The story is set in the familiar seaside town of Saint-Tropez, where Sergeant Ludovic Cruchot (de Funès) and his team encounter a group of humanoid aliens.
: In a classic de Funès sequence, Cruchot hides from both the aliens and his own squad by disguising himself as a nun in a local convent. Le gendarme et les extra-terrestres
: The real gendarmes eventually accidentally board the alien saucer, piloting it until it crashes into the Saint-Tropez harbor, where they are nonetheless hailed as heroes. The Gendarme and the Extra-Terrestrials (1979) - IMDb The story is set in the familiar seaside
: Cruchot famously wanders Saint-Tropez jabbing people in the backside with a screwdriver to see if they make a metallic "clang," often accidentally targeting high-ranking officials like his captain. The Gendarme and the Extra-Terrestrials (1979) - IMDb
The film leans heavily into physical comedy, often centered on the confusion between the real gendarmes and their alien doppelgängers.
: To identify the impostors, the gendarmes discover two key traits: the aliens make a hollow metallic sound when struck and must consume motor oil or gasoline to function. Additionally, contact with water causes them to rust or disintegrate. Notable Slapstick Moments
: The conflict begins when one of the gendarmes spots a flying saucer, a claim initially dismissed by his colleagues until Cruchot sees it himself.