The best thing about Criterion’s new release of this Jacques Tati comedy, his last effort as his famed alter ego M. Hulot, is an accompanying 1989 documentary by the legendary director’s daughter Sophie, seven years after his death, a feature length examination of the Tati genius that never quite outlived the enormous success of the first two Hulot films. It’s also welcome to finally have “Trafic” on DVD, completing the Hulot cycle of mostly masterpieces (“Mr. Hulot’s Holiday”, “Mon Oncle”, and “Playtime”), it’s still representative of the auteur’s dedicated portrayal of consumerism as outlandish and ultimately clownish (this time tackling the auto industry though an incendiary series of hit-or-miss set pieces), but to suggest that the often laborious film – an extended road trip from France to Amsterdam – is nearly as funny or sharp as its predecessors is a stretch even for the most ardent Tati buff. My suggestion to the uninitiated, watch the first three Hulot’s in order, “Jour de Fete” if you can find it as well, then “Trafic”, and then the accompanying documentary, maybe read David Bellos’ “Jacques Tati: His Life and Art”, and you should be an expert in no time.