As Vinci 2 has just premiered in Poland, we use it as an excuse to revisit the original film.

In his latest book, Machulski said that Vinci might have been one of his most polished scripts. And, there might be something in it. Watching Vinci after over twenty years gives me a feeling that some films are just timeless. It might be their ingenious plots, spot-on jokes, or maybe the unforeseen plot twists.

When we think about it today, shooting another heist movie – this time taking place in the modern reality – seemed to be a total risk for Jan Machulski’s son. After all, we’re talking about a person responsible for two (as they say) greatest heist movies from Poland, two parts of Vabank. However, as Machulski stated in his latest interview, he was certain that this is a story worth adapting. 

Well, we all remember the following quotes and dialogues like these:

“Wolałbym do końca życia chleb szydłem z worka jeść, niż ukraść da Vinciego”

„Szerszeń: Pan Tadeusz Hagen, tak? Ten słynny?

Hagen: Słynny, z czego?

Szerszeń: Z malowania tego, co już namalowane.”

However, Vinci – 21 years after its premiere in 2004 – is a refreshing experience, showing that this comedy has aged like fine wine. Watching them steal “The Lady with an Ermine” after such a long time made me feel the same emotions all over again, as if nothing had really changed during that time. In 2025, we can still treasure Machulski’s jovial script and many madcap situations, bolstered by the unique performances from a stellar cast (most of them were still debutants around that time).

The first part of Vinci has also given a spotlight to many actors, soon-to-be-renowned stars, like Marcin Dorociński, Borys Szyc or Kamila Baar. It proves that Machulski not only has a good ear for dialogue, but he is also a super casting director. 

We all know that Vinci is still as good as ever. We can see that Poland has changed since joining the European Union in 2004, but everything else is pretty much the same. Maybe this is why watching Machulski’s comedy reminds us of using a time machine. 

Photo: TVN/Zebra

5/5 stars

Author: Jan Tracz