This is undoubtedly the least of the series (and is saved from a ** rating by a hair): Fantomas is back to his old tricks, deciding that the time has come to tax the higher echelon of society of a good chunk of their wealth (no doubt the common people would applaud his efforts) - but, by now, the formula had grown pretty tired and the comic relief, regrettably, had practically obscured the romantic couple's purposefulness!
Still, why the setting has been changed to Scotland (of all places) is unclear, especially since Scotland Yard only really comes into play at the very end! What we get, in fact, is a lot of old jokes about ostensibly haunted castles, disappearing corpses and frightened manservants - with Louis De Funes' Commissioner Juve in the thick of it! - which are better suited to a Bob Hope or Abbott & Costello vehicle rather than one concerning the exploits of an iconic criminal mastermind!!; there's even the traditional fox-hunt which Fantomas disrupts by throwing in his own dog (barely disguised in fox furs) as a decoy!
Finally, the master criminal exits by way of a shuttle fired through the castle tower: how he managed to get it inside unobserved (and keep it from being discovered by the owners and their numerous guests, including our intrepid heroes) is anybody's guess! Unfortunately, then, the series ends on a bit of a whimper but it's sheer fun nonetheless and, ultimately, that's what really matters...
Plot summary
Fantomas wants to collect money from scottish rich' for letting them live. The French inspector (Louis de Funes) comes to a scottish castle to protect the owner, and to catch Fantomas. There is a lot of funny trouble in the castle, espacially at one big evening party.
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FANTOMAS VERSUS Scotland YARD (Andre' Hunebelle, 1967) **1/2
Final chapter in the "Fantomas" series; a little tired
Fantomas goes communist? Well, not exactly. Although he taxes the rich heavily, he does not intend to re-distribute their wealth - he prefers to keep it all for himself! This third and last mid-1960s "Fantomas" film is mostly set in and around a Scottish castle, which automatically means that Inspector Juve will wear a kilt and be scared by fake ghosts. Much of the comedy is long, loud and labored, which is unfortunate, because Louis De Funes does show that he could pull off more subtle comedy, like he does in one scene where he tries to snatch some jewels. There is one exciting action scene - a horse chase - though this time, unlike what happens in the 1964 "Fantomas", Jean Marais' high-flying stunts are obviously doubled. Mylene Demongeot has a little more to do here. The finale leaves the door wide open for another sequel, but it never materialized. ** out of 4.
The least entertaining of the three Fantômas movies.
This third and final Fantômas movie is probably the weakest one, and that's mostly due to the script that contains some dumb illogical scenes. I found this one lesser entertaining than the first two movies. It's still a delight to watch Louis de Funès though. As usual he's the one that makes it worth watching, but from all his movies the Fantômas ones are the least funny. That's only my opinion but after having watched all his movies, and that for several times, I always come to this conclusion. But it's Louis de Funès, the greatest French comedian, so everything is forgiven. He is, was, and always will be the greatest.