France, in the near future. The taxpayers aren't happy about the large amounts of money thrown at space exploration. In order to avoid protests, a country-wide contest is organized. The two winners, both of them citizens, will be allowed to participate in a space mission. In due time two very different individuals show up. One of them seems very much like the right stuff : healthy, articulate, intelligent and keen. However, there is no such thing as perfection...
"Un ticket pour l'espace" is a likeable comedy which pokes fun at the French and European ambitions with regard to space exploration. As a result the movie is proof positive that the French are indeed capable of mocking themselves. "Un ticket" also spoofs a number of other movies, such as "Apollo 13". The whole could use more focus, cohesion and rhythm, but there are a lot of deliciously absurd jokes and pieces of dialogue to savour. How to resist a movie which contains a film crew shooting "Charlemagne vs the Ninjas"? Or a serial killer, recently liberated from prison, who gets flattened by a flaming catapult ball? The viewer is also treated to a number of tongue-twisting tongue-twisters guaranteed to drive the unwary to the edge of madness.
The dire love poem citing the planets of our solar system is enough to justify the price of admission.
The sets and effects are unusually accomplished and would grace many a "straight" science fiction movie.
Review by myriamlenys from the Internet Movie Database.