User Reviews

I almost gave this a negative rating, but it did have some originality. It is a French, farcical mashup between a Wes Anderson movie and gross-out humor. At its core is a parody of the Power Rangers, but even more nonsensical and nasty, with no real plot. Not too sure what to make of it.

NOT FUNNY in the slightest. No idea who this film would appeal to. Psychopaths who find torture and mutilation amusing?

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

One thing that movie fans can say unequivocally about French cinephiles is that they often possess a love of absurdist humor, both in the films they watch and in the pictures their countrymen make. That’s been verified once again in writer-director Quentin Dupieux’s latest, a wacky, **** out sci-fi/fantasy comedy that’s truly one of a kind. The film follows the campy exploits of the Tobacco Force, a Power Ranger-like troupe of superheroes who take on cheesy-looking monsters and villains with their martial arts skills, as well as their ability to emit toxic chemicals (like nicotine) in ample quantities to quickly vanquish their foes. However, in the wake of their latest successful mission, their commander (a randy lookalike cousin of TV’s lovable alien Alf) orders them to go on retreat to work on their team building skills to compensate for a recent tendency toward too much individualism. And, once there, they work on their bonding by spending much of their time telling stories – truly bizarre ones – that have nothing to do with them or their mission. In turn, these assorted vignettes essentially make up the bulk of the film. Viewers (myself included) might wonder why the picture is constructed in such a way, given that it plays more like a collection of bits loosely strung together by a thin central narrative. But that didn’t stop me from laughing, though – and quite a lot at that. From the standpoint of a movie that has a solid, well-crafted story, “Smoking Causes Coughing” fails miserably. But, as one that tickles the funny bone, the picture hits a string of home runs. Yes, it’s silly and nonsensical, and it’s far from epic filmmaking, However, as something that evokes huge chuckles for their own sake, this one is hard to beat. So, as long as you don’t go in expecting auteur-grade cinema, you’ll be fine if you accept this one just for what it is – a vehicle for making us laugh at a time when we can really use it most.

This film informs a kid up front that smoking is bad, but the team of avengers that make up The Tobacco Force harness the “negative energy” of tobacco to fight evil. If this sounds silly, hold on! French director Quentin Dupieux is kind of a cross between Charlie Kaufmann and Luis Buñuel with an approach that's bizarre surreal absurdity. The superheroes, who look like cheap versions of Power Rangers, defeat one rubber monster a la Godzilla before being sent to a camp, where they sit around a fire and tell stories. Yep, there are several little shorts that pop in, as told my members of the group, a random girl and a barracuda, yes, you read that right. Then there's their boss, who's a giant rodent with green drool. If you're reading this going wha???, that's how I felt watching this. People who like weird, virtually meaningless and low budget failed camp might find this a unique curiosity, but it's basically a peculiar French mess. NOTE: Stay thru the credits for one final disappointment.