of big budget in which were filmed spectacular battles with lots of extras. Although the gags are continuous, and the ridiculous situations are abundant , the humor turns out to be absurd and flawed. Appears several Spanish secondary actors, as Santiago Segura (Torrente) playing a French journalist and Juan Inciarte , starring in the previous film realized by the Ibarretxe brothers. The film packs a colorful cinematography by Kiko De La Rica (Sex and Lucia), he's usual cameraman of Eloy De La Iglesia (The Oxford murders ,Comunidad). The picture is regularly directed by Esteban and Jose Miguel Ibarretche who formerly directed ¨Solamente muere Dos Veces¨ but they have produced a very good film titled ¨The Cronocrimenes¨ by Nacho Vigalondo who in ¨Sabotage¡¨ appears uncredited as a French soldier. Rating : 4,5 /10, below average.
5 out of 6 found this helpful