Review of Lucky Luke (2009) by Harald K — 25 Aug 2012

Lucky Luke is a great character, mostly because he has an awesome name. Woop woop! Despite my bias the comics are fun and funny and usually send up Westerns in amusing ways. This film is rather confusing in its tone.

It is still a bit bizarre and cartoonish, with talking horses, people hiding in barrels, and Luke's ability to never miss. But then some of the thematic elements are insanely dark. It starts with the murder of Luke's parents, and at one point he considers suicide after making his first kill, something he swore he would never do.

The humour can also be peculiar, such as Luke slapping a woman in the face as it's part of his tradition. That was actually the bigest laugh because it took me completely off guard. The film also has poor pacing, as there isn't one strong plot, but about 5 weak ones.

It seems like a TV show edited down into a feature length film, with each segment having a clear beginning and end. Dujardin is great in the role, and gives us a likable cartoon hero that also has depth.

The film looks amazing, with sweeping landscapes, brilliant costumes, and some inventive transitions and editing. I didn't laugh as much as I should, but I still enjoyed it, even if just because it had a unique tone.