Unlike Besson’s sci-fi epics, this film is a light, retro-fitted adventure. It feels like a live-action Tintin mixed with Indiana Jones , but with a sharp-tongued heroine in a skirt. Why did it become a cult hit? Because it refuses to take itself seriously. There are no world-ending stakes—just a woman trying to fix her family, even if it means resurrecting a mummy to kill a pterodactyl.

: The film pays tribute to genres like horror, noir, and sci-fi, with nods to directors like Jacques Tati and Buster Keaton.

Before you go sailing the high seas for the "CN Exclusive," note that a beautiful 4K restoration was released in France in 2023. However, it lacks the "CN" exclusive extended scenes.