The combination of the 2 parts .. you should not view these as separate movies, it's split in 2 for commercial reasons but really it's 1 3.5 HR movie like once upon a time in America... This is possibly the greatest crime film ever made, please persevere with the subtitles and it will be worth it... What's more incredible is it's true.. fantastic cast, career best performance from some, amazing script and superb direction... Its just one of the best ever

This is the story of the notorious French gangster Jacques Mesrine (Vincent Cassel), with the focus on his life and death as France's Public Enemy No. 1 in the 1970s. The first part was found "undeniably uneven, but Vincent Cassel's electrifying performance makes Mesrine: Killer Instinct a gangster biopic worth seeking out. " Meanwhile, the second one also put emphasis on the lead actor's performance: "Vincent Cassel is mesmerizing in the lead role. Even if it's less focused than its predecessor, it's more fun." Mesrine Public Enemy Number One neared 2 million in admissions after four weeks of release. In his review for The New York Times, Stephen Holden wrote that Mesrine "makes for continuously riveting, visceral entertainment that evokes a Gallic Scarface without the drugs. ... Mr. Cassel's monumental performance fuses the cobralike menace of the young Robert Mitchum with the whipsaw, shape-shifting (from wiry to bulbous) volatility of classic Robert De Niro, and lightens it with a cat burglar's grace and agility." To me this is yet another glorification of an evil, misogynic, larger than life psychopathic gangster that thinks he can do whatever he wants. The fascination of criminals and their thug life has become a nuisance over the years. It´s tiring to see evil men, as that is the often the case, being portrayed and glorified on the silver screen. Jacques Mesrine got what he deserved in the end, in a shower of bullets. Vincent Cassel is always good, particularly when he works in his native tongue, and the production value is high. But, I personally dont´care about this sort of gangster portrayal these days.

A poignant but interesting ending This Drama is a brutal but satisfying conclusion to French's most infamous Criminal

An excessive and fascinating character is way more than a first-rated mobster film!

...the second part of a riveting story that defines craftsmanship in filmmaking and defines what it means to deliver an epic.

Just as good as Part 1 Killer Instinct

Part 2 of the life and times of French career criminal Jacques Mesrine, with director Jean-François Richet and producer Thomas Langmann back to direct the second part. This one, unlike the first part which went to Canada and America, is set entirely in Mesrine's native France and focuses on his later days in the 1970's. It's longer and more verbal than Part 1, but it's still good. After his exploits in Canada, Jacques Mesrine (Vincent Cassel) returns to France in 1972, and has become a notorious figure in the world of organised crime and spends most of his time robbing banks. But, in 1973, he ends up being put on trial, but he manages to escape again, and goes underground before he's found and arrested by Commissioner Broussard (Olivier Gourmet). Mesrine ends up being sentences to 20 years in prison, but he manages to escape from La Santé Prison with fellow prisoner François Besse (Mathieu Amalric), both dressed as prison officers, and they escape into the French countryside as fugitives. It's a very good drama, although it is different in tone from the first film, and it does tend to slow down every now and again throughout the film, but Cassel is very compelling as Mesrine, who we the viewer have to accept as our anti-hero, but it is well filmed and has some good moments of suspenseful action throughout.

The best film I've seen in a decade.

Incredible sequel! Vincent Cassel is no longer a young and promising actor, he has become the quintessential actor!

Brilliantly done! Fascinating that such a criminal can live in the way he did and get away with so much. Even if he was caught four times, he still escaped each time until there was no choice but to put him down for good.

odlican film,i odlican Vincent!

A bit to long, and like the first part, it's the same over and over again. But again great performances and moments.

Still a very uneven story, but it is much faster paced and simply more fun than the first.

Damn, this was awesome. Cassel is on the spotlight, ladies and gents!

Part I was slightly better, but still... what a great movie!

Second half to Mesrine: Killer Instinct, Mesine: Public Enemy #1 focuses on Jacques Mesrine on the run, and being pursued by the French authorities. A brilliant follow up to Killer Instinct, Vincent Cassel like I stated in my review for the first half is brilliant, and really he makes the part of Jacques Mesrine his own. No other actor could play that part any better. The film is brilliant in showing the criminal repercussions of Mesrine's lifestyle. Jacques Mesrine throughout the 1970's was the most dangerous criminal in France's history. He had a bone chilling reputation, and a knack to sell himself to the public eye to make him more popular towards France's population. This half concludes with the manhunt of Mesrine, and his eventual demise at the hands of French authorities. This is a fine film, a stunning crime film that redefines the genre. Public Enemy #1 is a thrilling conclusion to Killer Instinct. Since this is the second half, some viewers may find that this part is more thrilling and it is, but as a whole, and I really look at both parts as one film, as it should, Jean-Francois Richet has made a highly memorable picture, one of the finest gangster pictures that I've seen in quite some time. With a strong cast, Richet has made a film that will surely be destined to be a classic genre film. This is a must see film for crime film fans and is a near perfect film that is highly engaging from beginning to end. Mesrine is a delivers a raw, intense portrait of what it's really like to be in a life of crime. Richet's film shows us the ugly side of crime. Brilliant in showing Jacques Mesrine for whom he really was. This half focuses yet on other aspects of Mesrine's criminal exploits and viewers of the first half will likely be pleased with this second part. Definitely one of the finest crime films in recent memory, and worth seeing.

Great acting and slightly bitty story make this film seem lightweight. Maybe Michael Mann or Steve Soderburgh should have directed it.

The pacing is even faster in the second half; the action never lets up.

Fittingly, the second installment is a lot more audacious and action packed; it plays out almost like a spy thriller, and a really well made one at that. Cassel once again delivers a superb turn as the bank robbing, jail-breaking hood, which might be lacking in characterisation or insight, but is more than made up for with it's scary realism.

Le deuxième volet du biopic sur Mesrine est bien plus réussi que le premier malgré une réalisation encore à la masse sur les scènes d'action, heureusement peu importantes. Vincent Cassel y est excellent, le scénario manie les ellipses temporelles avec talent et les seconds rôles sont tous très bons. La musique de Marco Beltrami est excellente.