MON DIEU! WHO INVITED THESE GUYS?

Byline: Bob Strauss Film Critic

``Les Visiteurs,'' the most successful comedy in French history, has been remade remarkably faithfully, but definitely in American, as ``Just Visiting.'' It's got the same story, the same lead actors and the same director (albeit using a different name). What's different is a location change from Paris to Chicago, a writing assist from that paragon of Midwestern provincialism John Hughes and a thing or two to say about freedom, equality and all that jazz.

Otherwise, it's the same broad, vulgar, fish-out-of-water thing, with more jokes built around Gallic sterotypes.

Jean Reno and Christian Clavier reprise their roles as 12th-century nobleman Thibault of Malfete and his peasant servant Andre. They're slingshot into contemporary Chi-town by a wizard's faulty time-travel potion, where Julia (Christina Applegate), a distant descendant of Thibault's, conveniently happens to work at the history museum. Thinking the knight is a lost cousin, she takes the duo under her wing. Wackiness and cross-cultural life lessons ensue.

Though often crude, obvious and repetitive, in general the movie means well and is played with light, expert brio. The medieval guys tend to shout ``Awww!'' whenever they encounter a modern convenience, get car sick at low speeds and should not be left by themselves around indoor plumbing. Taking them out to a fancy French restaurant, while a logical enough idea, is not a good one.

On the other hand, Thibault's chivalric sense of entitlement proves just the inspiration that Julia needs to stand up to her exploitative fiance (Matthew Ross). Meanwhile, Andre comes under the influence of a kooky gardener (the always adorable Tara Reid), who urges the wretch to stop thinking of himself as lower on the social ladder than a dog - even if Thibault may kill him for daring to do so.

Director Jean-Marie Gaubert (aka Jean-Marie Poire) goes back a long way with co-writer Clavier, who is one of France's biggest comedy stars. Both come off technically fine in their English-language debuts, if only because they've been doing stuff like this together for so long they've got the mechanics imprinted on their DNA. Reno, who has appeared in such American productions as ``The Professional'' and ``Mission: Impossible,'' is, as ever, better than good.

Maybe on their next visit, they'll bring something genuinely witty and sophisticated.

``JUST VISITING''

(Rated PG-13: violence, language, toilet humor)

The stars: Jean Reno, Christian Clavier, Christina Applegate, Matthew Ross, Tara Reid.

Behind the scenes: Directed by Jean-Marie Gaubert. Written by Christian Clavier, Jean-Marie Poire and John Hughes, based on Clavier and Poire's screenplay for ``Les Visiteurs.'' Produced by Patrice Ledoux and Ricardo Mestres. Released by Hollywood Pictures.

Running time: One hour, 28 minutes.

Playing: Citywide.

Our rating: Two and one half stars